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.

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.

~ 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.

Let me start with Cinematography, it has all the recipe of Hombale films. The producers of Kaantara!!

The treasure hunt kind of a story with some supernatural healing element is fine but the non linear presentation across three time periods doesn't stick well. Tovino Thomas does justice on part but the plot does not draw that stickiness which a Kaantara or a Baahibali does!

Music some times is sometimes superfluous or overwhelming.

The story line is all about lineage and legacy, and says how the protoganist negotiates his way forward to erase the untrue legacy. Basically the protoganist trio are ready to face all odds for greater good. While that theme is good it needs a proper presentation.

Kalari was shown well initially, even during the climax it's brought in and presented well, initially but loses steam almost instantly.

We are left to wonder what is it that the hero will use to win all the odds against him. It's finally the supernatural saving element in the plot that makes the entire much a do about something into some what nothing.

Needn't have to be that lengthy a movie to say what you wanted to say!! Though there are a couple of twists in the movie they don't appeal much.

Overall you can watch once with some supernatural support for almost 3 hours.