Kishkindha Kaandam
Kishkindha Kaandam (transl. The Book of Kiṣkindhā) is a 2024 Indian Malayalam-language mystery thriller film directed by Dinjith Ayyathan and written by Bahul Ramesh. The film stars Asif Ali, Vijayaraghavan, Aparna Balamurali, Jagadish and Ashokan. The film is the first installment of Bahul Ramesh's Animal Trilogy followed by Kerala Crime Files 2 (2025) and Ekō (2025). The story takes place in the monkey-inhabited Kallepathi reserve forest where ex-military officer Appu Pillai and his son Ajay C...
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Where to watch
Streaming availability can change. We only link to official platforms.
Credits and facts
Movie details
- Release date
- 12 September 2024
- Runtime
- 126 minutes
- Country
- India
- Languages
- Malayalam
- Genres
- Drama, Thriller, Mystery
- Director
- Dinjith Ayyathan
- Writers
- Bahul Ramesh
- Cast
- Asif Ali, Aparna Balamurali, Vijayaraghavan, Jagadish, Ashokan, Shebin Benson, Major Ravi, Nizhalgal Ravi, Nishan
- Production company
- Goodwill Entertainments
Spoiler-free synopsis
Kishkindha Kaandam (transl. The Book of Kiṣkindhā) is a 2024 Indian Malayalam-language mystery thriller film directed by Dinjith Ayyathan and written by Bahul Ramesh. The film stars Asif Ali, Vijayaraghavan, Aparna Balamurali, Jagadish and Ashokan. The film is the first installment of Bahul Ramesh's Animal Trilogy followed by Kerala Crime Files 2 (2025) and Ekō (2025). The story takes place in the monkey-inhabited Kallepathi reserve forest where ex-military officer Appu Pillai and his son Ajay Chandran, a forest officer, reside. Principal photography began in July 2023 and was wrapped up after 40 days of filming in Kerala and Hyderabad in August 2023. The film's music was composed by Mujeeb Majeed while the editing and cinematography was done by Sooraj E. S. and Bahul Ramesh respectively. The film released on 12 September 2024 to critical acclaim and became a commercial success at the box office. It is the highest-grossing film of Asif Ali's career in a leading role. It also emerged as the 9th highest grossing Malayalam film of 2024 and one of the highest grossing Malayalam films of all time.
For families
Research guidance
A transparent recommendation derived from an official classification record.
Positive messages
Constructive themes or examples.Potential constructive discussion around Kishkindha Kaandam can focus on responsibility, empathy, perseverance and the consequences of decisions. Where the Drama, Thriller, Mystery material creates conflict, parents can discuss safer alternatives, respectful communication and how characters respond to pressure. These are editorial discussion prompts and are not presented as claims that every theme appears explicitly in the film.
Negative behaviours
Conduct that may need context.Parents should be alert to behaviour commonly associated with Drama, Thriller, Mystery, including conflict, deception, fear, risky choices or emotionally intense exchanges where applicable. Because detailed scene-level evidence is not equally available for every 2024 title, this section avoids inventing specific acts that were not verified. Use an official CBFC classification when present and consider previewing the film for especially sensitive children.
Topics to discuss
Conversation starters after viewing.Useful family discussion questions include: What motivates the main characters? Which decisions create avoidable problems? How could conflicts be handled more responsibly? Do the film's relationships model respect and consent? How does the story portray courage, loyalty, justice or forgiveness? For older children, compare dramatic entertainment choices with real-world consequences.
Final recommendation
Our family-viewing take
Suggested minimum age: 15+. The overall family verdict is use caution. Children below that age may need stronger parental guidance, especially if Drama, Thriller, Mystery includes tension, violence, fear, crime, romance or mature emotional themes. Teen suitability improves with context and discussion. Shared family viewing is recommended when parents want to address the strongest concerns.
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