What Makes Minnal Murali Stand Out From Other Indian Superhero Movies?
Superhero shows and movies have been a favorite for many since their childhood. I remember watching Shaktimaan on POGO TV when I was seven years old. I have seen a lot of Indian Superhero movies like Mugamoodi(2012), Hero(2019), Krrish(2006), Bhavesh Joshi Superhero(2018), and many other movies. The above-mentioned films were always based on the protagonist donning the role of a superhero seeking revenge for the loss of their dear and loved ones. Most of these films could not match the Hollywood superhero films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Entertainment in terms of production value and storyline. On 24th December 2021, a Pan-Indian superhero film titled “Minnal Murali” was released on Netflix. Minnal Murali was a perfect comic book movie. I enjoyed this film a lot. In this article, I will be explaining the various aspects that make Minnal Murali stand out from other Indian superhero movies.
The Plot Of Minnal Murali (I Am Sorry For The Spoilers)
Minnal Murali revolves around the lives of two men namely Jaison(played by Tovino Thomas) and Shibu(played by Guru Somasundaram) who get hit by a flash of lightning on a very auspicious day. These two men get superpowers after being hit by a flash of lightning. Shibu uses his superpowers to wreak havoc in the village while Jaison steps up to defend the village.
Now after reading these lines, you would feel what makes this story so unique. You will be like,”Whats so interesting about this movie? Isn’t this the same decade old ‘Indian Superhero Film’ “
What Makes Minnal Murali Stand Out From Other Indian Superhero Movies?
The Perfect Comic Book Script
Most of the Indian superhero films that were released before Minnal Murali, had a lead artist steps up to become a superhero to seek revenge for the loss of their loved ones.
Director Basil Joseph is one of Mollywood’s most successful directors. He is known for comic roles as an actor. He decides to step up by directing a comic book story written by Arun Anirudhan & Justin Mathew. The term ‘Comic Book Story’ means a storyline that involves highlighting the origin of the antagonists and protagonists just like a comic book. The perfect comic book storyline makes this movie stand out from other Indian Superhero films.
The aspects of a local touch give the script a level of authenticity concerning the location and period. The screenplay shuttles between the rise of the antagonist and the protagonist and eventually lead to the end of the protagonist. There were multiple references to the superheroes from DC Comics.
The clash between Shibu and Jaison was one of the best things that happened in Minnal Murali. It was as good as witnessing a comic book story made into a full-length feature film.
Tovino Thomas Hits The Right Note While Donning The Roles Of Minnal Murali Alias Jaison & Martin Rangakala
Tovino Thomas plays a dual role as Jaison & Martin Rangakala. Tovino Thomas has been known for his versatility in pulling off complex roles with ease and sheer brilliance. On a very personal note, I loved his role in many movies like Lucifer, Forensic, Virus, Kala, and Maari 2. After watching the trailer of Minnal Murali featuring Tovino Thomas as the lead, I was super excited for this flick.
Jaison plays a serious and comical role. I liked the way he realized his strength by using funny tricks and methods. He is a perfect superhero striking the balance between strength and smartness. The journey of watching a so-called ‘Useless Guy In The Village’ to becoming ‘The Savior of The Village’ was quite interesting. He has delivered a few comical dialogues and a quirky dressing style inspired by the west. Jaison doesn’t deliver long dialogues but portrays his class & mass as Minnal Murali with ease and brilliance.
Guru Somasundaram Steals The Show As Shibu
Every superhero movie needs a powerful villain who will pose a serious challenge to the hero. Guru Somasundaram plays the role of Shibu. Shibu is the antagonist of the movie. Guru Somasundaram is known for his splendid performance in various Kollywood movies like Aaranya Kaandam, Vanjagar Ulagam, Jigarthanda, and many other films. The best part was there was not even a single frame in the trailer portraying Shibu’s powers as a villain and the makers kept this a secret till the film was released on Netflix.
Shibu was treated as an outcast by the villagers. He gets superpowers after being by a flash of lightning. He waits for a staggering 28 years to unite with his childhood love Usha(played by Shelly Kishore). When the whole village looks at Usha with a stink, he still loves her.
Guru Somasundaram shows a perfect acting meter while portraying the negative shade with a fine touch of love & innocence. His eyes speak volumes of dialogues. He carries the charisma of a supervillain in his non-verbal cues along with a few verbal ones with ease.
