Name: Balan: The Boy
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Psychological
Released: 2026-06-19
Duration: 2 h 27 min
Rating: 6
Cast: Farzana Palathingal, Adhisheshan K R, Jean Paul Lal, Zinan, Girish A. D.

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Bound by love, protected by lies, and separated by fate, a mother and son must confront the secrets of their past in a poignant search for truth and redemption.

Balan: The Boy

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Through Manjummel Boys, Chidambaram showed that he knows how to extract peak emotions and thrills from a situation. His new survival drama, about a young single mother and her child, particularly with a screenplay by hitmaker Jithu Madhavan, raises similar expectations.
While the film has its share of taut moments, the emotions remain surprisingly muted. Particularly in the climax, although the resolution is interesting, the lack of a stronger emotional build-up prevents it from reaching its full potential. The right emotional beats could have lifted the film to another plane, but the ending feels somewhat underwhelming.
Indhu/Mary/Sherly is a woman running from her past, but with a clear aim for the future. She wants to raise her young to not be a demon or a slave to people. But scared that her old life might catch up with her, she takes on different jobs under different names to ensure her safety and that of her son. So does her past catch up or does her own demons destroy their lives?
The first half is captivating, driven by a novel idea, layered storytelling and excellent performances, particularly from the adorable child actor Adhisheshan KR, who carries the titular role with remarkable ease. And this is a bit of filmmaking where we can see how well the director and actor have worked together. And credit to Chidambaram brilliance in how the narrative seems to convey the building of childhood trauma.
However, there are also a few niggling holes in the script and some jarring characterisations that feel discordant with the rest of the film. While Farzana Palathingal's restrained performance works well in conveying the mystery and troubles of her character, the script fails her when it comes to conveying emotions, which is such a vital part of the story. In fact, Tovino's character, Abbas, seems to show a more emotional bond; even volatile in parts, which adds to the curiosity of the character.
There is a certain sadness to the story that will tug at your heartstrings. And watch it for the child artiste, who brings a comedic charm to even some moments.

When British naturalist Charles Darwin popularised the phrase “survival of the fittest” (first used by English sociologist-philosopher Herbert Spencer) through the later editions of his popular scientific work, “On the Origin of Species,” did he also mean that one ought to do whatever it takes to survive? Maybe not. However, people have long given it a connotation beyond its widely accepted definition — “organisms best adjusted to their environment are the most successful in surviving and reproducing” — interpreting it to mean that the law of the jungle, “kill or be killed,” is the one to abide by in a dog-eat-dog world.

In a way, director Chidambaram’s Balan: The Boy also emphasises this idea. But not in an ultra-violent way, as one might assume a movie with such a story would. Rather, Balan maintains without any bloodshed that those determined to survive will do so, no matter what. The boy (portrayed as a child by Adhisheshan and as a teenager by Muhammed Zinaan) and his mother (a mesmerising Farzana Palathingal) embody this mindset.
Nobody except them knows their true identities. They assume different names and backstories whenever they move into a new environment. In fact, Balan (the boy) and Amma (the mother) no longer care about their original names. Balan is often thrilled to get new names and backstories. Amma’s sole aim is to ensure they lead a life unbothered by others. However, every time they start afresh, some man will appear out of nowhere, offering to accept them as his own owing to “sympathy” for them, or expose their previous identities. Dialogues such as “From now on, you can live at my home as my daughter,” “Will you be my wife? I will raise your son as my own,” and “Wait a minute, I have seen you somewhere,” come their way often, prompting the two to shed their current identities and flee.
Although Amma and Balan have no fear of lying, the fact that their lives are in a perpetual state of fight-or-flight does disturb them. That’s when Amma lands a job as a home nurse to look after an elderly woman (Dolly June) who lives alone in a faraway hilly village. Although the Ammoomma (the elderly woman) is known to be erratic and has a big temper, Amma grows close to her, realising that they may more or less be the same person: cruel only to those who patronise or assert power over them. But when her past comes back to haunt Amma, she is forced to resort to some extreme measures, leading to her separation from Balan. But can anyone truly separate them?In all honesty, Jithu Madhavan deserves immense commendation for treating this story as essentially a drama with only adequate thriller elements, only to keep the audience engaged, while anyone else in his position might have tried to go all ballistic and make it an out-and-out psychological thriller, attempting yet another homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960).

