Avihitham
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| Avihitham | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Senna Hegde |
| Written by |
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| Story by | Ambareesh Kalathera |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography |
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| Edited by | Sanath Sivaraj |
| Music by | Sreerag Saji |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | |
Release dates |
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Running time | 106 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
Avihitham (transl. Illicit) is a 2025 Malayalam-language black comedy-drama film directed by Senna Hegde, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ambareesh Kalathera. The film has an ensemble cast including Unni Raj, Renji Kankol, Vineeth Chakyar, Dhanesh Koliyat, Rakesh Ushar and Vrinda Menon. It is produced by E4 Experiments in association with Imagin Cinemas and Marley State of Mind. Sreeraj Raveendran and Ramesh Mathews handle the cinematography and Sanath Sivaraj edits the film. Sreerag Saji composes the songs and background score.[1][2]
Avihitham released theatrically on 9 October 2025 in GCC[3] and on 10 October 2025 in India.[4]
Plot
[edit]One night, while returning home after drinking with friends, Prakashan comes across an affair between a young man named Vinod, a neighbour, and a young woman in the field of Madhavan, a carpenter in the village. Prakashan shares this matter with Venu, a tailor. The next night, they all witness the affair firsthand.
Cast
[edit]- Unni Raj as Venu
- Renji Kankol as Prakashan
- Vineeth Chakyar
- Dhanesh Koliyat
- Rakesh Ushar
- Vrinda Menon as Nirmala
- Ajith Punnad
- Unnikrishnan Parappa
- Aneesh Chemmarathi
- T. Gopinathan
- Vijisha Nileshwar as Geetha
- Ammini Chandralayam
- Parvana Raj
- Beena Kodakkad
- Vismaya Sasikumar
- Premalatha
- Shyamili Das
- Vipin K.
- Swapna Pallam
- Mukesh O. M. R.
- Sayanth
- Karthika Vijayakumar
- Prabhakaran Velaswaram
- Shubha C. P.
- Lakshmanan Manniath
Soundtrack
[edit]| Avihitham | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Sreerag Saji | |
| Released | 2025 |
| Studio |
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| Genre | Feature film soundtrack |
| Length | 7:32 |
| Language | Malayalam |
| Label | E4 Entertainment |
The soundtrack album of the film is composed by Sreerag Saji. The first single Ayyaye was released on 6 October 2025.[5]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ayyaye" | Titto P. Thankachen | Zia Ul Haq, Sreerag Saji | 03:57 |
| 2. | "Vallatha Narakangal" | Titto P. Thankachen | Harikrishnan U. | 00:56 |
| 3. | "Aaro Paranjarinja" | Harikrishnan U. | Mariya Johny | 02:39 |
| Total length: | 07:32 | |||
Release
[edit]Theatrical
[edit]The title poster of the film was released on 17 August 2025.[6] The teaser of the film was released on 6 September 2025[7] and the trailer was released on 25 September 2025.[8][9]
Avihitham released theatrically on 9 October 2025 by Home Screen Extertainment in GCC[3] and on 10 October 2025 by E4 Experiments in Kerala and by AP International in the rest of India.[10][11]
Home Media
[edit]The digital rights of the film is acquired by JioHotstar and will start streaming from 14 November 2025.[12]
Reception
[edit]Critical reception
[edit]S. R. Praveen of The Hindu wrote a positive review, "In Avihitham, which does not have any big star and is propelled by the strength of its narrative, Hegde returns to his roots and sort of rediscovers his 'indie' mojo."[13]
Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express rated the film 4/5 stars and wrote, "Intriguingly, the film even shifts into an edge-of-the-seat suspense drama at one point. Yet, director Senna Hegde ensures that the soul and core of Avihitham are never lost in the process."[14]
Vivek Santhosh of The New Indian Express rated the film 3/5 stars and wrote, "In the end, Avihitham is a modest yet engaging satire that observes more than it surprises. It may lack the sparkle of Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam and tread familiar ground in its critique of male morality, but Senna’s control over tone and character keeps it steady and effective. With its dry humour and quiet irony, the film holds a mirror to small-town self-righteousness, showing how easily gossip turns into judgement in the hands of those least fit to make it."[15]
Anjana George of The Times of India described the film as "a quirky, rustic comedy about voyeurism and secrets" and rated the film 3/5 stars. She wrote, "Avihitham is, at its core, a delightful peek into small-town voyeurism and moral theatre, a comedy of errors where curiosity becomes community entertainment. It’s rustic, witty, and brimming with unpolished charm."[16]
Gayathri Krishna of OTTPlay rated the film 3.5/5 stars and wrote, "Senna Hegde's film is much more than just a story about an extramarital affair. Our patriarchal society, which still adheres to gender stereotypes, is closely examined but satirised."[17]
