imported>RosalieHowes26 at 11:04, 1 May 2026

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{{Short description|2024 Indian film by Girish A. D.}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| name = I Am Kathalan
| image = I Am Kathalan Poster.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Girish A. D.]]
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* Gokulam Gopalan
* Dr. Paul Varghese
* Krishnamoorthy
}}
| writer = [[Sajin Cherukayil]]
| starring = {{Plainlist|
*[[Naslen]]
*[[Anishma Anilkumar]]
*[[Lijomol Jose]]
*[[Dileesh Pothan]]
}}
| narrator =
| music = Sidhartha Pradeep
| cinematography = Sharan Velayudhan
| editing = Akash Joseph Varghese
| studio = {{Plainlist|
*Dr. Pauls Entertainment
*Sree Gokulam Movies
*Hitmakers Entertainments
}}
| distributor = {{Plainlist|
*Dream Big Films (India)
*Phars Film (overseas)
}}
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2024|11|07}}
| runtime = 111 minutes
| country = [[India]]
| language = [[Malayalam]]
| budget =
| gross = 
}}

'''''I Am Kathalan''''' ({{Translation|I Am Mr Lover}})<ref>{{Cite news |title=First Look Poster Of Gireesh AD's Malayalam Film I AM Kathan Out |url=https://www.news18.com/movies/first-look-poster-of-gireesh-ads-malayalam-film-i-am-kathan-out-8607488.html |access-date=7 October 2023 |website=[[The Times of India]] |language=en |archive-date=7 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231007152221/https://www.news18.com/movies/first-look-poster-of-gireesh-ads-malayalam-film-i-am-kathan-out-8607488.html |url-status=live}}</ref> is a [[List of Malayalam films of 2024|2024]] Indian [[Malayalam cinema|Malayalam]]-language [[Techno-thriller|cyber thriller]] film directed by [[Girish A. D.]] and written by [[Sajin Cherukayil]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=First look poster of Naslen's 'I am Kathalan' out! |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/first-look-poster-of-naslens-i-am-kathalan-out/articleshow/104275492.cms |access-date=9 October 2023 |website=[[The Times of India]] |language=en |archive-date=10 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010042946/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/first-look-poster-of-naslens-i-am-kathalan-out/articleshow/104275492.cms |url-status=live}}</ref> The film features [[Naslen]], [[Anishma Anilkumar]], [[Lijomol Jose]] and [[Dileesh Pothan]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Premalu Fame Girish AD-Naslen's I Am Kathalan to Release in August |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment-news/malayalam/girish-ad-and-naslens-i-am-kathalan-to-release-in-august-article-111726227 |access-date=14 July 2024 |website=[[Times Now]] |language=en |archive-date=14 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240714071908/https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment-news/malayalam/girish-ad-and-naslens-i-am-kathalan-to-release-in-august-article-111726227 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The film was officially announced on 24 November 2022. Principal photography commenced on 29 December 2022, in [[Irinjalakuda]], [[Thrissur]], [[Kerala]]. The film showcases music and original background score by Sidhartha Pradeep.

''I Am Kathalan'' released in theatres on 7 November 2024. It received mixed reviews from audiences and was an average success at the box office.

==Plot==
Unable to find employment after graduating due to his backlogs and less-than-impressive projects, Vishnu is at a crossroads in his love life after his girlfriend Shilpa decides to move on, as she can't imagine a life with someone who has nothing going for him. After an encounter with her dad Chacko leaves him humiliated, Vishnu vows to take revenge on Chacko's chit-fund company, using his cyber skills under the name of ''Kathalan'' ("lover" in [[Tamil language|Tamil]]). He hacks their server several times, leaving them with financial losses. Things turn complicated when an ethical hacker named Simi enters and helps Chacko to find Kathalan, the masked hacker. Shilpa ends up marrying an accountant in her father's company and he decides to taunt Vishnu so that they can somehow catch up but Vishnu covers his tracks so well that he is never caught for his cyber hacking crimes. Vishnu's father finally gifts him with a laptop and just asks him to "do good" with it and the movie ends with a twist that you wouldn't expect as he interviews with Simi.

==Cast==
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
*[[Naslen]] as Vishnu Suresh (Kathalan)
*[[Anishma Anilkumar]] as Shilpa Periyadan
*[[Lijomol Jose]] as Simi
*[[Dileesh Pothan]] as Chacko Periyadan
*Vineeth Vasudevan as Mathew Thomas
*[[Sajin Cherukayil]] as Praveen Kumar
*Vineeth Vishwam as Aneesh
*Arshad Ali as Udayan
*Kiran Josey as Jills
*Zhinz Shan as Vishnu's father
*Kavitha as Vishnu's mother
*Saran Panicker
*Arjun K.
*Sanath Sivaraj
*[[T. G. Ravi]] as Mathematics professor
{{div col end}}