Neither Chidambaram nor Jithu try to play to the gallery or satisfy the so-called “expectations” people might have from them, being the creators of Manjummel Boys and Aavesham, respectively. From the start, they remain honest to the world they wish to create and offer a treatment that’s in tune. They don’t rush or slip in thrilling moments at regular intervals to provide viewers with an adrenaline rush. Instead, they focus on the organic progression of the story, which naturally pushes the audience to the edge of their seats even when the moments aren’t particularly nail-biting.
Even the psychological elements in the narrative, including Amma’s conditioning of Balan and his childhood traumas, as well as the underlying themes, aren’t very heavy-handed. The makers maintain a powerful restraint, rendering the movie impressive. From the gradual shift in Balan’s nature — upon realising what he has been missing out on due to their transient lifestyle — and the juxtaposition of Amma and Ammoomma to slowly reveal the similarities between them, illustrating how the world around them shaped who they are, to Balan’s subservience to people who love him and lie to him about a better tomorrow, the movie presents hard-hitting themes in a nuanced and impactful manner.

Much like director Fazil Razak’s Thadavu (2025), Balan also portrays grey-shaded, unapologetic women without putting them under a microscope or subjecting them to judgment from the creators. Just as Geetha (Beena R Chandran) existed with all her flaws in Thadavu, Balan’s Amma and Ammoomma do as well.

The beauty of Balan, which exemplifies the rapport between Chidambaram and Jithu, is that even when a murder occurs, we don’t see the actual act on screen. In fact, we don’t even see the blood; the shot only shows Amma scrubbing a floor made of red oxide. Even without on-the-nose portrayals, the makers highlight the tension through impressive staging and, above all, the extraordinary performances.

But all that happens in the first half. Once we are introduced to teen Balan — who is mostly engaged in a battle with the crooked and ruthless cop Pavithran (an impressive Jean Paul Lal) — and also see the kid’s life after being separated from Amma, during which he is raised by a thief named Abbas (Tovino Thomas), the movie’s tone abruptly changes, and not in an impressive manner. While it could be argued that one’s life conditions, their nature, and even the people around them won’t be the same throughout, resulting in a drastic change in tone, the issue with Balan is that the shift isn’t seamless. In fact, the two halves of the film feel like they belong to two different works with the same characters.

Worse still, while the writing in the first half exuded significant confidence — where even when key information was withheld from us, it didn’t appear as plot holes — the script becomes considerably weak in the second half. The major issue is that the subtlety and tension present in the first half pretty much vanish in the latter part, and Balan’s focus gratuitously shifts to shenanigans rather than actions. Another major problem is that while the inseparable bond between Amma and Balan becomes very apparent early on, the same connection between Abbas and Balan, which the movie tries to claim exists, isn’t conveyed in the same way. As a result, their eventual actions and the impact they have on each other don’t resonate much with the viewer.

Even Chidambaram’s filmmaking appears evidently confused here, as the character-driven storytelling until then takes a backseat to make way for action-driven storytelling. This shift gives more prominence to what the characters can do rather than to the narrative’s cohesive progression. The eeriness created by the slowness and minimalism in the first half is replaced by packed frames and faster-paced movements, forcing us to watch the actions of characters who haven’t made much of an impact on us. Another key issue is that the movie doesn’t hook us into teen Balan as much as it did with child Balan. While Pavithran is revealed as a ruthless man who won’t think twice about throwing his “lover” under the bus or plotting revenge against a child, Balan fails to develop its villain sufficiently to elicit the desired reactions from the audience.

