‘Bazooka’ to ‘Maranamass’: Kerala gears up for a massive four-way clash
The 2025 Vishu holiday season is set for a cinematic showdown as four major films – ‘Bazooka,’ ‘Maranamass,’ ‘Alappuzha Gymkhana,’ and the Tamil action flick ‘Good Bad Ugly’ – are slated to hit theatres across Kerala on April 10. Each of the titles brings something fresh to the table, making this year’s festive release calendar a treat for film enthusiasts.
Mammootty returns in ‘Bazooka’
Veteran actor Mammootty leads the charge in ‘Bazooka,’ a stylised action thriller marking the directorial debut of Deeno Dennis, son of veteran screenwriter Kaloor Dennis. Gautham Vasudev Menon plays a pivotal role alongside Mammootty, portraying IPS officer Benjamin Joshua, who joins forces with businessman Vinod Menon to hunt a dangerous psychopath.
Backed by Jinu V Abraham and Dolwin Kuriakose under the banner Theatre of Dreams in association with Saregama, the film boasts a star-studded cast, including Shine Tom Chacko, Siddharth Bharathan, Divya Pillai, Neeta Pillai, Iswarya Menon, and Babu Antony. With cinematography by Nimish Ravi and music by Saeed Abbas, ‘Bazooka’ is tipped to be a gripping game-thriller packed with sleek action.
Basil Joseph in a dark comedy twist with ‘Maranamass’
Director Sivaprasad brings a darkly comic edge to the festival with ‘Maranamass,’ headlined by Basil Joseph. The actor, fresh off the success of ‘Ponman,’ takes on the role of a quirky local celebrity who stumbles into a murder mystery. The film’s tone leans into black comedy while maintaining a suspenseful narrative as a string of killings shakes the community.
Produced by Tovino Thomas, Raphael Pozholiparambil, Thanzeer Salam, and Tingston Thomas under three banners—Tovino Thomas Productions, Raphael Film Productions, and Worldwide Films—’Maranamass’ also stars Suresh Krishna, Rajesh Madhavan, Siju Sunny, and Anishma Anilkumar in key roles. Siju Sunny also serves as the screenwriter.
‘Alappuzha Gymkhana’: A youthful sports comedy
After ‘Thallumaala,’ director Khalid Rahman shifts gears to the sports comedy genre with ‘Alappuzha Gymkhana,’ led by ‘Premalu’ breakout star Naslen Gafoor. The film follows a group of friends who bluff their way into college using a boxing quota, only to be forced into actually learning the sport when their coach catches wind of their scheme.
The trailer has already clocked over five million views, fuelling anticipation among younger audiences. The ensemble cast includes Ganapathi, Lukman Avaran, Sandeep Pradeep, Anagha Ravi, and Franco Francis. Produced by Plan B Motion Pictures and Realistic Studio, ‘Alappuzha Gymkhana’ features technical credits from Jimshi Khalid (cinematography), Vishnu Vijay (music), and Vishnu Govind (sound design), among others. The film is co-written by Srinee Sashindran with dialogues by Ratheesh Ravi and distributed by Central Pictures.
Ajith Kumar’s ‘Good Bad Ugly’ adds Tamil star power
Adding to the Vishu line-up is Tamil star Ajith Kumar, who returns to the big screen with ‘Good Bad Ugly,’ helmed by ‘Mark Antony’ director Adhik Ravichandran. The trailer, filled with callbacks to Ajith’s earlier hits such as ‘Mankatha’ and ‘Billa,’ has been trending across social media platforms.
Backed by production giants Mythri Movie Makers and T-Series, the action-packed entertainer features a stacked cast including Trisha, Simran, Arjun Das, Prasanna, Sunil, Jackie Shroff, Shine Tom Chacko, and Priya Prakash Varrier. Cinematographer Abinandhan Ramanujam and composer GV Prakash are onboard to deliver the technical finesse.
With each film targeting a different segment—’Bazooka’ with its high-stakes thriller elements, ‘Maranamass’ offering dark comedy, ‘Alappuzha Gymkhana’ catering to the youth crowd, and ‘Good Bad Ugly’ appealing to Tamil action fans—the box office race this Vishu promises to be tightly contested.