Ace Bollywood director Anurag Kashyap has showered praise on i, Nobody, the latest Malayalam thriller starring Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead role, on the online film cataloguing platform Letterboxd. The filmmaker shared his review on Thursday, the day of the film's theatrical release, calling it an engaging mainstream thriller that kept him invested throughout.
Awarding the film a positive rating, Anurag wrote, “Loved it. Keeps you hooked from beginning to end. It’s more mainstream and thrilling. Only thing that bothered me but I think the audience will enjoy is a common man fighting so many goons at the same time. Nevertheless a total ride around greed, public and media trial and policing and politics of it all.”
His comments come at a time when i, Nobody has been receiving mixed responses from critics and audiences. While several reviews have praised its technical finesse, performances and gripping first half, some have pointed to issues in the latter portions, particularly its shift towards broader social commentary.
An excerpt from the CE review of the film reads, "It's disappointing, or rather disheartening, to see films that are promising enough to be game-changers succumb to the 'second half curse' that's been plaguing our mainstream cinema for a while now. i, Nobody is the latest entrant to this unfortunate club of films that take off to soaring heights only to come crashing down by the end. But on a positive note, this is not a film that runs out of ideas; it's pregnant with potential even when the wheels start coming off. It simply crumbles under the weight of its ambitions."
Directed by Nissam Basheer, best known for Asif Ali's Kettyolaanu Ente Malakha and Mammootty's Rorschach, i, Nobody marks his first collaboration with both Prithviraj and Parvathy Thiruvothu. The film revolves around Rajeevan (Prithviraj), an ordinary man who finds himself entangled in the aftermath of a bank heist. What begins as an accidental encounter soon spirals into a nightmare as he becomes the target of public suspicion, media scrutiny and systemic pressures. Written by Sameer Abdul, the thriller blends action, family drama and social commentary, exploring themes of public perception, media sensationalism and political opportunism. The narrative follows Rajeevan's struggle to protect his family while being relentlessly pursued by forces convinced that he is hiding a fortune linked to the robbery.
Apart from Prithviraj and Parvathy, the film also features Hakkim Shahjahan, Shankar Ramakrishnan, Ashokan, Vijayaraghavan, Madhupal, Nakshathra, Aira, Nishanth Sagar, Nandhu, Noushad Bombay, Jijoy Rajagopal, Khalid Rahman, Sanju Sivaram, Sudhi Koppa and Beena Chandran, among others.
Produced by Supriya Menon, Mukesh R Mehta and CV Sarathi, i, Nobody has music by Jakes Bejoy, cinematography by Dinesh Purushothaman and editing by Ramees MB. The highly complimented action sequences, filmed across various parts of Thiruvananthapuram, are choreographed by Yannick Ben, Kalai Kingson and Amith Jolly Bastin.