Madanolsavam (2023 film)

Madanolsavam is a 2023 Indian Malayalam-language satirical comedy film directed by Sudheesh Gopinath and featuring Suraj Venjaramoodu, Babu Antony, Rajesh Madhavan and Bhama Arun in lead roles. It is produced by Vinayaka Ajith under the banner of Saina Movies. In the film, Madhanan's journey from being a mere cog in the wheel to defying the odds and fighting his unusual circumstances to regain control of his life and destiny.

Premise
The first name the two men share sparks off the drama in Madanolsavam. Madanan, played by Suraj Venjaramoodu, paints chickens and sells them for a living. When a wealthy Madanan stands for elections, the state's dominant party puts up the poor Madanan as a dummy candidate to confuse the voter. Life goes downhill from there for this Madanan, who is tossed like a ping-pong ball between the two parties. Also tossed around with him are his aunt, the widow Alice and her child. Madanan dwells in a state of inertia in the early part of the film. Just when he is getting his act together, his life is snatched from him. He is naïve and uninterested in the goings-on beyond his own little world until then. Madanolsavam examines the question of whether he does and can stay that way when powerful forces threaten to rip his existence to shreds.

Cast

 * Suraj Venjaramoodu as Madanan Mallakkara
 * Babu Antony as Madanan Manjakkaran
 * Rajesh Madhavan as Sankaran Namboothiri
 * Renji Kankol as Achuthan Namboothiri
 * Bhama Arun as Alice

Production
The shooting of the film was wrap up on 13 December 2022. Later the trailer and teaser was released.

Reception
Swathi P. Ajith, critic of Onmanorama, wrote that "Madanolsavam is a great choice for viewers who are looking for a movie that is not too serious but still funny and entertaining." A critic from OTTplay stated that "Madanolsavam has enough laughs and would definitely please those who are inclined to social satires, but the movie's required more verve to keep the audience engaged in the second half" and gave 3 out of 5 ratings.