Story: The film opens in the fading quiet of Chembakath Veedu, an old tharavadu where portraits of communist leaders watch over a grandmother, who performs rituals for the dead despite her sons’ ideological rejection of such beliefs. When she dies, her passing is met not with rites but with silence, setting off a chain of events through which the film unfolds its central conflict
Review: Prakambanam positions itself clearly as a horror comedy, where the thrills exist
mainly to amplify humour. After its eerie, yet playful, opening in Chembaka Veedu, the film
shifts gears to a men’s hostel in Kochi, following Sidhu (Ganapathi), Punyalan (Sagar Surya),
and Shankaran (Al Ameen), final year students whose lives revolve around booze, bravado,
and loud camaraderie. An accidental mix up involving the grandmother’s (Mallika
Sukumaran) ashes becomes the spark that pulls them into a series of bizarre, spooky
situations, most of which spiral into comedy rather than fear. Like Romancham and Adi
Kapyare Kootamani, the film relies on group panic, exaggerated reactions, and situational
chaos, ensuring that laughter consistently outweighs horror.
Director Vijesh Panathur keeps the tone easy and playful, while writer Sreehari Vadakkan
builds humour through everyday hostel life. The actors show good comic timing, and the
camerawork and background score quietly support the shifts between carefree fun and mild
spooky moments, helping the film maintain its horror-comedy rhythm. Things really pick up
in the second part once the jokes and spooky vibes start working together, making the movie
feel more like a fun ride than a scary stress-fest. Even when the narrative loosens in places,
the film remains engaging because it understands its primary aim to entertain, not to
intimidate. It’s not trying to be groundbreaking, but it’s packed with laughs and works
perfectly as a horror-comedy that young theater-goers will love.
Beyond its humour, Prakambanam also functions as a subtle political and social satire,
poking fun at ideological rigidity, generational contradictions, and the casual hypocrisy with
which belief systems. The supporting cast including Rajesh Madhavan, Sheethal Joseph, PP
Kunjikrishnan, Prashanth Alexander, Kalabhavan Navas, Azeez Nedumangad, etc
strengthens the film with reliable comic presence, ensuring that even brief appearances leave
a clear impression.
- Aiswarya S Nair