Kunjiramayanam

Basil Joseph's first film is about Kunjiraman, back from the Gulf and wanting to marry. His plans are undone by his cousin Laalu and by a curse the village believes has settled on it. The film neither confirms nor denies the curse; that the village believes in it already produces the consequences. The humour is entirely local: the village's own gossip machinery, who owes what to whom, how superstition shapes everyday decisions. Vineeth Sreenivasan and Dhyan Sreenivasan play the cousins, and the relationship between them is the spine. Basil Joseph went on to become one of the best-known figures in Malayalam cinema as both director and actor. His style is already visible in this first film: small in scale, character-driven, using the supernatural without taking it seriously. Who it's for: those curious about Kerala village comedy and the beginnings of the new generation of Malayalam cinema. Who it's not for: viewers wanting a dense plot; the film is built almost entirely from small moments.