In this revenge thriller, debutant emerged as the "surprise element," playing the menacing CI George Mathan . Critics hailed Varma’s performance as "nothing short of brilliant," and the film became the third‑highest‑grossing Malayalam film of 2025.
Megastar Mammootty has arguably led the vanguard of this villainous revolution in his recent career phase. Instead of sticking to safe, heroic roles, he has chosen to portray some of the most deeply unsettling characters in modern Indian cinema. His performance as Kunjamon Poti in Bramayugam (2024)—a monochromatic horror-thriller—showcased a terrifying, power-hungry entity wrapped in traditional authority. Similarly, his portrayal of the ruthless, closeted homophobe Kuttan in Puzhu (2022) highlighted the silent, toxic nature of caste pride and paranoia. 2. Fahadh Faasil: The Face of Unhinged Chaos
Perhaps the most iconic example of this evolution is the character played by Vijay Sethupathi in Vikram Vedha (a Tamil film deeply integrated into the Malayalam psyche due to the director duo Pushkar-Gayatri and actor R. Madhavan) or the chilling villainy in films like Kumbalangi Nights (where the antagonist was a toxic patriarch rather than a gangster). The villain now commands the screen with dialogue delivery and screen presence, often overshadowing the hero.