Tovino Thomas’ ‘ARM’ only Malayalam film in IFFI 2025 competition; Mohanlal’s ‘Thudarum’ selected for Indian panorama

Malayalam cinema is set to make a strong mark at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, with Tovino Thomas’ 'Ajayante Randam Moshanam' (ARM) and Mohanlal’s 'Thudarum' earning prestigious selections.

While 'ARM' has been chosen as the only Malayalam film competing in the Indian Panorama’s Best Debut Director category, 'Thudarum' will feature in the Indian Panorama section for feature films.



The festival, scheduled to be held in Goa from November 20, 2025, will showcase five Indian titles in the debut directors’ competition — with ARM standing as the sole Malayalam representation.

‘Honoured to represent Malayalam cinema,’ says Jithin Lal

Director Jithin Lal took to social media to express his excitement about Ajayante Randam Moshanam’s selection, writing, “Honoured to share that our film #ARM has been officially selected for the prestigious Indian Panorama’s Best Debut Director Competition at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2025, Goa. Out of the five Indian films chosen, ARM is the only Malayalam film in the competition. We are grateful and proud to represent Malayalam cinema on this platform! ”


Released in 2024, ARM is a fantasy adventure thriller starring Tovino Thomas . The film was both a critical and commercial success. The film also bagged three Kerala State Film Awards, including a Special Jury Mention for Best Actor (Tovino Thomas), Best Male Playback Singer (KS Harishankar for “Kiliye”), and Best Visual Effects for Jithin Lal and his team.

Mohanlal on ‘Thudarum’: ‘Honoured and delighted’

Meanwhile, superstar Mohanlal announced that his film Thudarum, directed by debutant Jithin Lal, has been officially selected for the Indian Panorama category at IFFI 2025. Sharing his happiness on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote:


“Honoured and delighted to share that #Thudarum is an official selection at the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in the Indian Panorama category. Thank you for this incredible recognition.”