Filmmaker Vipin Das has come out in strong support of Althaf Salim’s latest directorial Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira, calling it a rare and bold attempt in Malayalam cinema. Taking to social media on Sunday, the Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey director praised Althaf’s satirical treatment of depression, describing him as “one of the rarest directors who can narrate such subjects with humour.”

“Comanga!! Malayalam is the only industry that can deliver these kinds of concepts in movies. Whether it is cancer or depression, Althaf is one of the rarest directors who can narrate the subject satirically... I’m damn sure that people will discover this movie after many years and will start talking about it,” Vipin wrote, lauding the filmmaker’s creative courage despite the film’s poor box-office run.

Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira, starring Fahadh Faasil and Kalyani Priyadarshan, follows Aby (Fahadh), whose fiancée Nidhi (Kalyani) dreams of him riding a white horse to their wedding. When Aby fulfils the dream, a mishap with the horse lands him in a coma for close to a year, setting the stage for a darkly comic exploration of depression, recovery and relationships.

Ever since the film’s streaming debut on Netflix, it has found appreciation from a niche audience, who have praised it for its sensitive depiction of depression and emotional honesty beneath its absurdist humour. While the film received mixed to negative reviews upon release and struggled commercially, Vipin believes it will gain cult status over time for its unconventional storytelling and heartfelt core.

In contrast to Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira, Althaf’s directorial debut Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela, starring Nivin Pauly in the lead, was a well-received tragicomedy centred around a cancer patient that earned praise for its sensitive and humorous storytelling.

Vipin, best known for his successful comedies Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey and Guruvayoorambala Nadayil, is currently working on Santhosh Trophy, which reunites him with Prithviraj Sukumaran.