Women-led films take centre stage this weekend as Urvashi, Parvathy headline Malayalam releases

It’s a promising weekend for Malayalam cinema, with two films led by acclaimed actors Urvashi and Parvathy Thiruvothu arriving in theatres on September 11. Both films have put strong female characters at the centre of their stories, while bringing together some of the industry’s most familiar and celebrated performers.

First up is ‘Aasha’, which marks Urvashi’s return to the big screen following her National Award-winning performance in ‘Ullozhukku’ in 2025. The actor takes on the lead alongside Joju George and Aishwarya Lekshmi. The trailer hints at an intense confrontation between Urvashi and Joju, while also offering glimpses of a layered mother-daughter relationship between Urvashi and Aishwarya Lekshmi. With the three actors at the heart of the film, ‘Aasha’ appears to promise a character-driven drama with plenty of emotional tension.

The film marks the directorial debut of ‘Safar Sanal’, who has co-written the screenplay with Joju George and Ramesh Girija. It is produced by Ajith Vinayaka, whose production credits include critically acclaimed films such as ‘Ponman’ and ‘Gaganachari’.

Meanwhile, ‘Pradhama Drishtya Kuttakkar’ has Parvathy Thiruvothu stepping into a police uniform for the first time. The actor plays the lead in the crime investigation drama, which also stars Vijayaraghavan, Mathew Thomas and others.

Directed by Shahad Nilambur, known for films such as ‘Prakashan Parakkatte’ and ‘Anuragam’, the film follows a woman who joins the police force following the death of her husband. The story is expected to combine a personal journey with a crime investigation, giving Parvathy a role in a space she has not explored on screen before.

With ‘Aasha’ and ‘Pradhama Drishtya Kuttakkar’, Malayalam cinema has two releases this weekend that place women and their journeys firmly at the forefront. But they are not the only films arriving in theatres on September 11. Farook Abdulrahiman’s ‘Ozhiyathe’ is also set to release, while Priyadarshan’s ‘Haiwaan’, the Hindi remake of his Malayalam blockbuster ‘Oppam’, will hit theatres on the same day.

The film stars Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan in the lead roles. With a mix of women-led dramas, crime investigations and a star-studded Hindi thriller, the September 11 releases offer plenty for Malayalam and Indian cinema audiences to look forward to this weekend.