Pookkaalam

Pookkaalam (transl. Spring) is a 2023 Indian Malayalam-language comedy drama film written and directed by Ganesh Raj. It stars Vijayaraghavan as a 100-year-old man, with K. P. A. C. Leela paired opposite him.^{[3][4][5][6][7]}

Pookkaalam
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Ganesh Raj
Screenplay by	Ganesh Raj
Produced by	Thomas Thiruvalla Vinod Shornur
Starring	Vijayaraghavan Basil Joseph Vineeth Sreenivasan K. P. A. C. Leela
Cinematography	Anend C. Chandran
Edited by	Midhun Murali
Music by	Sachin Warrier[1]
Production companies	CNC Cinemas Thomas Thiruvalla Films
Release date	8 April 2023 (2023-04-08)[2]
Country	India
Language	Malayalam

Pookkaalam was released on 8 April 2023.^[2][8] It was featured at the 54th IFFI Indian Panorama section.^[9][10][11]

Plot

Pookkaalam is the story of the lives of Ittoop and Kochu Thresiamma and the people surrounding them.

Cast

• Vijayaraghavan as Ittoop
• Basil Joseph as Advocate Jikkumon
• Vineeth Sreenivasan as Judge Ravi
• K. P. A. C. Leela as Maya Thattakathu Kochu Thresiamma, Ittoop's wife
  • Nandini Gopalakrishnan as young Kochu Thresiamma
• Roshan Mathew as Johnnymon, Ittoop's eldest son
• Sarasa Balussery as Alamma, Ittoop's eldest daughter
• Suhasini Maniratnam as Clara, Ittoop's second daughter
• Radha Gomaty as Rosamma, Ittoop's third daughter
• Ganga Meera as Elsamma, Ittoop's youngest daughter
• Jagadish as Puthanveetil Kochousepp
• Johny Antony as Advocate Narayanan Pillai
• Annu Antony as Elsi, Elsamma's daughter
• Arun Kurian as Susheel, Elsi's fiancé
• Abu Salim as Venu, Elsamma's husband
• V. Suresh Thampanoor as Xavier
• Sarath Sabha as Father Gabriel, Elsamma's son
• Amal Raj and Kamal Raj as Michael and Angelo
• Kavya and Navya as Dinsy and Donna
• Arun Ajikumar as Guinness
• Kanakalatha as Susheel's mother
• Harish Pengan as Kochouseph's son
• Kochu Preman as the sexton
• Ranjini Haridas as the astrologer
• Shebin Benson as K. C. Unnikrishnan
• Gilu Joseph as Narayanan Pillai's wife
• Honey Rose as herself
• Anjali Thachillath as Adv. Anjali

Production

After his debut film Aanandam, director Ganesh Raj took 4 years to complete the script of Pookkaalam,^[12] and he penned a note as "Pookkaalam... The season of growth, change, and Love" along with the first look poster.^[13] This film was bankrolled by Vinod Shornur for CNC Cinemas in association with Thomas Thiruvalla's Thomas Thiruvalla Films.^[14][15][16] Sachin Warrier was signed to provide the music and background score of the film.^[17][18] Actress Honey Rose also plays a cameo role.^[19]

Principal photography started on 13 April 2022. The filming wrapped up on 14 December after 37 days of shooting.^[12]

Reception

Critical reception

Princy Alexander of Onmanorama noted that the film is "a fresh take" on elderly couple relationships and compared the film to Oru Cheru Punchiri, and wrote: "Though the movie dwells on a serious subject like a marital discord, Ganesh Raj's 'Pookkaalam' is not a tear-jerker. Instead, he relies on the youthful vibrancy that was the pillar of his earlier work to narrate this film, too. … Despite the good performances, the weak dialogues and the failure to explore some of the characters further affect the film, which is otherwise an interesting family drama."^[20] Sajin Shriijth of Cinema Express gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote: "Despite some of its rough edges, Pookkaalam is what I would call a wholesome family entertainer ideal for the holidays. There are places where the exaggerated acting from Basil Joseph, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Johny Antony, and others doesn't land, but their presence also makes Pookkaalam lively when necessary. In a way, they remind us of some of our family members. We don't always like what they do, but we can't live without them either."^[21]

Awards

National Film Awards

• 71st National Film Awards ^[22] (presented in August 2025 for films certified in 2023)
  • Best Supporting Actor – Vijayaraghavan
  • Best Editing – Midhun Murali

Kerala Film Critics Association Awards

• Kerala Film Critics Association Awards 2023
  • Best Actor – Vijayaraghavan
  • Best Supporting Actress – K. P. A. C. Leela
  • Best Makeup - Ronex Xavier ^[23]