Padakkalam X Review: What Audiences Are Saying About Suraj Venjaramoodu And Sharafudheen's Film

Padakkalam X Review: Malayalam film Padakkalam, starring Suraj Venjaramoodu and Sharafudheen in the lead, hit theaters on May 8, 2025. Early reactions to the film are now surfacing on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), as audiences begin to share their first impressions of the supernatural comedy-drama.

Padakkalam is directed by debutant Manu Swaraj, who co-wrote the script alongside Nithin C Babu. The film is produced by Vijay Babu and Vijay Subramaniam under the banners of Friday Film House and 29 September Works, marking a collaboration between established production houses known for backing offbeat narratives in Malayalam cinema.

About Padakkalam

Described as a supernatural comedy with elements of fantasy, the plot follows a group of four academically accomplished and comic book-obsessed students. The narrative unfolds as these front-benchers inadvertently find themselves at the center of a peculiar crisis. Through a series of misadventures, they become unlikely heroes, confronting a charming yet sinister professor. The story appears to lean on genre tropes while offering a mix of humor and fantastical elements.

Alongside the lead actors Suraj Venjaramoodu and Sharafudheen, the cast includes Sandeep Pradeep, Niranjana Anoop, Saaf, Arun Pradeep, and Arun Ajikumar. For Suraj, Padakkalam follows a notable period in his career, coming after his participation in L2: Empuraan-a major Malayalam franchise-and his Tamil debut in Veera Dheera Sooran: Part 2, directed by Chithha filmmaker SU Arun Kumar.

The film's music is composed by Rajesh Murugesan, known for his earlier collaborations in Malayalam cinema. Anu Moothedath has handled the cinematography, while the editing responsibilities were taken up by Nidhin Raj Arol. The lyrics are written by Vinayak Sasikumar. Other key members of the crew include art director Makesh Mohanan, costume designer Sameera Saneesh, and makeup artist Ronex Xavier. The sound design is credited to Renganaath Ravee, with sound mixing by Kannan Ganpat.

Visual effects were managed by Pictorial FX, while DI work was done by Poetic. Action choreography is by Rajasekhar and Phantom Pradeep, and Lalitha Shobi served as the choreographer. Publicity for the film has been coordinated by Antony Stephen, with marketing handled by HYTZ.

As more viewers attend screenings over the coming days, the conversation around the film's narrative style, genre experimentation, and ensemble cast is expected to grow.