Is Santhosh Varkey Aka Arattannan Part of Bazooka?
(Spoiler alert) Yes. He is. Santhosh Varkey, better known as Arattannan, is part of the Mammootty film Bazooka. Though, this was not much anticipated from the makers, the viewers were surprised to see Mr Arattannan, a social media star, appearing on the screen in a crucial scene of the movie.
Bazooka is directed by debutant Deeno Dennis and hit the theatres on this Thursday.
Meanwhile, since the negative persona the social media personality showcases on public, the viewers are divided on the screen time given to Mr Varkey.
An X user was all praise for the cameo:
This Cameo is enough for the box office rampage! 🥵💥#Bazooka #Mammootty pic.twitter.com/N6rllh0w0p
— 😈ᏙᎬᎠᎻᎪᏞᎪᎷ𓃵 (@Hari_wrokzz) April 10, 2025
Another X user commented in dissaproval:
ആറാട്ടണ്ണൻ ഒക്കെ ഉണ്ടോ മമ്മുക്കയുടെ ബസൂക്ക സിനിമയിൽ? കഷ്ട്ടം.അയാൾ ഉള്ളതല്ല കഷ്ട്ടം. പക്ഷേ അയാളെ ഈ സിനിമയിൽ കാണിക്കുക വഴി എന്ത് നേട്ടമായിരിക്കും ഇതിന്റെ സംവിധായകൻ ഉദ്ദേശിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ടാകുക? മലയാളിയുടെ നിലവാരം അതാണെന്നോ?ഒരു നല്ല സിനിമ ഈ സംവിധായകനിൽനിന്നും പ്രതീക്ഷിക്കുക വയ്യ#Bazooka
— 𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐉𝐔 𝐋𝐀𝐙𝐀𝐑 (@laijulazars) April 10, 2025
Mr Varkey stands at the crossroads of Malayalam social media and cinema culture as an eccentric, divisive, and oddly compelling personality. With a claimed background in engineering and a PhD in philosophy, Santhosh positions himself as an “intellectual celebrity” in the mould of Einstein or Russell. Yet, his public persona thrives more on spectacle than scholarship.
His moniker, Arattannan, emerged from a viral review of Aarattu, and since then, his theatrical commentary, paparazzi moments, and unsolicited calls to actors have turned him into a constant feature in Kerala’s online chatter.
However, his fame is riddled with controversy. Accusations of harassment, offensive remarks, and even a recent allegation of sexual assault have severely dented his public credibility. Celebrities like Nithya Menon and Aishwarya Lakshmi have publicly distanced themselves, citing inappropriate behaviour.
His social media feeds reveal a man desperate for validation, caught between intellectual posturing and a need for constant attention. While he decries the corruption in academia and expresses a longing to be recognised as a thinker, his combative online tone and outlandish antics often overshadow these aspirations.
Arattannan, in his own words, lives for cinema. But the price of his notoriety may be that his intellectual ambitions are dismissed as theatre. He remains a polarising symbol of the digital age—a mix of ideas, insecurities, and impulsive outbursts, simultaneously seeking approval and provoking outrage.