Swathi P. Ajith of Onmanorama wrote a positive review, "Avihitham is a sharp, deceptively simple take on voyeurism and morality—a mirror held up to our collective hypocrisy, wrapped in pitch-perfect humour. Cleverly written, superbly acted, and endlessly entertaining, this is one film that absolutely deserves to be seen on the big screen."[18]
Sajin Shrijith of The Week rated the film 4.5/5 stars and wrote, "Avihitham reminds us that some films are ill fit for big stars and that no matter how unfamiliar these actors may feel to us, if they can momentarily take us back to that time when we saw Priyadarshan's Mukunthetta Sumitra Vilikkunnu or Sreenivasan's Vadakkunokkiyanthram for the first time, when we were kids and yet to familiarize ourselves with not just Mohanlal or Sreenivasan, but also the immensely gifted legendary comedians who acted alongside in supporting roles, I think their mission is successful. If you, like me, hail from Kerala's Malabar region, you're most likely going to get more fun out of this than the others.[19]
Vishal Menon of The Hollywood Reporter India described the film as "several LOL moments" and wrote, "Everything fits into place in Avihitham as it speaks about feminism and the dangers of moral policing without even trying to take a moral high ground. It is what it is, and it's not too surprising to notice how we, too, become part of these men, curious to find out who this woman could be."[20]
References
[edit]- ^ "Senna Hegde's next film titled Avihitham". The New Indian Express. 18 August 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ "'Avihitham': Filmmaker Senna Hegde announces his next". The Hindu. 18 August 2025. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ a b @homescreenentertainment; (8 October 2025). "Avihitham has cleared Gulf censor and will hit your favourite theatres on October 9". Retrieved 8 October 2025 – via Instagram.
- ^ "Senna Hegde's Avihitham gets release date". Cinema Express. 1 October 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ "'അയ്യയ്യേ നിർമ്മലേ...' ചിരിപ്പിച്ച് 'അവിഹിത'ത്തിലെ ആദ്യഗാനം എത്തി". The Indian Express (in Malayalam). 7 October 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ "'പദ്മിനി'ക്ക് ശേഷം പുതിയ ചിത്രവുമായി സെന്ന ഹെഗ്ഡെ; 'അവിഹിതം' ടൈറ്റിൽ പോസ്റ്റർ". Asianet News (in Malayalam). 18 August 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ "With 'Avihitham', Filmmaker Senna Hegde Returns to Kanhangad". The Hollywood Reporter. 20 August 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ "Senna Hegde's next directorial Avihitham gets a release window, trailer out". Cinema Express. 25 September 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ Krishna, Gayathri (25 September 2025). "Avihitham trailer: Senna Hegde is all set for another bold dark comedy set in Kasaragod". OTTPlay. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ P., Divya (1 October 2025). "Avihitham release date: Here's when to watch noted director Senna Hegde film in theatres". OTTPlay. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ @APIfilms (3 October 2025). "Avihitham to audiences across India (excluding Kerala), releasing this October 10" (Tweet). Retrieved 8 October 2025 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Avihitham OTT release date announced". Cinema Express. 7 November 2025. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
- ^ Praveen, S. R. (10 October 2025). "'Avihitham' movie review: Senna Hegde's indie rediscovery indicts prying eyes". The Hindu. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
- ^ Suresh, Anandu (11 October 2025). "Avihitham movie review: A smartly written, brilliantly conceived black comedy". The Indian Express. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
- ^ Santhosh, Vivek (11 October 2025). "Avihitham Movie Review: A smart, steady satire that observes more than it innovates". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
- ^ George, Anjana (10 October 2025). "Avihitham Movie Review: A Quirky, Rustic Comedy About Voyeurism and Secrets". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
- ^ Krishna, Gayathri (12 October 2025). "Avihitham Review: Senna Hegde's film amusingly looks into prying eyes that are not limited to Kanhangad". OTTPlay. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
- ^ Swathi P. Ajith (10 October 2025). "'Avihitham' review: Senna Hegde turns gossip and voyeurism into pure gold". Onmanorama. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
- ^ Shrijith, Sajin (10 October 2025). "'Avihitham' review: Funniest Malayalam film of the year so far". The Week. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
- ^ Menon, Vishal (22 October 2025). "'Avihitham' Movie Review: Adultery Has Never Been This Funny". The Hollywood Reporter India. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
