Film enthusiasts are aware of the close relationship between actor-producer Tovino Thomas and actor-writer-director Basil Joseph. If Basil offered Tovino a superhero in Minnal Murali, it’s now Tovino’s turn to give Basil a humorous sigma male in Marannamass. The two collaborate professionally on a regular basis.
Kerala is experiencing chaos due to a serial killer who murders old folks and then puts the state’s renowned Poovan banana in their mouths. Known as the “Banana Killer,” he has instilled dread in everyone, including the residents of Vallikkunnu. Early on in the film, it is shown who the murderer is, why he is determined to kill elderly men (childhood trauma), and how he locates his victims. Now, Luke PP (Basil Joseph), the film’s protagonist, is causing a lot of trouble in the hamlet itself as the police are looking for the Banana Killer. Unfortunately for the authorities, he is not the serial killer, despite their belief that he is.
Luke, a modern YouTuber and influencer who proudly calls himself a sigma male, goes out of his way to reveal people’s dark secrets—not out of malice, but rather to purify society. Since he couldn’t find the police officers at work, he put the local police station up for sale on OLX in addition to plastering the panchayat head’s porn search details throughout the hamlet. Fed up with his antics, the entire village pools in a sum of ₹16 lakhs to send him packing to Czechoslovakia to get rid of him. The last straw for Luke is when Luke’s girlfriend Jessie (Anishma Anilkumar) breaks up with him because of his inability to take life seriously. Luke is all set to win her back somehow when a bus journey Jessie is on adds a major twist to the story. One night, Jessie heads back and finds herself on the bus with Luke, Jikku (driver), Aruvi (bus conductor), an elderly man, and a stranger. And it is this bus ride they are on that the entire story unfolds.
Basil Joseph has been making an effort lately to get outside of his comfort zone and play genuinely unusual characters (think Ponman, Praavinkoodu Shappu, and Nunnakuzhi). One of those parts that capitalises on Basil Joseph’s comedic skills is Luke PP, who also features a Gen Z Sigma male who finds it difficult to pull it off despite his flamboyant attire, blond hair, and fading haircut.
Basil has done a great job portraying Luke, but the other actors—Rajesh Madhavan, Suresh Krishna, Siju Sunny, Babu Antony, and Anishma Anilkumar—have all contributed well. Even when the dialogue doesn’t light up, the on-screen interaction between the scenes does, and each of them has given a performance that is absolutely noteworthy.
In Maranamass, debutant Sivaprasad, who has co-written the film with Siju Sunny, gives us a dark comedy centred around Luke. Most of the comedy in the film, though, is of a slapstick nature and often situational, with heavy pop culture references to elicit laughs. In one, a police officer is referred to as Tiger Sir since he is holding a Tiger balm in his palm, while in another, the pre-wedding photo fad is parodied with a “save the date” photo shoot at a cemetery. By now, you should understand. Because of the screenplay’s faults, the second part of these situations slows and doesn’t always make you chuckle.
Each of the main characters has been given unique characteristics to keep the story moving forward, even though it occasionally veers off course, such as during Luke and Jessie’s bus ride. For the most part, Maranamass, which was produced by Tovino Thomas, is a joyful and entertaining journey that is full of chaos.
