Bharathanatyam

Krishnadas Murali's 2024 Malayalam film follows a man who learns an uncomfortable truth about his family after his father is suddenly hospitalised. Sarath works to keep the secret from spreading through the town, and the film turns into black comedy. Its engine is how shame becomes a currency in a small settlement. Saiju Kurup carries the character's panic without overplaying it. What is interesting is how absurd a point the reflex to protect family honour can reach; nobody actually questions what is being hidden. Its weakness is humour that slides in places into easy jokes about bodies and illness. Who it's for: viewers who like Malayalam black comedy and satire of provincial society. Who it's not for: anyone troubled by jokes made at the expense of illness and the body, or who will struggle with the local cultural context.