Mollywood Times Review: Laughs & Drama in Malluwood

Vineeth Madhavan (Naslen K. Gafoor) is a struggling filmmaker who wants to be the next great horror director of Malayalam cinema. He’s got the passion, the references, and a seemingly endless supply of patience. But the toxic industry-filled with petty producers, dismissive stars, and a system that rewards mediocrity-keeps smashing his dreams into pieces. His mentor, the aging star Sachin Vaikkom David (Sharafudheen), is both a cautionary tale and a reluctant ally.

After a series of disastrous projects (including a ghost film that gets turned into a romantic comedy because “horror doesn’t sell”), Vineeth decides to make his magnum opus on a shoestring budget. But the line between horror and reality blurs when the set starts experiencing… actual weird events. Is it his own mental breakdown? The ghost of a forgotten actress? Or just the sheer stress of working with a crew that can’t agree on whether they’re making a movie or a funeral?

---

Director Abhinav Sunder Nayak clearly knows the Malayalam film industry inside out-the good, the bad, and the extremely dysfunctional. The satire here is sharp, but it’s delivered with a warmth that keeps it from feeling mean. At its best, Mollywood Times is a love letter to the chaos of cinema, complete with in-jokes about the Premam-era tropes, the tyranny of mass-market masala films, and the eternal struggle of making art in a business that just wants “something like Lucifer but cheaper.”

Naslen K. Gafoor is the soul of the film. He’s always been a solid comic actor, but here he shows real range-his Vineeth is funny, vulnerable, and occasionally infuriatingly naive. There’s a scene where he pitches a horror film to a producer who keeps interrupting to ask about “romantic angles” that’s both cringe-worthy and heartbreaking. Roshan Shanavas as his loyal (and equally clueless) assistant Suji adds perfect comic relief, while Althaf Salim steals every scene as the cynical veteran Sunil Ettan, who’s seen it all and lost the will to care.

But the film’s biggest flaw is its length. At 167 minutes, it could lose a solid 20 minutes-especially in the middle act, where the “making of the movie” sequences start to feel like actual production meetings. Some jokes land, others drag. The tonal shift from Annie Hall meets Tumbbad to full-on psychological horror in the third act feels abrupt, even if it’s thematically earned.

The technical aspects are solid: the cinematography captures both the cramped claustrophobia of indie sets and the wide-eyed dreams of a filmmaker looking up at the stars. But the score, while effective, sometimes overpowers the dialogue-as if the music is trying to tell us when to laugh or cry.

---

Pros

• Naslen K. Gafoor’s breakthrough dramatic performance
• Sharp, insider satire that actual Mollywood buffs will love
• Excellent supporting cast (Althaf Salim and Sharafudheen are gems)
• Genuine emotional beats in the third act
• The horror sequences are surprisingly well-crafted

Cons

• Seriously overlong-editing room needed a bigger axe
• Tonal whiplash between comedy and horror
• Some subplots (the mentor’s backstory) feel undercooked
• The “industry is toxic” message gets hammered home a bit too often
• A few jokes feel like they’re from a 2010s YouTube skit

---

“Mollywood Times” is a movie for people who love movies-specifically, for those who love the mess behind them. It’s not perfect, and it often feels like it’s trying to do too much: be a buddy comedy, a horror flick, a satire, and a drama all at once. But when it works, it works. Naslen Gafoor deserves awards chatter. Abhinav Sunder Nayak shows he’s a director with something to say, even if he needs to learn to say it in 20 fewer minutes.

If you’re a casual viewer, you might find it bewildering. If you’re a Malayalam cinema obsessive, you’ll see yourself (or your nightmares) on screen. Watch it for the laughs, stay for the heart, and prepare to be slightly annoyed by the runtime.

Rating: ★★★½ (3.5/5)
Streaming on: Theatres (check local listings)