==Production==
===Development===
This film marks [[Girish A. D.]]'s fourth directorial project.<ref>{{Cite news |title=I Am Kathalan Second Look Poster OUT: Premalu duo Naslen, Girish AD reunite for family entertainer; set to release in August |url=https://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainment/south/i-am-kathalan-second-look-poster-out-premalu-duo-naslen-girish-ad-reunite-for-family-entertainer-set-to-release-in-august-1327979 |access-date=14 July 2024 |website=Pink Villa |language=en |archive-date=15 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715014721/https://www.pinkvilla.com/entertainment/south/i-am-kathalan-second-look-poster-out-premalu-duo-naslen-girish-ad-reunite-for-family-entertainer-set-to-release-in-august-1327979 |url-status=live}}</ref> On 24 November 2022, he revealed his collaboration with [[Naslen]] and writer [[Sajin Cherukayil]] with a title poster. Produced by Dr. Paul Varghese and Krishnamoorthy under the banner of Dr. Paul Entertainment, the film is also co-produced by Tinu Thomas. Cinematographer Sharan Velayudhan handled the cinematography, while the editing was done by Akash Joseph Varghese.<ref>{{Cite news |title=സൂപ്പർഹിറ്റ് കൂട്ടുകെട്ട് വീണ്ടും; നസ്‌ലെൻ -ഗിരീഷ് എ ഡി ചിത്രം 'ഐ ആം കാതലൻ' ഓഗസ്റ്റിൽ |url=https://www.mathrubhumi.com/movies-music/news/i-am-kathalan-releasing-on-august-1.9721864 |access-date=14 July 2024 |website=[[Mathrubhumi]] |language=ml |archive-date=13 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240713115236/https://www.mathrubhumi.com/movies-music/news/i-am-kathalan-releasing-on-august-1.9721864 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Casting===
Following the success of ''[[Premalu]]'', [[Naslen]] reunited with [[Girish A. D.]] for their next project. The team has announced that [[Lijomol Jose]], [[Dileesh Pothan]], and Anshima Anilkumar will join the cast, with Anshima Anilkumar, who acted in ''[[Poovan]]'', taking on the female lead role. The film will also feature [[Sajin Cherukayil]], Vineeth Vasudevan, Vineeth Viswam, Arshad Ali, and Arshad in key roles. Additionally, the director revealed that the film will introduce some newcomers.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Girish AD-Naslen's 'I Am Kathalan' to release in August |url=https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/malayalam/girish-ad-naslens-i-am-kathalan-to-release-in-august/ |access-date=14 July 2024 |website=South First |language=en |archive-date=15 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715083628/https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/malayalam/girish-ad-naslens-i-am-kathalan-to-release-in-august/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Filming===
The [[principal photography]] commenced on 9 November 2022, with a puja ceremony. The shoot spanned more than 35 days, concluding on 20 December 2022. Filming occurred in and around [[Irinjalakuda]], [[Thrissur]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=It's a wrap for Girish AD-Naslen film I Am Kathalan |url=https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/news/2022/Dec/23/its-a-wrap-for-girish-ad-naslen-filmi-am-kathalan-38041.html |access-date=23 December 2022 |website=[[Cinema Express]] |language=en |archive-date=23 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223164536/https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/news/2022/Dec/23/its-a-wrap-for-girish-ad-naslen-filmi-am-kathalan-38041.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Music==
The music and original background score was composed by Sidhartha Pradeep, who has earlier worked in [[Manhole (2016 film)|''Manhole'']] (2016) and [[Kho-Kho (2021 film)|''Kho Kho'']] (2021). The music rights of the film were bagged by [[Think Music]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Gireesh AD's I AM Kathalan gets a release window |url=https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/news/2024/Jul/13/gireesh-ads-i-am-kathalan-gets-a-release-window |access-date=14 July 2024 |website=[[Cinema Express]] |language=en |archive-date=26 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240726085954/https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/news/2024/Jul/13/gireesh-ads-i-am-kathalan-gets-a-release-window |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Release==
The film released on 7 November 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |title=I am Katalan: നസ്‌ലെൻ നായകനായെത്തുന്ന 'ഐ ആം കാതലൻ'; ഫസ്റ്റ് ലുക്ക് പോസ്റ്റർ ഔട്ട് |url=https://zeenews.india.com/malayalam/movies/naslen-starring-movie-i-am-kathalan-first-look-poster-out-163489 |access-date=6 October 2022 |website=[[Zee News]] |language=ml |archive-date=26 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240726092015/https://zeenews.india.com/malayalam/movies/naslen-starring-movie-i-am-kathalan-first-look-poster-out-163489 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Naslen's 'I AM Kathalan' locks the release |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/naslens-i-am-kathalan-locks-the-release/articleshow/111763845.cms |access-date=16 July 2024 |website=[[The Times of India]] |language=en |archive-date=16 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716015729/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/news/naslens-i-am-kathalan-locks-the-release/articleshow/111763845.cms |url-status=live}}</ref> The film was released on [[manoramaMAX]] OTT platform on 17 January 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 January 2025 |title=I Am Kathalan OTT Release: Know Streaming Platform, Release Date, Plot And More About Naslen Gafoor’s Malayalam Movie |url=https://www.thedailyjagran.com/entertainment/i-am-kathalan-ott-release-know-streaming-platform-release-date-plot-cast-about-naslen-gafoor-malayalam-movie-ott-news-10212406 |access-date=17 January 2025 |website=English Jagran |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=16 January 2025 |title=Top OTT releases this week: Paatal Lok Season 2, I Am Kathalan & more |url=https://www.indiatimes.com/entertainment/binge/top-ott-releases-this-week-paatal-lok-season-2-i-am-kathalan-i-want-to-talk-more-to-watch-on-netflix-prime-video-hotstar-650670.html |access-date=17 January 2025 |website=The Times of India |language=en-IN}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Critical response===
Anjana George of ''[[The Times of India]]'' gave the film 3/5 stars and wrote, "Overall, ''I Am Kathalan'' offers a fresh, serious take on the genre, but its slow pace and focus on emotional depth may not engage all viewers".<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 November 2024 |title=I am Kathalan Movie Review: Thought-provoking take on hacking & data privacy |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movie-reviews/i-am-kathalan/movie-review/115531157.cms |website=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|tt23577326}}

[[Category:2024 Malayalam-language films]]
[[Category:Indian crime thriller films]]
[[Category:2024 crime thriller films]]
[[Category:2024 films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Thrissur]]
[[Category:Techno-thriller films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Girish A. D.]]

I Am Kathalan - Revision history

imported>RosalieHowes26 at 11:04, 1 May 2026