Netflix has just launched a two-minute trailer of Minnal Murali, touted to be the first superhero in Malayalam cinema. The trailer gives us a rough idea of the film's plot including how this Superhero is born. After getting struck by lightning (minnal), Tovino Thomas' character does not suffer from any damage to his body. Instead, this results in the character developing superpowers, which does not include flying.
We also see traces of a supervillain who appears to be dressed like a rooster (played by Guru Somasundaram). Dressed in red, we do not get a hint of what his origin story is.
In the teaser, we had assumed that Murali's main superpower was going to be his lightning speed. We see this is the way he runs past an auto rickshaw and with the way he reacts to a bottle falling. But in the trailer, we learn that he also has super strength, apart from great aim. The character played by Baiju looks like a police officer who wants to bring an end to Minnal Murali's menace and Jude Anthany too seems to be playing an important character.
Speaking to Film Companion earlier, director Basil Joseph said about making the first Malayalam superhero, "The idea was to simply make a film about a superhero who hails from your neighbourhood." He was inspired by My Dear Kuttichathan and feels that it is an inspiration for all that we can achieve in 2020.
Since this is among the industry's first in the genre, it's also interesting to see how a young boy's character has been included to explain the logic of superhero films to new audiences.
Tovino Thomas was last seen in Kaanekkaane and also plays a role in the much awaited film, Kurup.
The film, directed by Basil Joseph and produced by Sophia Paul, has taken the OTT path with a Netflix release after the many controversies and delays in the release of the film. Last year, there were reports of vandalism of the film set by fringe elements. The background score by Sushin Shyam was a highlight in the trailer. Overall, this is a trailer that adds a lot of intrigue to what's going to be one of the year's most exciting films.
The film releases on December 24 on Netflix.