While Balan is an impressive title for the movie, particularly since that was the name of the first talkie in Malayalam (1938), wouldn’t it have made more sense to name the Chidambaram directorial Vigathakumaran (The Lost Child), the name of the first-ever Malayalam feature film? Regardless, it is noteworthy that Chidambaram and Jithu used this title, as the 1938 Balan (a lost film) is, according to NFAI, the first to introduce many of early Malayalam cinema’s recurring archetypes, including the evil stepmother and innocent orphans. In a way, it could be said that Chidambaram and Jithu subverted these portrayals after 88 years under the same title. After all, do we even know if Amma is the actual mother of Balan?

Balan’s biggest strength is Shyju Khalid’s extraordinary cinematography, which elevates the storytelling through judicious and strategic camera angles and movements. He doesn’t rely on too many close-ups; not that he seldom comes too close to the characters. Instead, Shyju finds his moments well and ensures that the surroundings communicate just as much as the characters do. Ajayan Chalissery’s uncompromising production design and Srik Varrier’s phenomenal colouring also deserve immense praise for accentuating the movie’s essence. Vivek Harshan’s masterful editing, particularly during the impressive original songs composed by Sushin Shyam, is also top-notch.

After a couple of dull performances, Tovino hits a home run in Balan. Abbas is one of those characters that you know only a Malayalam star would play, as it doesn’t give them even a single chance to look cool, polished, or sexy on screen. Adhisheshan impresses as the child Balan, while the movie belongs entirely to Farzana Palathingal, who has delivered one of the finest performances in Malayalam cinema this year. Director Girish AD, as a police officer, and Beena Antony, as a sex worker, also perform their parts astonishingly well.

Chidambaram's previous two films, Jan.E.Man and Manjummel Boys, are beloved by Malayalam audiences, but both faced one major criticism. Despite being ensemble pieces, neither was particularly inclusive of strongly written female characters or dramatic arcs centred around them.

Perhaps as a response to that criticism, Chidambaram takes a different approach with his third film, Balan: The Boy. Eschewing the ensemble format this time, Balan focuses on the relationship between a child and his fiercely protective mother.

Of course, this kind of thread itself automatically invites emotional investment from the viewer, and to Chidambaram's credit, he does not merely rely on that attachment.

Instead, he crafts an arresting tale about the extreme lengths a mother will go to in order to protect her child. So much so that when Balan veers away from this equation, you can sense a struggle in both pacing and writing to match what is an excellent first half, even if the film eventually wraps things up with a surprising conclusion.

 
What's The Plot of Balan?
Balan begins with the camera panning across drawings on a wall as we hear a woman explain to her young son what happened to his father and how they arrived in the city. When the camera finally reaches the characters, we realise they are inside a prison cell and the mother (Farzana Palathingal) is serving her sentence there, while the son (Adhisheshan) may very well have been born inside the prison.

I won't name the characters here because I can't.

We are never privy to their real names.

Once her prison sentence is cut short, the mother assumes a new identity for herself and her child. They keep moving from place to place, with the mother hoping her past never catches up with them. Their identities keep changing, with names even borrowed from places she once worked, while she ensures her son remains in sync with the stories she tells him.

Even the story he knows about his father is a lie, crafted to protect him from the truth.

Later, the mother narrates a disturbing fairy tale about a demon who traps a princess. Suddenly, it becomes clear why she keeps running from place to place, even from places where she has known kindness, like the old tea shop owner who once employed her.

Technically Fabulous
So how does the little boy cope with his changing names and addresses?

For the most part, he is his mother's partner-in-crime, instinctively providing answers that align with hers when questioned, and knowing exactly how to cover up when circumstances demand it.

But there is one brilliant scene where the boy struggles with this identity crisis when he is asked his name in his new school and has a sort of PTSD episode. The sequence is fantastically edited by Vivek Harshan, whose work in Manjummel Boys is still being celebrated on social media.

It is one of many good moments in a very intriguing and suspenseful first half, where the mystery lies in what exactly compels the mother to keep uprooting her child and whether there can ever be an end to her journey.

That end seemingly arrives when she finds work taking care of a lonely elderly woman in an equally lonely house.

The old woman, bitter about her NRI son settling in a country against which her husband once revolted, slowly warms to the mother and son, and for the first time they appear to have found a home.

