A.R.M

The film ARM is a cinematic work belonging to the Adventure action thriller drama genres, which was directed by Jithin Lal.

The film's narrative is focused on three characters: Kelu, Maniyan and Ajayan. The narrative is rooted in the concept of a chiyothivilakku, which is a figurine of a deity that is worshipped. The construction of the edifice was undertaken with the use of unnatural elements, a practice that was customary for the kingdom of Edakkal. In the event of the kingdom facing adversity, a warrior of Haripuram, Kelu, versed in the intricacies of weaponry, intervened to thwart the antagonists and requested the chiyothivilakku as a gift from the kingdom. The king bestowed the gift upon Kelu. The artefact was conveyed to Haripuram, where a temple was constructed for the purpose of housing the chiyothivilakku. Prior to his demise as a result of the plague, he ascertained that the chiyothivilakku bestowed upon him by the king was a counterfeit, and that the original was still in the possession of the royal palace. Kelu concealed this information from all other parties, and consequently met an untimely demise. Maniyan is a renowned thief in Haripuram who possesses both magical abilities and expertise in the use of weapons. The entire community endeavoured to apprehend him. However, this attempt was unsuccessful. Maniyan appropriated the chiyothivilakku from the temple in retribution for the humiliation inflicted upon his wife by certain members of the local community. It was at this point that he became aware of the lack of originality in that work. He proceeded to the palace, and following his successful completion of numerous challenges, he stole the original Chiyothivilakku from the palace. The item was stored in a highly confidential location. Subsequently, he was apprehended by the local populace and propelled from the precipice. The third character is Ajayan, who is the grandson of Maniyan. Ajayan is employed as a mechanic. Due to his lineage being that of Maniyan, he is not predisposed to embodying the role of the thief. He has a romantic interest in Lakshmi, who is the daughter of the primary figure in the village. He leads a modest existence, yet the villagers persistently associate him with criminal activity. He encountered significant challenges in maintaining his residency there. Subsequently, an individual by the name of Sudhevan arrived in the village with the intention of photographing the local festival. Nevertheless, his true intention is to steal the chiyothivilakku. Subsequently, it became apparent to him that the object in question was a counterfeit of the chiyothivilakku. He caught Ajayan and issued a directive for the original to be located. Despite conducting a thorough search of the entire village, the item could not be located. During the festival period, Ajayan encountered challenges in his relationship with Lakshmi, and was subjected to false accusations of theft. These difficulties mirrored those experienced by Maniyan, who also fell into a similar situation. Following a meticulous search, Ajayan successfully located the original chiyothivilakku. It is evident that, as a consequence of this, he was able to claim a favourable certificate from the villagers.

The narrative was of an excellent standard, both in terms of its composition and direction, and the cinematic experience it provided was also of a high quality. The integration of visual elements and musical scores is noteworthy, with the performances by the cast being of a particularly high standard. This film has been found to be one which can be watched once without losing its appeal, and it has also been determined that it can be recommended to others.

The best part of ARM is definitely the portions of the thief Maniyan. Among the three timelines and the three characters, it was the sole reason I felt the movie was worth watching. But even there it felt like there was so much potential that was not explored enough. Even in that portion, everything from the writing, production design and music feels like it's done in a way that is just enough and safe for the movie to work among Malayalees. The main storyline of Ajayan was like a tweaked version of Meeshamadhavan where a lot of things felt wrong and it went on way longer than I had the patience for.

Still, the touch of fantasy in everything was something that made me appreciate the whole thing even with all the things that irked me. The very first action scene with the Kunjikelu character was very underwhelming for me, but the rest of the action scenes worked pretty well with all the Kalari moves. But the fights are not placed in the narrative like modern action movies, it felt a lot like how they were placed in some of the Malayalam movies from the 90s as a moderately exciting scene before something more interesting happens. Even the ending felt like one of those lazy 90s movies where everything doesn't exactly tie up by the end but the main stuff is told directly to you and the rest are just assumed to have gone well.

The 3D effects that are designed to be flashy at moments kept me amused after the moments I felt bored. There were also editing mistakes that popped up here and there, so I'd have to think that some frames with issues in 3D could have been more of an issue with the editing. Overall, this felt like an okayish movie but there were some aspects of it, especially in the Maniyan portion that I'm very happy to see and wish there were more attempts like that.

