A Cinephile’s Dream with a Few Missing Pieces
On January 9, 2025, Malayalam cinema welcomed Rekhachithram, a mystery thriller that dares to blend alternate history with a cold-case investigation. Directed by Jofin T. Chacko and starring Asif Ali and Anaswara Rajan, the film hit theaters with a buzz, thanks to its unique premise tied to the 1985 Mammootty classic Kathodu Kathoram. After a successful theatrical run, grossing over ₹55 crore worldwide, it landed on SonyLIV on March 7, 2025, inviting a broader audience to unravel its secrets. Does it live up to the hype? Mostly, yes—it’s a nostalgic love letter to Malayalam cinema that hooks you with its inventiveness, even if it doesn’t fully deliver as a gripping thriller.
The plot kicks off with a chilling prologue: two boys witness four men carrying a lifeless body on a dark night, one mistaking it for a movie shoot. Fast forward to 2025, and we meet Vivek Gopinath (Asif Ali), a suspended cop reinstated to a sleepy Malakkappara station after a gambling scandal. His first day takes a turn when Rajendran (Siddique), a wealthy businessman, commits suicide on a Facebook Live, confessing to a decades-old murder tied to the filming of Kathodu Kathoram. Vivek’s investigation unearths a skeleton and a 40-year-old mystery: who was the victim, and what happened on that set? Parallel narratives weave between Rajendran’s confession and Vivek’s probe, with Rekha (Anaswara Rajan), a Mammootty-obsessed junior artiste, at the heart of it all.
What sets Rekhachithram apart is its meta-cinematic backbone. The film doesn’t just solve a crime—it revisits the golden era of Malayalam cinema, reimagining the production of Bharathan’s Kathodu Kathoram as the stage for a hidden tragedy. This alternate-history twist is a cinephile’s delight, peppered with cameos from Jagadish, Kamal, and an AI-generated young Mammootty that’s both a technical marvel and a nostalgic gut-punch. The screenplay, penned by John Manthrickal and Ramu Sunil, smartly integrates real-life anecdotes—like Jagadish’s Mutharamkunnu PO story—without overstepping into disbelief. It’s a tightrope walk between fact and fiction, and for the most part, it sticks the landing.
Visually, the film is a treat. Appu Prabhakar’s cinematography toggles between the warm, grainy hues of the ‘80s and the crisp present-day, while Sri Nagendra Tangala’s production design recreates the Kathodu Kathoram sets with uncanny detail. Mujeeb Majeed’s score amplifies the mood—subtle in the slow burns, soaring in the emotional peaks. The editing by Shameer Muhammed keeps the 2-hour runtime taut, though some transitions feel abrupt, especially in the second half when the past-present threads collide.
Asif Ali anchors the film with a restrained yet compelling turn as Vivek. He’s not the flashy hero cop but a flawed everyman piecing together a puzzle, and his understated intensity shines in quieter moments—like his final confrontation with the truth. Anaswara Rajan, as Rekha, steals the show despite limited screen time. Her wide-eyed passion for cinema and Mammootty feels authentic, never veering into caricature, and her backstory adds an emotional heft the mystery alone can’t carry. Manoj K. Jayan, as the menacing Vincent, delivers a standout performance, his silent menace a stark contrast to the film’s talkier stretches. The supporting cast—Harisree Ashokan, Indrans, Siddique—adds flavor, though some, like Zarin Shihab, feel underused.
Where Rekhachithram stumbles is in its thriller credentials. It’s less a whodunit and more a “who-was-she” drama, prioritizing Rekha’s identity over edge-of-your-seat suspense. The investigation unfolds methodically—sometimes too methodically—lacking the twists to keep you guessing. The pre-climax Mammootty nod (via a letter) lands an emotional high, but the resolution feels tidy, sidestepping deeper moral ambiguity.
The film’s strength lies in its nostalgia and meta-commentary. It’s a tribute to cinema’s power to immortalize moments, as Indrans’ character notes: “Once your face appears in cinema, it becomes history.” The AI Mammootty, de-aged to his ‘80s prime, is a technical triumph—far surpassing similar efforts in other industries—and a heartfelt nod to Mollywood’s legacy. Yet, this fanboyism occasionally overshadows the plot, as High On Films notes, making it “less effective as a mystery.” The balance tips toward homage over tension, a choice that works if you’re in it for the feels, not the thrills.
Is Rekhachithram worth your time on SonyLIV as of March 13, 2025? If you’re a Malayalam cinema buff or love a slow-burn drama with a clever premise, absolutely. It’s not a pulse-pounding thriller—think Anveshippin Kandethum over Drishyam—but a reflective ode to storytelling’s enduring magic. Its flaws (pacing, predictability) don’t sink it, thanks to stellar performances and a premise that dares to dream big. For all its imperfections, it’s a film that lingers, reminding us why we fall for movies in the first place.
Rating: 3.25/5
Streaming on SonyLIV as of March 13, 2025
Streaming on SonyLIV as of March 13, 2025