A.R.M (officially titled: Ajayante Randam Moshanam; transl. Ajayan's Second Theft) is a 2024 Indian Malayalam-language action adventure fantasy film directed by Jithin Laal (in his directorial debut), written by Sujith Nambiar, and produced by Magic Frames and UGM Entertainment.
The film stars Tovino Thomas in triple roles alongside Basil Joseph, Krithi Shetty (in her Malayalam debut), Surabhi Lakshmi, Aishwarya Rajesh, Kabir Duhan Singh, Harish Uthaman, Jagadish, Aju Varghese, Biju Kuttan, Rohini, Shivajith, and Sudheesh in prominent roles.
The film was originally shot in 2D format and converted to 3D. ARM was theatrically released on 12 September 2024 coinciding with the Onam festival. The film received positive reviews from critics. Made on a budget of ₹30 crore, the film became a commercial success grossing ₹106.75 crore at the box office, becoming one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.
Contents
Plot
The movie begins with a grandmother reciting a bed time story to her granddaughter about the lore of Chyothivilaku. Chyothivilaku is a sacred lamp which was made from a melted mixture of an asteroid which once crashed in the land of Haripuram during ancient times. The lamp was commanded to be made from the asteroid by the Edakkal King at the time, who takes it to his palace owing to its supernatural powers. During the invasion of Pulimutt Mammadh and his thugs in the land, the scared King calls upon a warrior from Haripuram called KunjiKelu Nayanar - known popularly as Kunjikelu - to help save his citizens and his nephew Mana Varma, the heir apparent. Kunjikelu waged a one-man war against thugs at the seashore and achieved victory. After his victory over the thugs, Kunjikelu requests the Chyothivilaku as a gift. The king agrees and Kunjikelu brings it to Haripuram.
Kunjikelu is romantically interested in Chothi, a woman from a lower caste. He promises Chothi on building a temple and so that the lamp is accessible to everyone without discrimination. Meanwhile smallpox spreads across Haripuram. An affected Chothi on the brink of death is saved by Kunjikelu. Chothi survives while Kunjikelu gets affected. During his bed rest, he receives a secret letter from Mana Varma which breaks his heart. Kunjikelu learns that even though he wanted the temple to have no discrimination, no one from the lower caste is allowed into the temple. Seeing all the distress, Kunjikelu dies. The grandmother ends the story by describing how their village came to be known as Chyothikkavu. The granddaughter asks if Chothi was pregnant and she dismisses the thought and that Chothi had left for Nagercoil after her recovery from smallpox.
Maniyan was a crooked yet sharp robber who ends up stealing the Chyothivilaku but dies by the hands of the villagers.
In the 1990s, M. V. Ajayan (Maniyan's grandson) is an electrician who is secretly in love with Chathutti Nambiar's daughter, Lakshmi. He is carrying the weight of his grandfather Maniyan's unfavourable image as a thief and the villagers mostly insult him for being from a thief's family. His first and only theft was a bunch of keys when he was young as a playful act but was returned after advice from his grandmother and mother. His friend K. P. Suresh stands up for him during the tough times. He finds himself in a difficult situation when a stranger, Sudev shows up unexpectedly on their land posing as a photographer with the intention of stealing the Chyothivilaku and sell it off to the British archives. Suresh, under the orders of Sudev, traps Ajayan and himself. Sudev reveals that the Chyothivilaku in the temple is fake and is banking on Ajayan's skill to find the real Chyothivilaku before the temple festival. He searches all possible places near Chyothikkavu but fails miserably. Lakshmi asks him to check places where a man such as Maniyan and only Maniyan could get into. He reaches a hillside and goes inside a cave near a waterfall, and finds cave paintings on the walls.
Cast
Adapted from the closing credits:
Production
Development
On 1 January 2020, coinciding with New Year's, Tovino Thomas officially announced through his social media pages that he would collaborate with Jithin Laal for an upcoming film, Ajayante Randam Moshanam. Tovino will be seen in triple role for the first time as Maniyan, Ajayan and Kunjikelu; characters from three different timelines; 1900, 1950, and 1990. The film is the debut of Jithin Lal who has been part of Malayalam cinema for the past few years assisting in several films. The project would be funded by UGM Entertainment and written by Sujith Nambiar. Touted to be a periodic film, Ajayante Randam Moshanam will be shot in Kerala.
