‘Masthishka Maranam’: Not everyone’s cup of tea, but impossible to ignore | Movie Review

For those who have followed Krishand’s filmography, his latest, Masthishka Maranam: A Frankenbiting of Simon’s Memories, will not feel entirely unexpected in tone. The experimentation, the visual ambition, the refusal to stay within safe boundaries — it is all very him. What you may not be prepared for, however, is just how chaotic and unpredictable the ride turns out to be.

Set in 2046, the cyberpunk drama follows Bimal, played by Niranj Maniyanpilla Raju, a grieving man who stumbles into trouble after accessing an illegally traded memory recording involving a celebrity. What begins as private curiosity spirals into a scandal, opening up conversations around voyeurism, consent, and the dangerous excesses of technology. Rajisha Vijayan plays Frida Soman, the actress at the centre of this storm.

The film’s most striking achievement is its world-building. Krishand imagines a neo-Kochi that is both futuristic and suffocating. This is not a glossy, sterile sci-fi landscape. Instead, the city feels overcrowded, claustrophobic and aggressively vertical, with towering buildings stacked tightly against each other. It is hyperreal rather than sleek. Technology functions at an advanced level — advertisements are personalised through AI that scans social media behaviour, and people can step into another person’s memories for an immersive, almost disturbingly real experience. The detailing in this imagined world is impressive and technically sharp.

Yet, for all its ambition, the film struggles to hold the viewer consistently. The first half moves at a languid pace, with repeated looping sequences that may leave some wondering where exactly the narrative is headed. For audiences expecting a straightforward story, the structure can feel disorienting and even exhausting.

The second half is more assured. A courtroom sequence towards the end injects much-needed energy and humour. Divyaprabha as Desdimona and Vishnu Agasthya as Don bring a sharp comedic rhythm to their arguments and counter-arguments, turning what could have been heavy moral commentary into something delightfully absurd.

In many ways, the film treats intense themes — grief, fear, mortality, public shaming — with a strange irreverence. It feels almost unserious on the surface, even when tackling deeply serious ideas. But beneath the chaos lies a steady reminder: technology may evolve beyond imagination, but human emotion remains stubbornly unchanged.

Niranj delivers a controlled performance, balancing vulnerability with a touch of absurdity that suits the film’s tone. Rajisha, meanwhile, goes all in. Frida is unlike any role she has done before, and the film even addresses the controversy around her character’s item dance, offering context within the narrative itself.

Masthishka Maranam is not designed for everyone. Its execution may divide audiences, and its storytelling demands patience. But its themes — though wrapped in eccentricity — are relatable, sharp and, at times, genuinely funny. It is messy, ambitious cinema that refuses to be simple. And that, for better or worse, is exactly the point.