All-American hero Henry Fonda shocked his fans when he played a child-killing monster and rapist in Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). Malayalam acting legend Mammootty had already taken a dark turn in films such as Vidheyan and Bramayugam, but his character in Kalamkaval: The Venom Beneath is beyond the pale.
Kurup writer Jithin K Jose’s directorial debut begins in 2005. Stanley (Mammootty) lies to his wife and checks into a lodge with his lover. His conversation with the woman he promises to marry after divorcing his spouse is ordinary, banal even – until he flashes that famous smile and says, “The greatest satisfaction comes from killing a human.”
Viewers have been put on high alert. The beloved and brilliant actor, capable of playing just about anybody, is going to direct his charisma and intelligence towards portraying a depraved serial killer.
Stanley uses his low-key and yet ample charm to reel in a host of unsuspecting women. Several years later, Kerala Police officer Jayakrishnan (Vinayakan) starts investigating the disappearances of numerous women. The trail leads to Stanley, but this being a Malayalam police procedural, ever so gradually.
Kalamkaval is out on Sony LIV following a successful theatrical run in Kerala. Written by Jose and Jishnu Sreekumar, the film borrows from the...
