What to watch in Malayalam on OTT this week

Malayalam films to watch on OTT this week: Mollywood is not slowing down. Three films land on streaming this week, and together they cover enough ground to keep you sorted through the weekend; a quiet thriller from the forests of Wayanad, a badminton drama that’s been quietly winning hearts, and a Tamil-origin series about exam scams that Malayalam audiences won’t want to skip.

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Oru Durooha Saahacharyathil

Kunchacko Boban plays Sethu, a mild-mannered health worker in Tholpetty, Wayanad, who spends his days at a small government clinic and comes home to care for his troubled brother. Then a stranger shows up. That’s where director Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval, the man behind ‘Nna Thaan Case Kodu’, starts pulling the thread. The film isn’t a clean thriller or a full-blown comedy. It sits somewhere in between, letting the tension build slowly through the misty landscape of Wayanad rather than through jump scares or big action beats. Dileesh Pothan and Sajin Gopu round out the cast, and both bring that lived-in quality that makes Malayalam ensemble films feel so real. The reviews were mixed when it released on Vishu, but Boban’s performance was praised across the board. Worth a quiet night in.

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Mathew Thomas plays Nidhin Babu, a sixteen-year-old from Idukki with one dream: to be a badminton champion. Basil Joseph plays his mentor, and their chemistry drives most of the film’s emotional weight. Director Sanju V Samuel shot the badminton sequences with real care, and it shows, the court feels like it matters. The film isn’t trying to be ‘Dangal’. It’s a smaller, more personal story about a kid navigating family pressure and his own doubt, and it’s better for staying in that lane. Guru Somasundaram and Namitha Pramod add strong support. It released in theatres back in September 2024 and built a quiet fanbase through word of mouth.

EXAM: The System Exposed

This one is a Tamil original, but it streams in Malayalam and deserves to be on every list this week. Directed by A. Sarkunam and backed by Pushkar-Gayathri as creative producers, this seven-episode series follows Jhansi, a woman who goes undercover as a police officer to crack open a Regional Public Service Exam paper-leak racket. Dushara Vijayan plays Jhansi, and she reportedly spent months training for the physical sequences. