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Minnal Murali () is a 2021 Indian Malayalam-language superhero film directed by Basil Joseph and produced by Sophia Paul, under the banner of Weekend Blockbusters. The screenplay is written by Arun Anirudhan and Justin Mathew. The film stars Tovino Thomas and Guru Somasundaram. The story follows the life of Jaison, a young tailor who gains superpowers after being struck by lightning, and transforms into a superhero.
The film was formally announced in January 2019, but due to the extensive pre-production works, the film's principal photography took place during December 2019. Though shooting got disrupted twice following the two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic the makers managed to complete the shoot within July 2021. The film was predominantly shot in Kerala, with few sequences being shot at Hassan in Karnataka. The film score was composed by Sushin Shyam while the songs featured in the film were composed by Shaan Rahman and Sushin Shyam. The cinematography was by Sameer Thahir and Livingston Mathew served as the editor.
The film was set for a theatrical release in late-2020, but was postponed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2021, the makers announced that the film would be released directly through the streaming platform Netflix, as a result of closure of theatres due to the pandemic. It premiered at the Mumbai Film Festival on 16 December, and was premiered worldwide on the occasion of Christmas Eve (24 December 2021). It received critical acclaim praising the cast performances (particularly Tovino Thomas and Guru Somasundaram), writing, direction, action sequences, visual effects and soundtrack.
On Christmas Eve, lightning strikes Jaison and Shibu simultaneously, granting them Telekinesis superpowers. Jaison's nephew Josemon believes the lightning caused Jaison's newfound abilities. Shibu, using his superpower, intervenes when Usha is harassed at a teashop to earn her affection. Meanwhile, Jaison's plans to move to the U.S are dashed when Saajan reveals a family secret: Jaison is not Varkey's biological son, but rather the son of Martin, a deceased theater actor. Feeling betrayed, Jaison seeks revenge.
Disguised as Minnal Murali, a character from Martin's unfinished play, Jaison attacks Saajan and others at an event, leaving behind clues that point to his implication. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Jaison, Daasan has already covered the cost of Usha's daughter's surgery by stealing the money Jaison had saved for his Travel visa application, which was kept in his tailor shop. Shibu, unaware of this development, robs a bank to raise funds. When Jaison discovers his missing savings, he confronts Daasan, filled with rage and sorrow. Later that day, in a fit of anger because Daasan opposed his alliance with Usha, Shibu burns down Jaison's store, resulting in Daasan's death, and frames Minnal Murali in the crime.
Jaison confides in Biji about his alter ego, seeking help to clear his name. Together with Josemon, they attempt to prove Jaison's innocence. The police identify Shibu as the impostor, but he evades capture, leading to a showdown between him and Jaison. During their confrontation on a bus, the driver dies, and the bus hangs perilously over a cliff, which Jaison saves, earning the villagers' respect. As tensions escalate, Shibu's obsession with Usha culminates in tragedy when her house explodes, killing her and her daughter. Grief-stricken, Shibu seeks vengeance, terrorizing a church congregation and trapping Josemon and others. The police enlist Jaison's help, recognizing him as the only one capable of stopping Shibu.
Donning a supersuit, Jaison confronts Shibu at the church. Initially overpowered, Jaison taps into his inner strength, remembering his father's sacrifice, and defeats Shibu, ending his reign of terror. Despite the loss, Jaison earns the villagers' gratitude, while Biji extinguishes the flames. In a voiceover, Jaison pledges to protect the villagers from future threats as Minnal Murali.
Basil took supervision of the computer graphics-aspect during the film's scripting stage. In an interview with The Times of India, he said that "I will be working closely with the Visual effects team in the pre-production stage for developing the storyboards as well as understanding what is possible before we start shooting the movie". Tovino Thomas said that the film falls on the comedy genre, despite being a superhero film and will be "enjoyable to all kinds of audiences". He also said that "the team had planned to present the fantasy element convincingly and realistic in some manner", by saying "If you search online, you would find several instances of those struck by a lightning, experiencing differences in their lives like being able to make a bulb glow for a second or their watches stopping. So, when high voltage courses through the body its dynamics change somewhat. In that way, it's also a realistic movie."
On 24 May 2020, a temporary church that had been built as part of the film's set near Kalady was vandalized by right-wing groups. The set was made at a cost of around ₹5 million. Several activists of Pravin Togadia (AHP) and Bajrang Dal took credit for destroying the Church-replica by posting on their social media pages about it. AHP's general secretary, Hari Palode, said in a Facebook post that members of AHP, along with members of Bajrang Dal, had demolished the temporary church set as it was placed opposite to a temple. Palode also congratulated the district president of Bajrang Dal, Ernakulam for taking part in the "service work" of razing the church.
