Critics Review: Mohanlal-Starrer 'Malaikottai Vaaliban' Is a 'Bold Attempt'

Directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, 'Malaikottai Vaaliban' stars Mohanlal in the lead role.

Filmmaker Lijo Jose Pellissery and actor Mohanlal's first on-screen collaboration, Malaikottai Vaaliban, has been the most anticipated Malayalam film of the year. In addition to Mohanlal, who plays the lead, the fantasy drama also features Sonalee Kulkarni, Hareesh Peradi, Danish Sait, Manoj Moses, and Katha Nandi in pivotal roles.

The film recently hit the big screen and has opened to mixed reviews from both the audience and the critics. Have a look at the critics review here:

"Mohanlal brings an element of believability to the larger-than-life fighter with a softer side to him and he plays it better than the many larger-than-life roles that he played in the past, but sadly even his character deserved better writing."

SR Praveen, The Hindu

"While our eyes find beauty and meaning in every frame, the writing frustratingly underwhelms. But at the end of the film, what remains etched into the brain are the images, and not really the character. The action sequences, which beautifully borrow the spirit of Kurosawa and Kobayashi, are arresting. But without the finesse of writing to complement these scenes, as powerful as they may look, feel empty."

Sruthi Ganapathi Raman, Film Companion

"Lijo Jose Pellishery's Malaikottai Vaaliban is a mixed bag of swift and interesting action scenes, epic frames, peppy songs and quite some lag in the first half. In what can be termed a visual extravaganza, Mohanlal matches the energy and mystery behind the titular character."

Gopika Is, Times of India

"One of the film's biggest strengths is Mohanlal who plays the lead character of Vaaliban with absolute panache. Be it the difficult action sequences or the dramatic brother-sister sequence, Mohanlal aces it."

Times Now

"Malaikottai Valiban is indeed a bold attempt in the fantasy genre by Lijo Jose Pellissery, a director known to keep experimenting with his films. Despite its flaws, Malaikottai Vaaliban is worth watching in theaters, especially for Madhu Neelakandan’s cinematography and Prashant Pillai’s music."

S Devasankar, Pinkvilla

"The first half is far more cohesive than the second half, which can leave the audience baffled. The movie ends on a very uneven keel due the jagged fantasy script that has issues right from the start."

Latha Srinivasan, Hindustan Times