| Vazhakku | |
| Director: | Sanal Kumar Sasidharan |
| Cinematography: | Chandru Selvaraj |
| Editing: | Sanal Kumar Sasidharan |
| Country: | India |
| Language: | Malayalam |
Vazhakku is a 2022 Malayalam film directed and edited by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan and starring Tovino Thomas, Kani Kusruti, Sudev Nair, and Azees Nedumangad. The film is about a lawyer named Siddharthan who is going through a divorce. He meets a woman named Sathi and her daughter, who are also going through marital problems. The two families are going through their difficult times.[1] [2]
The film was released on 29 July 2022, in India. It was met with positive reviews from critics, who praised the film's direction, performances, and screenplay. The film was screened at the 27th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala among the only 12 Malayalam language film screened and was also selected to premier at Korean international Film Festival IFFSA-SEOUL 2022. Vazhakku won several awards at the 54th Kerala State Film Awards, including three Best Child Artist, Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects.[3] [4] [5] [6] The film was later released for free on Vimeo on 14 May 2024.
Siddharthan (Tovino Thomas), a lawyer, was going through a tumultuous divorce. On the day scheduled for the signing of their mutual divorce agreement, he betrayed his wife, Lakshmi, by engaging in infidelity before embarking on an inland drive. Desperate to salvage their marriage, he pleaded with Lakshmi over the phone to postpone the divorce, citing their daughter Tara's well-being. His attempt, however, proved futile. During his return journey, a chance encounter with Sathi (Kani Kusruti) and her mute daughter, who were also facing marital turmoil, profoundly altered his perspective on life. Feeling a deep sense of dissatisfaction and emptiness, he sought meaning in his existence. His meeting with Sathi, a woman similarly disillusioned with her marriage, led to further complications in both their lives.[7]
| Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanmaya Sol | [8] | |||
| Chandru Selvaraj | ||||
| Best Visual Effects | Anish T, Sumesh Gopal |