Why Malayalam cinema struggles with sci-fi, and how modern films are changing the game

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Besides, even if a producer or production company stepped forward to make a genre film, ensuring the absolute realisation of the director’s vision, the box-office returns for Malayalam movies were quite low until recently, and the industry opened the Rs 300 crore club only in 2025 with Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra.

However, that needn’t be the only reason. A closer look at Malayalam films in general shows that most makers may be uninterested in crafting extensively researched scripts, likely because of the tremendous effort required. Instead, many are more focused on creating works that require comparatively less labour so that they can realise the movies much more quickly.

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When they feel like creating absolute fictions, they resort to horror, fantasy, or mythology. As a result, even movies that could be solid sci-fi flicks often ended up as fantasies, with director Binu Sadanandan’s Ithihasa (2014) and, to an extent, Bhadran’s Iyer the Great (1990) being notable examples.

An obsession with writing alone and hesitance to involve co-writers in the process could also be contributing factors. Budget constraints may also be playing a role here. Nevertheless, even after the technological boom and producers’ willingness to make bigger projects, sci-fi films remain scarce in Malayalam cinema.

To clarify the genre and its meaning, let’s consider the basic definition as per Britannica: “Science fiction is a form of fiction that deals principally with the impact of actual or imagined science upon society or individuals.” Some of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time include 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), and Back to the Future (1985).

Early experiments: Karutha Rathrikal, Jaithra Yathra, and more

Widely regarded as the first Malayalam sci-fi film, director Mahesh’s Karutha Rathrikal (1967) was an adaptation of RL Stevenson’s novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886). Bankrolled by P Subramaniam under the banner of Merryland Studio, the movie features Madhu, KV Shanthi, and TK Balachandran in key roles.

The film revolves around a young medical practitioner-cum-scientist, Santhan (Madhu), who invents a medicine that can turn a person into a powerful monster. He uses this monstrous identity to take revenge against those who killed his uncle, and also invents a formula to transform himself back to normal.

Despite the limited resources of the time, Karutha Rathrikal experimented with special effects and, according to The Hindu, earned appreciation for its efforts. However, Karutha Rathrikal also demonstrated how ill-equipped Malayalam cinema was, financially and technically, to create a strong sci-fi film.

Much like the Madhu-starrer, director Sasikumar’s Jaithra Yathra (1987) also opens with scientists mixing chemicals in titration flasks in their chemistry labs. One could argue that this was a method used by Indian filmmakers to easily illustrate an invention without having to explain the methodology.

“Click the keyboard twice, show random objects moving on the computer screen, mix the red liquid with the green one, and the necessary invention is ready” were cliché visuals often found in Indian sci-fi films. To add some spice, makers occasionally slipped in a few generic technical terms into the dialogues.

Starring Nizhalgal Ravi, Thilakan, and Shari, Jaithra Yathra follows a young research scholar who uses a locket invented by his professor that can make a person invisible to take revenge against the murderers of his uncle. While the dramatic track of Jaithra Yathra shares similarities with Karutha Rathrikal, the former pushed the boundaries of the sci-fi genre.

In fact, one can even find elements from Jaithra Yathra in later Malayalam movies like Athisayan (2007) and Minnal Murali (2021), with the most notable being the use of invisibility for revenge and lightning creating superpowers. However, it’s impossible to say that Athishayan and Minnal Murali were inspired by Jaithra Yathra, since these concepts have been around for a long time.

By the 1990s, Malayalam cinema had become fully obsessed with comedies, dramas, and hypermasculine star vehicles, with even fantasies and horror films being few and far between. Meanwhile, the situation worsened in the 2000s, reaching a low point in the industry’s history due to its relentless production of ludicrous movies.

One could watch the purported sci-fi film Kalachakram (2002), helmed by Sonu Sisupal, to understand how bad the era was. Its synopsis says, “To destroy the country, a businessman, with the help of a doctor, creates a clone of Adolf Hitler. However, a group of youngsters are determined to expose him.” But words can be deceiving.

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After Jaithra Yathra, a proper exploration of sci-fi in Malayalam occurred in 2007 when Manichitrathazhu (1993) and Harikrishnans‘ (1998) writer Madhu Muttam made a comeback for Anil Das’ Bharathan Effect. Interestingly, the movie opens with a computer-generated visual of Thiruvananthapuram in the year 2107, when space shuttles are common. Bharathan Effect then cuts to the era in which its story unfolds, centring on a man named Bharathan (Biju Menon), who invents a small flying device powered by antigravity that requires no fuel.

Although Bharathan Effect can be described as the first Malayalam film to come close to the genre’s basic definition, the unnecessary inclusion of mythological elements, even if only a few, undermines its potential. However, at a time when Malayalam cinema wasn’t even ready to explore the genre, the Biju Menon-Geetu Mohandas starrer prompted the industry to dream bigger.

The missteps: Unintentional comedy and amateurish special effects

Had the movie not been unintentionally comical due to its amateurish treatment, Vinayan’s Athisayan (2007) would have been remembered as one of the earliest quintessential sci-fi films in Malayalam. Inspired by the Marvel Comics superhero Hulk, Athisayan tells the story of a kid who becomes invisible after consuming a potion created by a scientist (Jackie Shroff). However, the invisibility power comes with a side effect, which is triggered at one point, turning him into a hulking brute.

