Malayalam whodunits are all the rage. How do they do it?

In a brilliant scene in MC Jithin’s Sookshmadarshini (Microscope), a housewife and detective extraordinaire figures out important information about her neighbours by listening closely to the number of whistles emitted by a rice cooker. A common kitchen element turns into a major clue – just as a comedy with whacky characters becomes only the latest Malayalam crime thriller to cast a spell.

Sookshmadarshini was recently released on Disney+ Hotstar after a successful theatrical run. The 2024 production joins a long list of Malayalam whodunits that are available on steaming platforms. These films are wowing non-Malayali viewers as much as the dramas Manjummel Boys, Aavesham and Aadujeevitham.

Alongside classic police procedurals such as Anweshippin Kandethum and Thalavan, there are psychological thrillers such as Kishkindha Kaandam (Disney+ Hotstar), in which a crime tells a deeper story about the complexities of the human mind.

The Malayalam industry arguably mastered this art of storytelling decades ago. In the 1960s and 1970s, acting icon Prem Nazir starred in several popular whodunits, including Rest House, Danger Biscuit, Lanka Dahanam and CID Nazeer.

In the 1980s, crime thrillers reflected scientific advances in investigation methods, best seen in the CBI film series starring…

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