Sumathi Valavu

Sumathi Valavu is a 2025 Indian Malayalam-language horror comedy film directed by Vishnu Sasi Shankar and written by Abhilash Pillai.^[5][6] The film stars Arjun Ashokan, Gokul Suresh, Saiju Kurup, Balu Varghese, Malavika Manoj and Sshivada in prominent roles.^[7][8]

Sumathi Valavu
Theatrical Release Poster
Directed by	Vishnu Sasi Shankar
Written by	Abhilash Pillai
Produced by	Murali Kunnumpurath Gokulam Gopalan
Starring	Arjun Ashokan Gokul Suresh Saiju Kurup Balu Varghese Malavika Manoj Sshivada
Cinematography	P. V. Shankar[1]
Edited by	Shafique Mohamed Ali
Music by	Ranjin Raj
Production companies	Waterman Films LLP Sree Gokulam Movies
Distributed by	Dream Big Films[2][3]
Release date	1 August 2025 (2025-08-01)
Country	India
Language	Malayalam
Box office	est. ₹25.50 crore[4]

The film is inspired by local folklore and real-life incidents associated with a place of the same name in Mylamoodu, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. According to legend, a woman named Sumathi, who was pregnant at the time, was murdered by her lover in the 1950s at this location. Since then, The locals have claimed that the area is haunted by her spirit. Over the years, the site has been associated with various supernatural occurrences.^[9][10]

Some reports suggest that the ghost stories surrounding the location were exploited by criminal elements to keep people away from the area, enabling illegal activities to go undisturbed. The filmmakers have taken inspiration from these stories and woven them into a fictional horror-comedy narrative^[11]. It is currently the 9th highest–grossing film of 2025 colliding with Bazooka.

Plot

The story is centered on a haunted place called Sumathi Valavu, with the ghost of a Tamil woman guarding it for years. A group of people experience supernatural incidents linked to the location.

Cast

• Arjun Ashokan as Appu
• Gokul Suresh as Mahesh
• Saiju Kurup as Hari
• Balu Varghese as Ambadi
• Sshivada as Deepa Teacher
• Malavika Manoj as Bhama
• Abhilash Pillai as Giri
• Joohi Jayakumar as Sreedevi
• Sidharth Bharathan as Chemban
• Gopika Anil as Meenakshi
• Sminu Sijo as Shobha
• Jasnya Jayadeesh as Sumathi
• Siva Ajayan as Kuttappi
• Sreejith Ravi as Sudhakaran
• Ananthalal as Rajan
• Sajitha Sreejith
• Shravan Mukesh as Bhadran
• Deva Nandha as Alli
• Sija Rose as Suja
• Shreepath Yan as Vavakuttan
• Lekshmi Abhilash
• Manoj K. U. as Vijayan Pillai
• Jayakrishnan as Hamza
• Nandhu as Shekharan
• Sumesh Chandran as Mani
• Chembil Ashokan as Madhu
• Jay Raavu as Velu
• Sandeep as Shakthi
• Vijaykumar as Adivasi
• Sreekanth Vettiyar as Doctor
• Aniyappan as Pappan
• Bobby Kurian as Benjamin
• Kottayam Ramesh as Aashan (Master)
• Rafi as Kichu
• Bhama as Malu (Cameo appearance)

Production

The film is produced by Murali Kunnumpurath under Waterman Films LLP in association with Think Studios. Principal photography began in November 2024 in Palakkad, Kerala.^[12] Cinematography is handled by P. V. Shankar, with editing by Shafique Mohamed Ali.^[13] The film wrapped in March 2025.^[14]

Music

The film's music is composed by Ranjin Raj.^[15]

Release

The teaser of the film released on 20 April 2025.^[16] Sumathi Valavu was released on 1 August 2025. The film will release on Zee5 from September 26th onwards.^[17]

Prequel

On 9 August 2025, following the box office success of Sumathi Valavu, the makers announced a prequel titled Sumathi Valavu 2: The Origin. The film will explore the origins of the folklore behind the haunted locale featured in the original, delving into the tragic events that shaped its legend. Director Vishnu Sasi Shankar, writer Abhilash Pillai, composer Ranjin Raj, and producers Gokulam Gopalan and Murali Kunnumpurath will return for the prequel. While it is yet to be confirmed if the original cast will reprise their roles, the producers stated that several prominent South Indian actors will be part of the project. ^[18][19]