According to Jithin Laal, ARM took him six years to make taking inspirations from fantasy fiction, folktales, and children's stories. He mentioned some of the earlier Malayalam films in similar genre such as My Dear Kuttichathan, Sakshal Shreeman Chathunni, and Ananthabadram which explores fictional world. Sujith Nambiar wrote the script with additional writing by Deepu Pradeep as they developed it during the COVID pandemic. Tovino revealed that, "ARM was a story that got us excited way back in 2017 and faced delays in taking off in the way they were meant to." He learned Kalarippayatt and horseback riding to portraying his roles.
The technical team consists of cinematographer Jomon T John, music director Dhibu Ninan Thomas, and editor Shameer Muhammed. Mohanlal gave the voice role of cosmic creator.
Casting
In August 2022 Krithi Shetty was reported to play the leading lady in the film who is making her Malayalam cinema debut. Aishwarya Rajesh and Surabhi Lakshmi have been cast as the other female leads. Rohini, Harish Uthaman, Pramod Shetty, Basil Joseph and Hareesh Peradi were cast to play important roles.
Filming
It began filming on 11 October 2022 with a planned schedule of 125 days. The makers revealed that around 45 days would be allotted for shooting fight sequences that are mostly Kalari-oriented. The second schedule of the film commenced in Cheruvathur in Kasaragod with Krithi Shetty joining the set. Filming was wrapped up on 11 March 2023, lasting 118 days. Majority of the film's shooting took place in Kasaragod, Kerala. The film was originally shot in 2D format which was converted to 3D. The film was made on a budget of ₹30 crore.
Music
The songs and background score of the film were composed by Dhibu Ninan Thomas. The first single "Kiliye" was released on 2 September 2024. The second single "Angu Vaana Konilu" was released on the occasion of Onam, 14 September. The album was released through Think Music on 26 September.
Release
Theatrical
ARM was released in theatres worldwide on 12 September 2024 in both 3D and 2D formats.
Home media
The film began streaming on Disney+ Hotstar from 8 November 2024.
Reception
Critical response
Rohit Panikker of Times Now gave 4/5 stars and wrote, "Ajayante Randam Moshanam is a visual spectacle supported by some masterful story-telling. If not anything, the film is worth it for its performances from all quarters, but most of all, as a story-telling vehicle that has taken Tovino Thomas the performer up a few notches. The film is an excellent theatre-watching experience that you can hope for from a festival release". Christy Rosy Sibi of The Week gave 4/5 stars and wrote, "Tovino should take on more menacing, villain roles". Anna Mathews of The Times of India gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote, "Ajayante Randam Moshanam could be like another one of those impressive films that have come out of the Malayalam industry - which is currently ailing from several issues driven by the Hema Committee report - but does it have that emotional hook to pull in audiences is a question that we will have to wait and watch out for". Goutham S of Pinkvilla gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote, "Ajayante Randam Moshanam aka ARM is surely not a commercial cinema that is filled with crazy elements or fanfare. However, the film provides a tale of action and adventure which is mixed with myth and folklore". Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote, "Dhibu Ninan Thomas's background score stands out, especially in the mass-appeal moments, though his songs are not all equally memorable. Gokuldas's production design, Praveen Varma's costume design and Ronex Xavier's makeup also deserve recognition for their contributions". Vignesh Madhu of Cinema Express gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote, "It is precisely why ARM is that much-needed breath of fresh air from Malayalam's overpopulated realistic dramas and generic thrillers".
Janani K of India Today gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote, "ARM intriguingly blends folklore and action. However, the screenplay has some shortcomings that prevent it from fully conveying the intended message". Kirubhakar Purushothaman of News18 gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote, "In Ranjith's film, the coveted object is gold; in ARM, it's the lamp. Both symbolize what is denied to the oppressed. It's interesting how both Ranjith and Jithin Lal use fantasy as a genre to delve into this topic. If only Ajayante Randam Moshanam was as captivating as its concept.
S. R. Praveen of The Hindu wrote, "Despite the underwhelming writing, Jithin Lal gives us a hint of his craft with a visually impressive drama. And yes, the film belongs to Tovino". Swathi P Ajith of Onmanorama wrote, "The film benefits from a well-balanced blend of genres, incorporating magic, supernatural elements, folktales, history, and romance, all mixed together in perfect harmony.
Piracy issues
On 17 September 2024, the director of the film Jithin Lal, shared a video of a man watching the pirated version of the film in train through his Facebook page criticising the piracy. Following this on 19 September 2024, Kerala Police registered a case regarding the incident.
Future
In an interview, the director Jithin Lal revealed that the makers are planning to expand the universe of ARM and the script writer Sujith Nambiar developed a concept of nine spin-off films.