How long have you been waiting for a mind-numbing Indian paranormal thriller, minus the laughs? The wait is over, as the first look of Offbeet Studios Vadakkan is finally out. Directed by Sajeed A with a world-class crew of Oscar and BAFTA-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty, Music by Bijibal, Written by Unni R and exceptional Japanese DOP Keiko Nakahara. The movie has already won the hearts of critics worldwide and clinched multiple accolades at various film festivals, including the Gala Screening Selection at Fantastic Pavilion at Cannes, Best Supernatural Thriller award at the Fright Night Film Festival in the U.S. and Best Feature Film at the RED Movie Awards, Autumn Edition, REIMS, France.

Vadakkan marks the first chapter in a gripping trilogy, starring Kishore, Shruthy Menon and Merin Philip as the lead protagonists. The first-look poster offers a tantalizing glimpse of a mystical character destined to leave moviegoers in awe. “Look closely at the first-look poster, and you’ll feel it—it doesn’t just sit there; it speaks. It whispers its secrets, pulling you in, daring you to look deeper,” says director Sajeed A.

Vadakkan promises to deliver a never-before-seen supernatural experience on the big screen. Kishore, renowned for his stellar performances across various languages, takes on the role of a paranormal investigator. Approached to unravel a series of brutal murders on a reality TV show, he uncovers dark secrets tied to an ancient cult ritual that dates back to the 800-year-old Indus Valley Civilization. As he delves deeper, he comes face-to-face with a deadly spirit from Dravidian folklore, plunging him into a world filled with terrifying revelations.

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Director Sajeed A shares his vision for the first look, saying, “We wanted the first look of Vadakkan to be more than just a visual—it had to be an immersive experience. The challenge was simple yet profound: How do you make an image talk? That’s exactly what we set out to achieve.”

“The idea was to craft an image deeply rooted in Kerala, capturing the gradual descent of a paranormal investigator into a mythical rabbit hole—where reality blurs and the supernatural takes hold. We wanted to evoke curiosity and unease, making audiences feel like they’ve stepped into the unknown before they’ve even seen the film,” he adds while raving about the impressive film poster.

“Vadakkan lives superbly to the vision of offbeet studios to tell stories from India rooted deeply in its culture to Indians and to the World. Superb performances by Kishore, Shruthy, Merin , support cast brought alive by exceptional direction of Sajeed supported by our global standard crew of Resul, Unni R, Bijibal, Keiko and rest of the film crew makes a Vadakkan a Film which would be loved in India and world alike. Our wins across the global festival circuit are a testament of our focus at offbeet studios to deliver stories and cinematic experience which travels globally” says Jaideep Singh, Producer and Founder Offbeet Studios and Offbeet Media Group.

Vadakkan also stars Kalesh Ramanand and Maala Parvathi. The script and dialogues, penned by Unni R, are brought to life through the lens of Japanese cinematographer Keiko Nakahara, with a hauntingly evocative score by music director Bijibal.

Besides winning two major laurels, Vadakkan has been showcased at multiple film festivals. It was an official selection at Germany’s Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF) as well as America’s Echelon Studios International Film Festival in Los Angeles last year. The film was also screened at the Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival as part of the Gala screenings at the Fantastic Pavilion. It was again an official selection at the Abruzzo Horror Film Festival in L’Aquila, Italy, and at the 78th Festival Internazionale del Cinema di Salerno.

Vadakkan will also be dubbed in Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu.Poster Out Now