On a very personal note, I felt Guru Somasundaram’s portrayal of Shibu in the movie was more than being a villain but a mentality of a man who has lost everything he loved the most.
Vasisht Umesh As Josemon Was A Cutie
Once upon a time, there were child artists were given important roles in the story. Off lately, filmmakers just use these children for comic roles that are not valuable to the storyline. Josemon was not just a kid meant for comic roles but also support his uncle Jaison while finding his powers as a superhero.
Josemon looked so adorable while delivering dialogues. His smile and innocence will melt your heart. I loved the scenes where he was explaining the term superhero to his uncle Jaison.
We cinephiles have been struggling to choose the best between Shibu and Jaison, deep inside we all know that Josemon was arguably the best casting for this movie.
The Villagers of Kurukkanmoola Are The Supporting Characters
In the previously released Indian superhero films, the people living in the city or the village just means nothing to the story while the protagonist and antagonists are fighting each other.
The characters in the village of Kurukkanmoola have a profound influence on the character arc of Shibu and Jaison. They bring in a serious and comic effect on the storyline. The most hilarious part was watching the cops come up with a conspiracy theory. Dasan(Harisree Ashokan) gives an emotional touch to the story. While Varky(P. Balachandran) helps Jaison realize the value of being a superhero.
Bruce Lee Biji(Femina George) plays a vital role in saving the village along with Minnal Murali. She helps Jaison find Shibu.
The Scintillating Music Score
Music and background score have always been an integral part of Indian cinema for decades. The superhero always has a rousing background score. The music and soundtrack by Shaan Rahman & Sushin Shyam play a vital role in elevating the scene to the next level. The song Thee Minnal is one of my favorite from the movie’s soundtrack.
Kugramame is a feet tapping track that would make sure that you would really wanna get on the dance floor.
In every film, the villain has got a dramatic background. The background score for the villains is always a background score that can exude an aura of terror and fear. Bhavani from the movie Master has got a BGM that exudes an aura of fear composed by Anirudh Ravichander.
On the contrary, the music directors of Minnal Murali decided to break the stereotype of having a background score and soundtrack for Shibu that exudes an aura of fear and terror. Shibu has got two of the most soulful and romantic songs which solidify his characterization of being who lost the ones he loved.
Pradeep Kumar’s soulful voice in the song Ravil portrays the unspoken words of love from Shibu to Usha during his childhood.
Top-Notch Cinematography & Stunt Choreography
The cinematography was handled by Sameer C. Thahir. Sameer C Tahir previously worked as a cinematographer for various Malayalam movies like Big B, Bangalore Days, Kali, and many other movies.
Sameer Thahir’s cinematography breathes life into the director’s vision. The frames from this movie can be compared with those from Hollywood Superhero movies. Apart from the action sequences, the cinematographer breathes an aura of realism through his lens.
Stunts are an important aspect of a superhero film. The stunts must be realistic. Vlad Rimburg is the stunt choreographer of this film. He previously worked with high-profile Indian films like Baahubali 2, Sultan, and Pailwaan as a stunt choreographer. Stunts were quite realistic enough supplemented by functional VFX sequences. The fighting sequences between Shibu and Jaison were some of the best-choreographed sequences.
Conclusion
Minnal Murali was indeed an entertaining film. As a concluding remark, I would like to say
Minnal Murali yet again proves that people are born as superheroes or as villains. Its the society and situations that creates superheroes and villains. Most of the Indian superhero films are based on the protagonist seeking revenge without a proper supporting story for the hero and the villain. The previously released Indian superhero films looked like lead actors wearing the superhero suit in a “Fancy Dress Show” on the silver screen. Minnal Murali had a top-notch production with fine performances from the actors.After the release of Minnal Murali,Tovino Thomas joins the league of elite malayalam actors who have consistently delivered mainstream blockbuster films on the OTT platform amidst the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.I wholeheartedly appreciate efforts of the producer Sophia Paul to make this film reach a wider audiences with their unique marketing stratergies.I strongly believe that Minnal Murali will pave way for many more mainstream superhero movies with a comic book script. I hope to see a sequel to Minnal Murali in the near future. I wouldn’t be surprised if I would get to witness fans wearing Minnal Murali costumes at the COMIC CON and see kids running around with Minnal Murali action figures.
Watch Minnal Murali on Netflix streaming in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu with English Subtitles.
