Ajagajantharam

Tinu Pappachan's 2021 Malayalam film is set in a town preparing for its temple festival. Through a chain of coincidences the elephant meant to appear in it gets out of control, and a chaos lasting all night begins. The film takes place almost entirely in one night. The crowd scenes were shot in long takes; the narrative builds no central character and follows the event through several groups. Antony Varghese is in the cast. The action choreography and the night lighting are what the film is most discussed for. The narrative does not go into justification; the plotting is simple and the weight is in the technical construction. Who it's for: those who like Malayalam action and staged crowd sequences. Who it's not for: viewers uncomfortable with animals used in such scenes; the elephant is at the centre of the narrative.