The Malayalam movie Vadakkan, which starred Kishore and Shruthy Menon, is a landmark achievement as it was named the Best Supernatural Thriller at this year’s Fright Night Film Festival. Before this accomplishment, Malayalam cinema has never won an award of this kind. Oscar-winning author Unni R, whose credits include Charlie (2015) and Munnariyippu (2014), wrote the screenplay for the Sajeed A-directed movie.
Vadakkan expertly combines otherworldly aspects with old North Malabari folklore to immerse viewers in the entrancing “Vadakkan Universe.” The plot revolves around an abominable creature from a Dravidian cult practice that is hiding on a remote island and is confronted by a paranormal investigator from Helsinki who travels to Kerala to look into a string of unexplained fatalities that occurred during a reality TV show filming.
Academy Award-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty, cinematographer Keiko Nakahara, and composer Bijibal make up the film’s technical team. The Offbeet Media Group’s Offbeet Studios is in charge of producing it.
Vadakkan has previously been shown in the Marché Du Film, an annual film market held in conjunction with the Festival De Cannes, and chosen for the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF). ‘Vadakkan’ is set to expand globally after its Cannes premiere, with releases in other regional languages and dubbing in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu. In the upcoming months, the movie will also be shown at other significant festivals.