~ A. R. M is a fantasy action film directed by Jithin Lal who has done a fantastic job in his debut film itself. It's a film which follows three characters across three generations ; Kunjikelu , Maniyan and Ajayan which are all played by Tovino himself and one powerful statue that is heavily involved in the lives of the three men. The story was really engaging and it felt like a folktale , it was like one of those muthashi kadhakal. Tovino was an absolute standout among the ensemble cast featuring many great talents who has also done a great job. It was Tovino's potrayal of Maniyan that I loved the most. The film is in 3D and the 3D was superb, they have done a good job on it. Considering it's 30 crore budget it looks visually stunning and has better or as good VFX than a lot of films that are made over 200 , 400 crores. The technical aspects of the film was outstanding especially the VFX work , cinematography, background score , action choreography and the colour grading giving it a fantasy and retro vibe. It was a totally worth watch in the theatre as it had everything it had promised and I am so glad that finally Malayalam cinema got a big budget fantasy film right.

Ajayante Randaam Moshanam

A visual extravaganza set on the backdrop of a mythological tale.

The plot of the story revolves around a lamp that is believed to hold extraordinary powers through the lives of a valour warrior,a wild raw thief and an electronic mechanic of different generations.

Jithin Laal has conceived and portrayed the story way much ahead than what Sujith has penned in the screenplay. The Script writer has given brilliant character arc to each characters of Tovino in the movie.

The story narration in the early half went well except for few flaws like the captive thread got broken in few instances and the surprise element was highly predictive.

Stellar performance by Tovino and all the three character stands out evidently through their vivid mannerisms. Tovino has given life to Maniyan with his amazing action sequences and wild mannerisms which is a sparkle to the eyes and this character is definitely going to be the talk of the town and the most favourite character in Tovino's filmography.

Stunning performance by Surabhi in the movie alongside Maniyan and her performance stands out among the other two heroines. Subtle performances by Jagadeesh & Harish Uthaman,bold character delivery by Basil in a new avatar.

A good 3D experience for the stunning visual treat by Jomon complemented with Dhibu's BGM. VFX and CG Department also added to the visual beauty of the story. Jomons visuals especially in the night & action sequences were top notch.

Hats off to Jithin for giving Maniyan to the audience through his debut directorial.

ARM 3D is a must watch visual entertainer in this festive season.

Rating - 3.75/5.

The film sets the tone right from the beginning, with Mohanlal's introduction and Mala Parvathi's engaging narration of the grandmother's story.

Once immersed in this atmosphere, the fictional village of Chiyothika and its surroundings feel like our own.

Jithin Lal and Sujith Nambiar astonish us with their writing and direction, displaying a finesse that belies their newcomer status.

The humor woven into this fantasy-myth narrative owes much to Deepu Pradeep's contributions to the screenplay.

This team has seamlessly brought together the various elements of such a film to create an impressive whole.

The artistic direction stands out, vividly portraying the fictional village of Chiyothika, its temple, and its people across three distinct time periods.

While unfolding the story with the lightheartedness of a grandmother's fable, the film also explores the caste system persisting through both monarchic and democratic eras.

Beyond the narrative, Tovino Thomas captivates with his electrifying performances and commanding screen presence.

Portraying three distinct characters-Kunjikelu the warrior, Maniyan the thief, and Ajay the electrician-Tovino embodies each role with unique looks, expressions, and body language.

His dedication and preparation for these roles are evident in his flawless performance, with Maniyan's character deserving special mention.

Maniyan's appearance, expressions, body language, and dialogue delivery surpass even the other two characters, making him unforgettable.

Aishwarya Rajesh and Kriti Shetty, though in lead roles, leave a limited impression beyond their fleeting appearances.

On the other hand, Surabhi Lakshmi excels in her role, especially as Maniyan's wife, delivering a performance that elevates her character beyond mere support to Maniyan.

The chemistry in the Maniyan-Nanu combo scenes is so vibrant that Tovino-Jagadish's duo takes a backseat.

Jomon's cinematography, Shameer Mohammed's editing, Dibu Nainan's music, and other technical aspects significantly enhance the film's theatrical experience.

Ultimately, ARM triumphs by narrating a grandmother's tale/fable from start to finish with technical brilliance, adhering to its core essence throughout.