'Vaazha' to 'Drishyam': Decoding the clever symbolism in recent Malayalam film titles that secretly reveal the plot

No matter what industry a movie represents, a perfectly placed title immediately hooks the audience. It also hints at the central emotion, conflict, or even the twist waiting inside. Clever titles in recent Malayalam films like 'Sarvam Maya', 'Kalamkaval', 'Vaazha', 'Drishyam' and 'Thudarum' prove this beautifully. These titles plant a seed in the audience's mind right from the poster or trailer. Viewers start guessing the theme even before the opening credits roll.

What is 'Vaazha'?

Take 'Vaazha: Biopic of a Billion Boys' for example. On the surface 'Vaazha' simply means banana plant in Malayalam. But in local slang it carries a sharper sting. Malayali parents often call aimless or underachieving boys "vaazha" – meaning good-for-nothing or useless.

Just like the title, Vipin Das' film follows a group of carefree teenagers labeled as failures by family and society. They struggle with studies, parental pressure, and the search for their own path. The title captures this perfectly and turns a common insult into a celebration of ordinary boys finding hope through friendship.

Without giving away the plot, 'Vaazha' already whispers the coming-of-age drama and gentle rebellion at its heart.

'Drishyam' - The vision

The first part of 'Drishyam' came with the tagline, 'Visual can be deceiving,' and anyone who has watched this Jeethu Joseph directorial will agree that it's a perfect title.

'Drishyam' literally translates to "visual" or "what is seen." The story revolves around an ordinary family man, Georgekutty, who constructs an elaborate web of fake visuals and alibis to protect his loved ones after a tragic incident. Every scene the audience watches is carefully crafted – much like the protagonist manipulates what the police see. The title cleverly signals this game of perception and illusion.

Even in 'Drishyam 2', you can understand how apt the title is when you connect all the dots and the climax twist sequence.

Jeethu Joseph's other brilliant title is the 2013 crime thriller 'Memories,' where Prithviraj Sukumaran's cop character is literally ruined and is living in the memories of his murdered family. The whole premise revolves around his memories.

Balachandra Menon has a different point of view

Mollywood veteran director cum actor Balachandra Menon recently discussed how Malayalam movies have taken a different approach in giving titles to recent films. In a talk with Can Media, he said, "I feel like laughing. Titles like ‘Aashaan’, ‘Shukran’, ‘Bha. Bha. Ba' and so on… If you make the audience go ‘bha bha’, how will the film run? What is all this? I really don’t understand what the intention is.”

According to Balachandra Menon, the current trend in giving titles to movies loses the impact.

'Eko' to 'Dies Irae' - Creating curiousity with titles

'Eko' is surely one of the best Malayalam movies last year and apart from its unique concept, setting and stunning performances, what attracts the audience is surely its title.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, writer Bahul Ramesh said that the title 'Eko' simply means 'Echo' as the theme of the mystery film revolves around memories, secrets, and events that shape the characters.

In an exclusive chat with ETimes, Bahul revealed how he got the idea for the film. He told us, "The idea for Eko struck me unexpectedly. There’s a dialogue in the film—‘Sometimes protection and restriction, they both look the same.’ It hit me out of the blue, and I couldn’t shake off the layers of meaning it carried. I imagined guarding dogs and wondered—what if this ‘protection’ was actually something more sinister? What if something that appears as A is actually B? That was the spark. I had no characters, no plot, no backdrop, just that line. I write intuitively, starting with one scene and letting the next unfold naturally from it.”




Coming to 'Dies Irae', which is a Latin word, the Rahul Sadasivan and Pranav Mohanlal's film title means, 'Day of Wrath'. It perfectly aligns with the movie's theme and also creates curiosity among the audience.

From the playful sarcasm of 'Vaazha' to the mind game of Mohanlal's 'Drishyam', these new Malayalam film titles show how one right word can echo the entire narrative, and that is the quiet power of a thoughtful title in cinema.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”