Malayalam film Rekhachithram, directed by Jofin T Chacko (The Priest fame), was released in the theatres on Thursday, January 9, 2025. The movie marks the first on-screen collaboration between Asif Ali and Anaswara Rajan. The movie features Ali as a police officer and Anaswara as a nun. Even before the trailer’s release, the film’s poster had already raised excitement levels among fans. Rekhachithram hit the big screens today, and critics who have watched it shared their honest reviews online. The majority praised Asif Ali’s engaging performance. ‘KishKindha Kaandam’ Movie Review: Asif Ali and Vijayaraghavan’s Brilliant Performances and a Layered Mystery Make for a Spectacular Combo! (Today News 24 Exclusive).
Going by the reviews, it is clear that critics thoroughly enjoyed the performances of both lead actors, Asif Ali and Anaswara Raan. Commenting on Ali’s engaging performance in the film, one critic wrote, “Asif Ali’s remarkable performance anchors the film, almost masking its obvious flaws.” Another critic praised Rekhachithram but mentioned that it is not supremely great, drawing a comparison with Tovino Thomas’ 2023 film Anveshippin Kandethum. Here are some reviews before you decide to watch the crime thriller in the theatres.
The Week: “Rekhachithram is a straightforward thriller that doesn’t pretend to be anything more. Rekhachithram is not what I would call an instant classic. It’s serviceable at best. But it’s not a waste of time. At no point did I feel lost or bored. This is not an overly complicated film. Sometimes all a thriller needs to do to be effective is to keep things simple. Last year, we got the Tovino Thomas thriller Anveshippin Kandethum, which also followed the same philosophy. Like that film, Rekhachithram sticks to the basics and delivers a couple of neat twists in the end, aside from delivering adequate satisfaction to the Mammootty fans among us.”
India Indian Express: “Unlike his debut directorial The Priest (2021), where he overused horror, Jofin has adopted a more measured approach here. He avoids the pitfalls of excessive suspense or twists, allowing the narrative to unfold naturally, while also ensuring that it ends up being a compelling mystery thriller. Despite many positives, Rekhachithram cannot be considered pitch-perfect, although a bit more work on the writing could have easily ensured that. Despite these shortcomings, Asif Ali’s remarkable performance anchors the film, almost masking its obvious flaws. Anaswara Rajan, on the other hand, shines in moments that don’t require dialogue, conveying awe and wonder of her character at being part of the world she dreamed of.”
Watch the Trailer of ‘Rekhachithram’:
Lensmen Reviews: “Asif Ali, as CI Vivek Gopinath, keeps the character somewhere in between what he did in Kuttavum Shikshayum and Thalavan. It is not a character with a wide spectrum of emotions, and he was fine in it. Anaswara Rajan, who plays the central character in the film, also delivered a fine performance, and she never made the Mammootty infatuation of that character look cringe-worthy on screen. Rekhachithram has appreciable aspirations, as meddling with real-life events is a tricky thing to pull off. While the thriller beats of the movie had the usual vibe to its credit, the minimal area in the film that shows us the history of the mysterious female character and the journey of the hero to know that story had that emotional element, which Jofin T Chacko sort of accentuates in the finale with an invisible megastar presence.”
After reading the above reviews, will you watch Asif Ali’s Rekhachithram in your nearby theatres? Let us know in the comment section below.
(The above story first appeared on Today News 24 on Jan 09, 2025 11:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website todaynews24.top).