Bramayugam

<p>In 17th century , Thevan and Koran arrive at an unfamiliar, forested area and camp there for the night. During the night, Koran is seduced and killed by a . Thevan runs away, discovering a ramshackle in the morning. While trying to crack open a coconut to stave off starvation, he is found by the house’s cook. He is brought before the lord of the , Kodumon Potti, who asks his whereabouts and upon learning he is a (folk singer), requests him to sing for him. Potti compliments Thevan on the song and insists that he stay in the for the rest of his life, despite his desire to leave. The cook, while showing Thevan his room, discourages him from asking questions about the house or investigating any areas that are off-limits. Over the next few days, he discovers from the cook that the Potti is a descendant of the sorcerer Chudala Potti, who was gifted a mystical goblin helper, a , by the goddess . His constant torture of the turned it vengeful, and it went on to kill Chudala Potti and his family. Kodumon Potti, a strong sorcerer in his own right eventually defeated the Chathan and chained him in the mansion’s attic. He also realises that the cook is not on good terms with Kodumon Potti, and that the latter is not a devotee of God. Thevan befriends the cook, who soon appears to confide in him and warns him not to trust Kodumon. It is also revealed that there was a singer staying in the mansion before Thevan arrived, who was killed and buried in the backyard as he went insane. One day, Thevan sees the cook digging a grave in the backyard, presumably for himself. Terrified, he tries to leave, but is unable to, held back by a spell that makes him sick whenever he tries to cross the gateway, despite begging Kodumon who refuses to let him leave. He then realizes that he is losing his memory, unable to recall even his own name or when he arrived at the mansion. The cook tells Thevan that the grave is not meant for him, but for the real Potti whose corpse is lying upstairs and is then buried. Thevan had came to the realization that the Potti downstairs is in fact the in disguise, who imprisoned the real Potti in the attic and drove him insane, leading to his eventual death. The only way that the cook and Thevan could escape the manor is by defeating the by extinguishing an located in a secret chamber in the granary, and then trapping it in a special chest. During an argument with the impersonator Potti, the cook steals the key to the chamber from Potti’s waist. He opens the chamber and blows out the lamp, weakening the . Thevan and the cook then fight the chathan. The cook, now revealed to be Potti’s illicit son, grabs the ring and sets the on fire, causing the creature inside to emerge. As the rightful heir to the ring, the cook attempts to put it on, which would legitimize his ownership over the , but is stopped by Thevan, who believes that the ring’s power will corrupt him or any human being who wears it. The two start fighting while the fire destroys the , causing it to collapse over them. Thevan is shown walking away from the ruins of the but is attacked by the cook. During the struggle the cook realizes that he is not the real Thevan, but the in disguise. The real Thevan is then shown to have presumably died from the collapse of the . Terrified, the cook runs away into the forest and comes across an soldier while crossing the river. He tries to attack the soldier but is gunned down. A platoon of Portuguese soldiers emerge from the forest, cross the river, and march towards the direction of the , while the in Thevan’s body is seen leaving the area, wearing the ring. In August 2023, it was reported that and were collaborating for the first time for a horror thriller film. The film is directed by . On 17 August 2023, Mammootty shared a poster featuring a haunted mansion and revealed that the shooting for the film had begun. Titled the film was launched on the occasion of . launched a production house exclusively for horror films, , debuting with . The film was scripted by Rahul Sadasivan and novelist penned the dialogues. At the launch of the film, Sadasivan noted that the story is “rooted in the dark ages of “. was announced as the cinematographer and Christo Xavier as the music director, while Jothish Shankar worked on the film as a production designer. Sadasivan revealed that he wrote before during the , and it took him eight months to complete it. T. D. Ramakrishnan helped him develop the script and make the dialogue nuanced to fit the period the story is set in. As the film is set in the 17th century and being a period film, he conceived it in black-and-white format. Cast members announced during the film’s launch included , and . Reportedly, Mammootty takes on the role of the antagonist, who allocated 30 days to the film, while Arjun Ashokan portrays the protagonist with 60 days allocated for the film. In September 2023, Makers revealed a special first look poster of Mammootty on his birthday and as per reports he will be playing a character who practices black magic in the film. for the project began on 17 