Bramayugam

The Age of Madness

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About the movie :

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Bramayugam Movie Cast and Crew :

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Bramayugam Budget & Box Office Details :

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Bramayugam Review :

An atmospheric folk-horror praised for Mammootty’s performance and striking visuals.

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Bramayugam Awards & Nominations :

N/A

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Bramayugam OTT Details :

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Lesser known facts :

Custom-Built Mana Set:

The dilapidated mana (mansion) central to the film’s setting was constructed from scratch in Ottappalam, except for one scene shot at Varikkassery Mana. The art team, led by Jothish Shankar, grew wild grass around the set over two months to enhance the eerie, isolated aesthetic, a detail Rahul Sadasivan shared in a Hindu interview but which wasn’t widely promoted.

 

Mammootty’s Voice Modulation Prep:

Mammootty, playing the menacing Kodumon Potty, worked with a voice coach to develop a deep, resonant laugh and booming delivery, drawing inspiration from traditional Kerala Theyyam performers. This vocal preparation, meant to amplify the character’s sinister presence, was mentioned in a crew member’s blog but not in mainstream coverage.

 

Script Written During COVID Lockdown:

Rahul Sadasivan wrote Bramayugam before his previous film Bhoothakaalam (2022) during the COVID lockdown, taking eight months to craft the story with novelist T.D. Ramakrishnan’s dialogue input to ensure period-accurate nuances. This pre-Bhoothakaalam origin story was noted in a Variety interview but overshadowed by the film’s release hype.

 

Portuguese Colonizer Reference Cut Short:

An early script included a longer sequence involving Portuguese colonizers and the Ponnani port slave trade to ground the 17th-century setting historically. Most of this was trimmed to maintain the film’s fable-like tone, leaving only a brief mention, a detail spotted in a maktoobmedia.com analysis but not widely discussed.

 

Christo Xavier’s Demo Speed:

Composer Christo Xavier delivered a demo score within two days of receiving Rahul Sadasivan’s brief, setting the tone for the film’s haunting soundscape. His use of minimalistic, period-specific instruments like the chenda was a deliberate choice to avoid modern horror clichés, as shared in a Hindu interview but not highlighted in promotions.

 

Arjun Ashokan’s Physical Transformation:

To portray Thevan, a malnourished Paanan caste singer, Arjun Ashokan lost significant weight and avoided makeup to emphasize his character’s vulnerability. This physical commitment, inspired by method acting, was praised in a Reddit thread but not detailed in mainstream reviews.

 

Black-and-White Camera Challenges:

Cinematographer Shehnad Jalal used a RED Komodo camera modified for monochrome shooting, requiring custom lighting setups to capture the film’s stark contrasts. The team faced challenges with overexposure in outdoor scenes, particularly the Athirappilly waterfall sequence, which used unique angles to avoid clichéd shots, as noted in a Hindu interview.

 

Siddharth Bharathan’s Dual Role:

Beyond acting as the cook, Siddharth Bharathan contributed to script discussions, suggesting tweaks to his character’s arc to emphasize trauma-bonding with Thevan. His off-screen input was acknowledged by Sadasivan in a small podcast but not widely publicized.

 

Night Shift Studios’ Risky Bet:

Bramayugam was the debut project of Night Shift Studios, a horror-focused production house under YNOT Studios. The producers agreed to Sadasivan’s three conditions—period setting, black-and-white format, and casting08:44 AM IST on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, a risky move for a ₹27.73 crore budget film that paid off with an ₹85 crore box office haul, as per producer statements.

 

Hidden Franz Kafka Influence:

The film’s themes of entrapment and power dynamics were subtly inspired by Franz Kafka’s existential works, particularly The Castle, with the mana symbolizing an inescapable bureaucratic nightmare. This philosophical layer was noted in a Medium review but not a focal point in most discussions.

 

Additional Notes:Plot Context:

Set in 17th-century South Malabar, Bramayugam follows Thevan (Arjun Ashokan), a Paanan caste folk singer fleeing slavery, who stumbles upon the eerie mana of Kodumon Potty (Mammootty). The narrative blends folklore, horror, and social commentary on caste and power, unfolding as a psychological chamber drama with elements of Chathan and Yakshi myths.

 

Reception:

Released on February 15, 2024 (Telugu dubbed version on February 23, 2024), the film earned critical acclaim (3–4/5 stars, 7.8/10 on IMDb) for its performances, monochrome cinematography, and sound design, though some criticized its slow pacing and vague class politics. It grossed over ₹85 crore, becoming one of 2024’s highest-grossing Malayalam films.

 

Streaming:

Available on SonyLIV since June 20, 2025, in Malayalam.

 

Technical Highlights: Shehnad Jalal’s cinematography, Christo Xavier’s score, and Jothish Shankar’s production design were lauded for creating a claustrophobic, eerie atmosphere without relying on jump scares.

 

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