Vala Malayalam Movie Review: An Intriguing Premise That Falls Short On Impact

Vala (transl. Bangle), directed by Muhashin and written by Harshad, arrives with an intriguing premise but delivers an uneven experience. Starring Vijayaraghavan, Lukman Avaran, Dhyan Sreenivasan, Shanthi Krishna, Raveena Ravi, and Sheethal Joseph, the film attempts to blend comedy, drama, and folklore around a single symbolic ornament, the bangle.

Produced by Fairbay Films, with cinematography by Afnas V. and editing by Siddique Hyder, Vala is further complemented by Govind Vasantha’s music, which occasionally lifts the otherwise sluggish narrative.

Spoiler Alert

The film opens with an animated narration about the origins of a legendary bangle, crafted as a reward for athletic victories but later becoming a coveted object of power and greed.

This mythical setup promises a layered story. However, once the animation ends, the narrative shifts abruptly to the present, where Abu Salim introduces us to police constable Banu Prakash (Lukman Avaran).

Banu is scolded by his superiors for being absent during the attack, and during a casual conversation, he recalls how his wife once longed for a special bangle.

The story then moves back in time, weaving in Dhyan Sreenivasan’s Purushothaman Nair, a politician whose curiosity about his wife’s bangle sparks a chain of events.

Soon, a web of parallel tracks unfolds, a girl who eloped with Banu, a missing bangle from her grandmother’s ornament box, and the gives suspicion that the same bangle has far deeper roots in history.

The second half brings in Vijayaraghavan and Shanthi Krishna, with a backstory set in an Arab household, where the bangle was once gifted after a royal feast.

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While these flashbacks attempt to add grandeur and emotional weight, they often feel like fragments stitched together rather than parts of a cohesive whole.

One recurring thread in Vala is how women are portrayed in relation to the bangle. Purushothaman Nair’s wife, Sarala (Raveena Ravi), is shown to be almost possessive of the ornament, as someone who once accepted the bangle from a former lover and later jilted him, while Banu’s wife (Sheethal Joseph) is desperate and greedy to own it.

This pattern tends to reduce female characters into archetypes — the desiring, the deceptive, the materialistic without giving them layered motivations.

Alongside this, Abu Salim also explains about his wife, and the episode adds to the film’s recurring tendency to cast women in a negative light.

It’s a choice that may spark debate, as the film seems more interested in how women orbit the object than in exploring their individuality.

The fight sequences, too, suffer from the same problem. What should have been tense and impactful moments instead feel poorly staged and dragged out. Large groups of antagonists storm into the frame, but instead of raising the stakes, these scenes come across as chaotic and unconvincing. The choreography lacks sharpness, and the execution never matches the buildup, leaving the confrontations flat and underwhelming.

If the film remains watchable, it is largely because of the performances. Lukman Avaran brings sincerity to Banu, grounding his role with subtle expressions. Even when the script wanders, his natural style keeps the character believable.

Dhyan Sreenivasan has less material to work with, but his portrayal of a calculating politician shows glimpses of depth. Raveena Ravi quietly stands out, balancing vulnerability with pride, while Shanthi Krishna adds dignity in limited screen time. Vijayaraghavan lends authority, though his backstory arc feels more functional than emotional.

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Govind Vasantha’s music is one of the film’s highlights. The background score, especially during the flashbacks and Bangle’s origin sequences, creates an atmosphere of excellence.

The songs, though not chart-toppers, are melodious and placed appropriately. At times, the music adds more depth than the screenplay itself, hinting at emotions that the visuals struggle to convey.

Director Muhashin, who previously impressed with Kadina Kadoramee Andakadaham, takes a very different route here. Instead of grounded, emotional storytelling, he opts for a folklore-inspired comedy-drama.

Unfortunately, the balance does not quite hold. The first half meanders, and the second half, while promising, over-explains the bangle’s origins without giving emotional payoff. The writing often relies on repetition, quarrels, greed-driven confrontations, and melodramatic exchanges, which dilute the impact.

While the intention is clear, to show how material objects can drive relationships and rivalries, the execution is muddled. Instead of delivering a sharp commentary, the conclusion feels stretched and repetitive.

Timeline Verdict

Vala is a film with potential: an age-old object, a multi-generational story, and a cast capable of delivering nuance. But the screenplay fails to weave these strands into an engaging whole.

The pacing is slow, the conflicts lack intensity, and the portrayal of women leans too heavily on stereotypes. Still, performances by Lukman Avaran and Raveena Ravi, along with Govind Vasantha’s evocative music, prevent the film from being a complete misfire.