August 2023, coinciding with the first day of the . The shoot started at ‘s MJI Studios with a customary ceremony. The film was shot across various cities in Kerala including , and . Mammootty finished shooting his portions by 16 September. The filming wrapped on 18 October 2023. The music for the film was composed by Christo Xavier. Din Nath Puthenchery and Ammu Maria Alex have penned the lyrics. The first look of from was released on the actor’s birthday, featuring a sinister monochrome image. The trailer of the film was released on 10 February 2024, at a grand event held in . The film theatrically released on 15 February 2024 in format. The dubbed versions of the film in , , , and was released on 23 February 2024. The film premiered on from 15 March 2024. The satellite rights of the film are acquired by and premiered on 30 March 2025. received positive reviews from critics especially for the cast, production design, background score, sound design and cinematography. Akshay P R of rated 4 out of 5 and wrote, “Director Rahul Sadasivan is yet again exploring the haunted mansion theme but is quite different from his previous film ‘Bhoothakalam’ as it was more of dealing with our own past, but Bramayugam (The Age of Madness) is more of a black and white film, in the horror-thriller genre to explore the power pattern in history.” Nikhil Sebastian of rated 4 out of 5 and verdicted, “Bramayugam stands out as a cinematic gem that transcends the typical horror genre. With a captivating blend of mystery, drama, and the rich mythical folklore of Kerala, it offers a compelling narrative that captivates audiences”. Sanjith Sidhardhan of rated 3.5 out of 5 and reviewed, “Mammootty’s Bramayugam benefits richly from its engaging screenplay, cinematography and performances, which makes the viewer forget that it’s a black-and-white film and lets you enjoy the magic of cinema.” Reviewing for , Sukanya Shaji stated, “The heart of this monochrome horror thriller is, of course, Mammootty. Even as Potti makes your stomach churn in disgust, Mammootty makes you want to clap for his versatility as a performer. Arjun Asokan and Sidharth Bharathan perhaps have more screen time than Mammootty, and make good use of it, though some scenes make you think that the characters could have benefitted from the experienced craft of more seasoned actors.” Vignesh Madhu rated 3.5/5 and reviewed, “While Bhoothakaalam saw Rahul expertly handling psychology and supernatural elements, he blends folklore and horror in Bramayugam to create a terrifying atmosphere where almost every moment is an event. Nirmal Jovial from rated 4 out of 5 and verdicted, “Bramayugam has a major reliance on visual storytelling, but its memorability isn’t derived from visual gimmicks or jump scares. Instead, it’s the intricate world-building orchestrated by Sadasivan, with significant support from Ramakrishnan, within a confined yet evocative setting, that truly captivated this reviewer.” rated 3/5 and reviewed, “What really drives the film home is the performance by the lead actors. Mammootty is going all out with his out of box choices because this is probably the most sinister, and terrifying character that I have seen him portray. Everything about this film is experiential. Starting from the dark insides of the theaters to the sound and music in the film. It is ethereal how the beautifully all aspects of the film come together to achieve this feat. Janani K of rated the film 3/5 and said, “‘Bramayugam’, with an intriguing story, gifts you an immersive experience. And Mammootty strikes yet again”. s Arun Antony rated 4/5 and reviewed, “Arjun Ashokan surprises as the paanan but Siddharth Bharathan stands out as the cook. Overall ‘Bramayugam’ makes a lasting impression and anyone who is a fan of ‘ ’ should watch it”. Anna Mathews of rated 3.5/5 and wrote, “The script, the direction and art direction cultivates the eerieness and makes the film scary. But the story with bits of class politics and religious philosophy sometimes lacks a flow and does not make things very clear.” Reviewing for , Swathi P Ajith wrote, “The film seamlessly merges horror, thriller, and folktale elements, with horror subtly woven into the shadows and sounds. Rather than relying on jump scares, the movie crafts a claustrophobic atmosphere, gradually building a sense of terror.” Analysing the film for , Sajesh Mohan wrote about the power politics depicted in the movie, “Rahul’s ‘Bramayugam’ and Jijo’s ‘My Dear Kuttichathan’ depict the manipulation tactics of power-hungry people who ensnare gods and demigods like Chathan, Karinkali, Yakshi, etc., exploiting their vulnerabilities to instil fear and exert control over fellow beings.” The film collected 3 crore in on its opening day and grossed over (US$3.8 million) globally in the first weekend. In the next three days crossed (US$5.4 million) at the box office. On eleventh day, the film entered the (US$5.9 million) club. reported that the film grossed a worldwide collection of (US$6.2 million) and overseas collection stood at (US$2.8 million) in fifteen days.</p>