Unfortunately, Vinayan was ill-equipped to visualise his lofty ideas, and his overt dramatisation of the story pulled it down further, making Athisayan unimpressive. Over the years, the movie has faced immense trolling for being cringe.

Master Devadas in Athisayan. (Screenshot: YouTube/cenimaxchithravaani; enhanced using AI)

Before becoming a horror cinema virtuoso, director Rahul Sadasivan tried his hand at science fiction, albeit unsuccessfully. The first Malayalam film centred on extraterrestrial life, Rahul’s Red Rain (2013) attempted to open new avenues for the industry in the genre. However, the movie went largely unnoticed due to its amateurish making and unsatisfactory visual effects.

Opening with “The distinction between the past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion,” a quote famously attributed to Albert Einstein, director Ajay Devaloka’s Who (2018) begins in 2040. It is one of the rare Malayalam films to experiment with the concept of time, although it cannot be confined to a specific genre. Aside from carefully examining how scary the blurring of the line separating reality and dreams can be, Who also explores the many layers of human nature. However, the film’s overly philosophical writing often plays the spoilsport.

Director Jenuse Mohamed’s Nine (2019) could be described as the first technically impressive Malayalam sci-fi film. Not just visually, but the Prithviraj Sukumaran-starrer also instils in the audience the feeling that Jenuse has put significant effort into creating the narrative, as the script appears sensible yet doesn’t compromise on fiction.

While Who (2018) complexifies its high concept, Nine simplifies its own to an extent without hampering the intrigue at its core. However, the unnecessary ‘fantasticalisation’ of the narrative, particularly through the character of Ava (Wamiqa Gabbi), dilutes the film’s essence.

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Reportedly inspired by director Jake Schreier’s Robot & Frank (2012), Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval’s Android Kunjappan Version 5.25 (2019) brilliantly showcases the beauty of a sci-fi story with a soul. Revolving around an elderly man (Suraj Venjaramoodu) who develops an unusual camaraderie with an android (Sooraj Thelakkad), the movie demonstrates that the genre can be explored even without heavy visual effects, provided the makers are willing to think outside the box.

Can Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Churuli (2021) be called a sci-fi film? Honestly, it’s unfair to box it into a particular category, as it’s one of the very few truly genre-bending movies in Malayalam cinema. Yet, the way Lijo and writers Vinoy Thomas (story) and S Hareesh (screenplay) have woven science-fiction elements — such as time loops, spatial loops, and aliens — into the narrative without appearing forced deserves commendation.

If Churuli highlights the allure of subtlety, Ranjeet Kamala Sankar and Salil V’s Chathur Mukham (2021) demonstrates how irritating on-the-nose portrayals can be. Despite an intriguing plot, the movie is ruined by the lazy habit of creators introducing a ghost into the narrative so that they can pass off any plot device without having to put the hard work to ensure it makes sense.

Although one can barely call Santosh Sivan’s Jack N’ Jill (2022) “a film” due to its shoddiness, it was, nevertheless, billed as a sci-fi comedy. However, Jack N’ Jill is to the 2020s what Kalachakram is to the 2000s.

The modern renaissance: Technical feats and trailblazers

Director Krishand RK can be called a trailblazer of contemporary Malayalam sci-fi cinema, introducing both audiences and fellow filmmakers to previously unseen avenues in the genre. While his mockumentary sci-fi fantasy Aavasavyuham: The Arbit Documentation of An Amphibian Hunt (2022) is one of the most successful experimental films in Indian cinema this decade, his Masthishka Maranam (2026) introduced the Malayalam audience to visuals and concepts previously witnessed only in foreign films.

Aavasavyuham revolves around a man (Rahul Rajagopal) with a mysterious connection to nature, and it makes brilliant use of its surroundings to build intrigue and mystery, unfolding as a compelling Kafkaesque narrative. Without overwhelming the audience with scientific jargon, Krishand introduces only what they need to know, keeping the rest under wraps to encourage them to feel the narrative rather than trying to understand it.

Rajisha Vijayan in Masthishka Maranam. (Screenshot: YouTube/NetflixIndiaOfficial)

In the cyberpunk comedy Masthishka Maranam, he takes things to the next level. However, unlike typical Indian sci-fi films that liberally draw from Hindu mythology, Masthishka Maranam remains original within our cinematic landscape. One of the most notable aspects of both these movies is that they address socio-political issues and realities while being anchored in the genre.

Director Arun Chandu’s Gaganachari (2024) is yet another significant sci-fi venture in Malayalam cinema that explores the many shades of humanity and science, and how they will shape the world of tomorrow when “an alien megastructure has landed on the earth’s atmosphere.” Gaganachari also proves that one doesn’t need hefty budgets to bring high-tech concepts impressively to the screen, but simply a visionary director at the helm.

Cinema cannot exist in a vacuum; it’s all about the discussions that follow. In the Cinema Anatomy column, we delve into the diverse layers and dimensions of films, aiming to uncover deeper meanings and foster continuous discourses.