Valathu Vashathe Kallan

Inspector Antony Xavier, a police officer struggling with his strained relationship with his son Philip, attends counselling sessions in an attempt to repair their bond. However, Philip remains resentful, believing Antony’s ego and harsh demeanor prevent any meaningful reconciliation.

Antony dismisses a complaint filed by a young woman accusing her classmate Rajeev of attempted sexual assault, citing the influence of Rajeev’s family and the likelihood that the allegation would be discredited due to the girl’s prior relationship with him. Under pressure, the girl’s mother withdraws the complaint. Soon after, the girl dies by suicide, leaving her friend Irene determined to seek justice independently.

Irene later goes missing and is found murdered. An autopsy reveals she was killed by repeated blows from a blunt object. CCTV footage shows Antony speaking with Irene shortly before her death, placing him under suspicion. A new officer, Firoz, takes over the investigation, during which Antony’s past conduct and questionable decisions begin to surface.

Meanwhile, Irene’s father, Sam, kidnaps Philip and demands that Antony confess to his role in Irene’s death. Before dying by suicide, Sam leaves behind clues that expose Antony’s history of protecting perpetrators under political pressure, including in a case involving Sam himself.

As the investigation progresses, Antony uncovers the truth: on the night of her death, Irene had confronted Philip after discovering him and Rajeev under the influence of drugs. In a fit of rage, Philip killed Irene with a rock. Sam and his wife Theresa had orchestrated the kidnapping and subsequent events to force Antony to confront both the crime and his own complicity in enabling injustice.

In the final moments, Antony locates Philip hiding near a church graveyard. Realizing the consequences of both his professional failures and his son’s actions, Antony ultimately chooses not to intervene, abandoning the search and leaving Philip to face his fate.

The project was officially announced on 21 April 2025 by Jeethu Joseph.^[4][5] Principal photography began in May 2025 in Kochi with a pooja ceremony.^[6] Filming wrapped on 11 August 2025.^[7]

Valathu Vashathe Kallan was released on 30 January 2026.^[3]

A mixed review in The Hindu wrote: "Part of the film works because of the presence of the two towering performers in Biju Menon and Joju George, who, even when they are not at their best, lend some gravitas to the proceedings. Although Jeethu’s films are not particularly known for their visual or technical aspects, here the darker tone sits well with the theme until the screenplay spoils the game."^[11] Other reviews were also mixed, similarly praising the two lead male actors’ performances but particularly criticising the plot, judged confused. Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave 1.5 out of 5 stars, writing "Jeethu Joseph delivers yet another unsatisfactory crime thriller aimed solely at outsmarting the audience".^[12] Vishal Menon of The Hollywood Reporter India said that "For all the credit Jeethu Joseph gets for being the Malayalam master of suspense, one doesn’t realise how often he’s made films that talk about something as soft and subtle as parenting."^[13]

The film became the subject of controversy following allegations regarding its promotional activities. B. Unnikrishnan, general secretary of the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), criticised lead actor Biju Menon for allegedly failing to participate in any promotional events associated with the film.^[14]

According to Unnikrishnan, Menon’s absence from promotional commitments reportedly part of his agreement led to a financial loss of approximately ₹25 lakh for the producer, including the loss of a potential television deal.^[15]

Separately, Joby George, one of the film's distributors also criticised Menon and stated that the film resulted in a loss of approximately ₹16 crore, describing it as the first loss-making project for his banner, Goodwill Entertainments.^[16]