Six men, including the leader of Rashtriya Bajarang Dal, have been arrested. All of the accused were levied with sections including seeking to create communal disharmony and robbery. The prime accused in the case, who was previously arrested, was accused of 3 murder cases and many murder attempts. Many from the Malayalam film industry criticized the vandalism. Kerala's chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, said that Kerala is no place for games of the communal forces. The vandalism of the film set had incurred financial losses for the production team.
The team resumed shooting for the portions scheduled at Kalady at Hemavati Reservoir with the backdrop of Shettihalli Rosary Church and additional sets created by the production team. Most of the climax portions were shot in this location. The film was made on a budget of 18 crore.
Before the film's digital release, actress Priyanka Chopra who was the chairperson of the Mumbai Film Festival, announced its world premiere on the 2021 edition of the film festival. This was confirmed by Netflix, which released a live online interaction with Tovino, Joseph, Chopra and Smriti Kiran, who was the artistic director of MAMI. The film premiered at 2021 MAMI Mumbai Film Festival on 16 December 2023.
Prior to the release, the team further collaborated with professional wrestler The Great Khali and cricketer Yuvraj Singh for the promotions of Minnal Murali. A comic book strip inspired from the film was featured in the Malayala Manorama newspaper, four days prior to the release. The audio-visual logo montage of the film was advertised at Ain Dubai, the world's tallest observation wheel located at Dubai, United Arab Emirates. A fan-based bus painting the logo of the film, and named as Minnal Murali Express, were used as part of promoting the film. A parody of the film, presented by Kerala Police, on how the department dealing crimes against women, traffic rule violation, accident prevention and apart from the fictional premise, the video featured snippets of a few major cases the department has solved. Twitter released an emoji of Minnal Murali on 23 December 2021, a day before the film's release.
Anna M. M. Vetticad of Firstpost gave the film 4/5 and praised the action sequences and said that the film is a "tender drama about a reluctant hero and the pain that is caused by the trivialisation of those who are viewed as the other". Further saying that "Basil Joseph's film may be a tribute to the Hollywood superhero genre and made on a larger budget than is the norm with Malayalam cinema, but it is also everything that the Malayalam New Wave of the past decade is loved for across India". Sajin Srijith of The New Indian Express stated Minnal Murali as "the best superhero film made in India" further saying "The film does something that most superhero movies rarely do. When the general approach is to make the audience start caring for the hero first, Basil Joseph's film elects to do the same with the villain. Minnal Murali impresses with its originality and its ability to evade comparisons to superheroes from the West." Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave 3.5/5 and wrote that "like all the best superhero movies, this is a coming-of-age film, where a lost child finally finds direction, knowing where he came from, and where he has to go. While the film is aware of its superhero-ness, it never loses sight of the fact that it is set in a real place. This is a tough balance, and Basil Joseph gets it just right." Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote that "That is how Minnal Murali saunters along, embracing an all-too-literal manner and abandoning a sense of irony as it seeks to convince us that a Batman-like superhero is par for the course in Kerala. Are we writing off the film? Not at all. If nothing else, Minnal Murali aims high enough not to fall with a thud when its wings lose strength. It manages to stay afloat even when it dips precariously low." Business Line wrote that the film "stands out and is fun to watch despite a few cliché moments."Achuth Vinay (26 December 2021). "Minnal Murali review: This genial superhero will win your heart" . Chennai: Business Line. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
Rediff rated the film 3/5 and wrote, "while Basil's idea and thought process of how a superhero is born is meant to win your heart, the plot may not necessarily inspire you."Divya Nair (27 December 2021). "Minnal Murali Review" . Rediff.com. Retrieved 28 December 2021. Sify gave 4/5 and stated "Minnal Murali is a fun watch that keeps the possibility of some sequels alive". Nandini Ramanath of Scroll.in stated "Minnal Murali has an improvisational feel that matches the origin story of an unlikely saviour ... Despite being overstretched, the saga of two superheroes for the price of a single ticket benefits from being pitched at the right scale." Sowmya Rajendran of The News Minute gave 4/5 and stated " Minnal Murali hides its surprises well, and just when you've settled down to watch a comedy about a buffoonish superhero, it changes the game ... Everyone knows that the superhero will save the day, but it requires superhuman effort to create a film that grabs your attention and makes you watch till the end, and Minnal Murali certainly ticks that box."
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