I won't say the first half contains many surprises, but it is the fluid manner in which Chidambaram tells the story that holds your attention, strengthened by Vivek's razor-sharp editing and Sushin Shyam's moody score.

The haunting placement of the children's rhyme-like Thakkol song, showing how the mother and son settle into their new home and bond with their benefactor, is an excellent example of how these elements work so beautifully in tandem. And then there is Shyju Khalid's camerawork, which shifts effortlessly from intimate warmth, like that lovely candle-lit scene inside the tent, to something spooky, like using the eerie stillness of nature to heighten the tension.

Fantastic Performances
The mother is a wonderfully-written grey character, whose moral boundaries become questionable in the face of survival and protecting her son.

She lies without remorse, and when asked by her son, if she can kill someone before they kill them, she doesn't sugarcoat her answer.  

In one scene, she tries to share her bread with a mentally challenged woman out of kindness, only for that same bread to become a bargaining chip the moment she spots another opportunity to survive. 

The greyness of her morality is pushed to its limits near the interval point, bringing a very drastic turn to the story.

Farzana Palathingal, with her wonderfully expressive face, delivers a superb performance, complemented by young Adhisheshan, who never hits a false note despite his age.

Dolly June, who plays the elderly woman, also steals scenes with her hot-and-cold performance, particularly in conveying the bitterness she harbours towards her family. Credit to the filmmaker for bringing genuine warmth to their moments together, even if that comfort proves fleeting.

Beena Antony, who plays a pimp eager to bring the mother into her fold, is suitably reprehensible.

A Comparatively Weaker Second Half
If the first half is a masterclass in slow-burn storytelling, then the second half takes quite a bold turn.

Bold, because it is risky to move away from a track that has been so firmly established.

This is where I felt the screenplay by Jithu Madhavan, who directed the immensely enjoyable Romancham and Aavesham, begins to show cracks.

The portions involving the police station, particularly Jean Paul Lal's ego-driven cop Pavithran and how the boy inadvertently shakes both his professional and personal life, are engaging enough. The build-up to his sense of betrayal is nicely done, but his actions afterwards lack a certain degree of credibility.

Still, he is well cast in the role, and director Girish AD, who plays his superior, and Sandra Chandran, who plays his colleague and lover, perform their parts effectively. But the standout performance in the second half comes from young Muhammed Zinaan. 

Tovino Thomas' Extended Cameo Was a Miss
So far, Chidambaram's brother and actor Ganapathy has done a solid job as the film's casting consultant. Where he somewhat misses the mark is with the film's biggest casting coup. 

It is no longer a secret that Tovino Thomas is part of the film.

Spoilers ahead.

His inclusion introduces an Oliver Twist-like element to Balan, one that further distances the film from the far more compelling story it had been pursuing earlier.

I understand what Chidambaram and Jithu Madhavan were aiming for. A boy who has never known a father is suddenly given a father figure, even if neither intended for it, and how that relationship ultimately affects him.

What I can say is that the intention doesn't work to full measure, and in fact, induces a drag in the proceedings. Although the track ends on a poignantly whimsical note, I wish there had been a better way to tackle this plotline, or perhaps even leave it out altogether.

Tovino Thomas' performance doesn't help matters either. I like him as an actor, and with the right material he can deliver excellent grey-shaded performances, as he did in this year's Athiradi. Here, despite the fake paunch and thick facial hair, he never fully disappears into the character. The role needed an actor who could bring more unpredictability, something Tovino's star image doesn't quite allow. Thankfully, Balan: The Boy moves towards a much stronger conclusion.

There is a smart twist in the tale, and Sushin Shyam's score reaches a peak in elevating the drama.

That said, I still felt the finale deserved that emotional high of Subhash being rescued from the pit in Manjummel Boys which it lacked. Once again that comes down to the uneven second half that loses some of the first half's emotional punch, while also leaving a few plot holes unresolved.

If any movie needed more amma paasam to make it greater, it is you, my dear Balan.  

When the story is about a mother and child, there is bound to be love, tenderness and a complicated bond that transcends every challenge in their lives. 

