Bramayugam

Bramayugam is a 2024 Indian Malayalam-language period folk horror film written and directed by Rahul Sadasivan and jointly produced by Night Shift Studios and YNOT Studios. The film stars Mammootty, Arjun Ashokan and Sidharth Bharathan. It contains elements of mythical and folklore of Kerala.

Bramayugam was released worldwide on 15 February 2024 in black-and-white format. It received critical acclaim from critics, with praise for the direction, screenplay, cast performances, cinematography, sound design, background score, and production design. The film was a box office success, grossing over ₹85 crore.

Plot
In 17th century Malabar, Thevan and Koran escape the clutches of the Portuguese slave trade in Ponnani and flee to the east. At night, they camp at the banks of the Bharathappuzha River, but Koran is killed by a Yakshi. Thevan runs away, discovering an abandoned mana in the morning.Then While stealing a coconut, he is apprehended by the house's cook. He is brought before the lord of the mana, Kodumon Potti, who asks his whereabouts and upon learning he is a Paanan, requests him to sing a song.

He compliments Thevan on the song and insists that he stay the night, despite his desire to leave. The cook, while showing Thevan his room, discourages him from asking questions about the house or the Lord's background. Over the next few days, he discovers from the cook that the Potti is a descendant of Chudalan Potti, who was gifted a demon helper, a Chathan, by the goddess Varahi. His constant torture of the Chathan turned it lunatic, and it went on to kill Chudalan Potti and his family. Kodumon Potti eventually defeated the Chathan and chained him in the mansion's attic.

One day, Thevan sees the cook digging a grave in the backyard, presumably for himself. Terrified, he tries to leave, but is unable to. He then realizes that he has lost his memory and that he has been trapped in the manor for months. The cook tells Thevan that the grave is not meant for him, but for Kodumon; the Kodumon downstairs is in fact the Chathan in disguise, and he imprisoned the real Kodumon 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 Chathan by dousing an ever-burning lamp located in a secret chamber in the granary, and then trapping it in a special chest.

During an argument, the cook steals the key to the chamber from the Chathan 's waist. He opens the chamber and blows out the lamp, rendering the Chathan weak. Thevan and the cook set fire to the Chathan 's disguised form, and the creature inside emerges. The cook, now revealed to be Kodumon's illicit son, attempts to put on the ring that will give him command over the Chathan and take over the mana, but is stopped by Thevan, who believes that the ring's power will corrupt him. The two start fighting while the fire destroys the manor and it collapses over them.

Thevan is shown walking away from the ruins of the mana but is attacked by the cook. During the struggle the cook realizes that he is not the real Thevan, but the Chathan in disguise. The real Thevan is then shown to have died as a result of the mana collapsing. Terrified, the cook runs away into the forest and comes across a Portuguese soldier while crossing a river. Thinking that it is one of the Chathan's tricks, he tries to attack the soldier but gets gunned down. A battalion of Portuguese soldiers emerge from the forest, cross the river, and march towards the now destroyed manor, while the Chathan is seen walking through the forest, wearing the ring.

Cast

 * Mammootty as Kodumon Potti
 * Arjun Ashokan as Thevan, a Paanan
 * Sidharth Bharathan as Kodumon Potti's cook
 * Amalda Liz as Yakshi
 * Manikandan R. Achari as Koran, Thevan's friend

Development
On August 2023, it was reported that Mammootty and Arjun Ashokan collborating for the first time for a horror thriller film. The film is directed by Rahul Sadasivan. On 17 August 2023, Mammootty shared a poster featuring a haunted mansion and revealed that the shooting for the film had begun.

Titled Bramayugam the film was launched on the occasion of Chingam 1. Chakravarthy Ramachandra launched a production house exclusively for horror films, Night Shift Studios, debuting with Bramayugam. The film was scripted by Rahul Sadasivan and novelist T. D. Ramakrishnan penned the dialogues. At the launch of the film, Sadasivan noted that the story is "rooted in the dark ages of Kerala".

Shehnad Jalal 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 Bramayugam before Bhoothakalam during the COVID lockdown, 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.

Casting
Cast members announced during the film's launch included Arjun Ashokan, Sidharth Bharathan and Amalda Liz. 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. On 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.

Filming
Principal photography for the project began on 17 August 2023, coinciding with the first day of the Kerala New Year. The shoot started at Kochi's MJI Studios with a customary pooja ceremony. The film was shot across various cities in Kerala including Ottapalam, Athirapally and Kochi. Mammootty finished shooting his portions by 16 September. The filming wrapped on 18 October 2023.

Music
The music for the film was composed by Christo Xavier. Din Nath Puthenchery, Ammu, and Maria Alex have penned the lyrics.

Marketing
The first look of Mammootty from Bramayugam was released on the actor's birthday, featuring a sinister monochrome image. The teaser was released on 11 January 2024. The trailer of the film was released on 10 February 2024, at a grand event held in Abu Dhabi.

Theatrical
The film theatrically released on 15 February 2024 in Black and White format. The dubbed versions of the film in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada was released on 23 February 2024.

Home media
The film premiered on SonyLIV from 15 March 2024.

Critical response
Bramayugam received positive reviews from critics especially for the cast, production design, background score, sound design and Cinematography.

Akshay P R of DT Next rated 4/5 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 Pinkvilla rated 4/5 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 OTTplay rated 3.5/5 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 The News Minute, 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." The New Indian Express' 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 The Week rated 4/5 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."

Firstpost 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 India Today rated the film 3/5 and said, "‘Bramayugam’, with an intriguing story, gifts you an immersive experience. And Mammootty strikes yet again". Deccan Herald'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 ‘Tumbbad’ should watch it". Anna Mathews of The Times of India 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 makes things very clear." Reviewing for Onmanorama, 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 Onmanorama, 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."

Box office
The film collected ₹3 crore in Kerala on its opening day and grossed over inr 320000000 globally in the first weekend. In six days film collection is stands at inr 373900000. In the next three days crossed inr 460000000 at the box office. On eleventh day, the film entered the inr 500000000 club. The Times of India reported that the worldwide collection is inr 522000000 and overseas collection is stands at inr 240000000 in fifteen days.