Vilaayath Budha X Review: The Malayalam action thriller Vilaayath Budha, starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, opened in theaters on November 21, 2025. Directed by Jayan Nambiar in his debut, the film is adapted from the novel of the same name by G. R. Indugopan.
Shammi Thilakan plays a key role alongside Prithviraj, with supporting performances from Priyamvada Krishnan, Anu Mohan, and Dhruvan.
Originally conceptualized by Sachy in 2020, the project was taken over by Jayan Nambiar following Sachy’s passing in June of that year. The film features music by Jakes Bejoy, cinematography by Arvind S. Kashyap ISC and Renadive, and editing by Sreejith Sarang.
Vilaayath Budha tells the story of a conflict between a teacher and his bandit disciple over a rare sandalwood tree on a hilltop in Marayoor. The narrative is set against the backdrop of the region’s dense forests, and the storyline explores the tensions arising from greed and loyalty.
Soon after the theatrical release, viewers began sharing their initial impressions on X (formerly Twitter) and other social media platforms. While these posts are not formal reviews, they offer a glimpse into how early audiences are engaging with the film. Detailed critical evaluations and box office reports are expected to follow in the coming hours and days. Early audience reactions will be updated here as they come in.
Vilaayath Budha: Cast and Behind-the-Scenes Credits
The film’s cast features Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shammi Thilakan, Anu Mohan, Dhruvan, Kiran Peethambaran, Adat Gopalan, Pramod Veliyanadu, Vinod Thomas, Teejay Arunachalam, Aravind, Santhosh Damodaran, Manikandan, TSK, Priyamvada Krishnan, and Rajasree Nair.
The film is produced by Sandip Senan and A. V. Anoop, with Rajesh Pinnadan co-writing the screenplay alongside Indugopan. Executive production was managed by Sangeeth Senan. Technical contributions include production design by Benglan, art direction by Jithu Sebastian, stunts coordinated by Rajasekhar, Kalai Kingson, Supreme Sundar, and Mahesh Mathew, sound design by Ajayan Adat and Piousmon Sunny, and color grading by Liju Prabhakar. The VFX was handled by Black Maria Studio, Accel Media, A 2K24 Company, and Spectre Post Pvt Ltd, under the direction of Rajesh Nair.
Additional team members include project designer Manu Alukkal, line producer Raghu Subhash Chandran, trailer editor Mahesh Bhuvanend, and publicity design by Yellowtooths. Stills were captured by Sinat Savier, with title design by Oldmonks and animation by Sarath Vinu.
As Vilaayath Budha continues its theatrical run, more audience reactions and detailed reviews are expected to emerge in the coming days.