And director Chidambaram's latest film, Balan: The Boy, takes this relationship and presents it in a novel manner as a survival drama. 

After the success of Jan.E.Man and Manjummel Boys, the director heads in a new direction with this film that's written by Jithu Madhavan, who is known for the superhits Romancham and Aavesham. 

Interestingly, Balan: The Boy is also a psychological thriller focusing on the themes of identity and survival (which was key in Manjummel Boys) in a world that is unforgiving.
At its core, the film revolves around a young boy and his mother who are in jail for a crime unbeknownst to the audience. When the mother and son are released from Kannur jail, she is told by the queenpin of the prisoners, sex worker Shamnatha (Beena Antony), that she would come in search of her when she is released. 

The frightened mother, who wants to protect her son at all costs, leaves Kannur with him and the duo head towards smaller villages where they live sans identity or status and blend into the background, wishing to be invisible. 

With every move from village to village, the mother feeds the boy fresh stories at bedtime - not like those in the fairytales that kids generally hear - but stories which give them new identities and backstories that give them anonymity and protection. The mother, who refrains from developing any kind of attachment to anyone, becomes Indhu, Mary and Sherly, while the boy becomes Abhijit Kumar, Adiseshan and Vasudev, obediently remembering every detail about their life that his mother has drilled into him. 

It's finally when the mother ends up looking after an elderly lady, Ammoomma, in a wheelchair in a village, that they begin to find some semblance of normalcy and the boy starts to go to school. 

The two forge a bond with the elderly lady, accepting her as a grandmother (Ammoomma), and when they think that perhaps they could stop lying and running, things take a nasty turn. Balan and his Amma are separated. What does eventually happen to her and Balan?

The first half of the film builds up beautifully as a thriller, and the second half of the film moves towards the emotional consequences of what has played out in the lives of the mother and son. 

The director and writer have ensured that the lives of the mother and son are built upon layer by layer gently in the first half, and Chidambaram doesn't rush to tell us their story. They have added thriller elements to the story in layers too so as not to make them jarring in the film nor take away from the essence of the mother-son story.

The ultimate victory for both Chidambaram and Jithu Madhavan is the brilliant characterisation of both the mother and the son - the key players in the movie. 

The characters are very authentic and really compelling the audience to immediately connect with them. Their struggles, joy and fear are relatable, and empathy builds up for them as the movie plays out. There are many elements in the film that are narrated eloquently or visually subtly established, and this adds depth to the film. 

For instance, the mother's traumatic marriage and her courageous escape from that toxic situation to protect her child. Or in the instance where a murder is committed but we see only the blood being cleaned.

Even when it comes to the son, there are facets of his personality we innately understand thanks to the visual narrative and/or his behaviour. Balan, who had a traumatic childhood despite all the love and care he got from his mother, doesn't end up just as a victim of circumstances and events beyond his control. 

Balan is someone who has learnt how to navigate this world thanks to the lessons of poverty, homelessness, and personal loss he has faced right from the time he was born. He grows up to be a confident boy (despite his status as a nobody in life) who easily embraces the role reversal of wanting to protect and save his mother at all costs.

Of course, the film does have flaws, and this is truer perhaps more of the second half. Some characters could have been better written and the scenes trimmed as well. 

Given that this movie is a slow burner and unconventional, the audience's expectations of it being a commercial entertainer may lead to some disappointment. 

Technically, the movie has stunning cinematography by Shyju Khalid, who has captured the beauty of the environs in every single frame. The camera allows us to experience the harsh realities and emotions of Balan and his mother as they proceed on their journey. 

Sushin Shyam's background music plays up the emotions on screen, while Vivek Harshan's editing could have been tighter.

Balan: The Boy is about the mother-son bond, love, hope, resilience and surviving in a world that's often dark and demeaning. It is a human story that touches you, thanks to the superb performances by Adhisheshan as a child, Muhammed Zinaan as a teenager, and a captivating Farzana Palathingal as the mother. 

The cameo by Tovino Thomas as Abbas adds value to the film as well. At the end of the film, what truly stays with you is the heartfelt story about a mother and a son.

Balan: The Boy(2026)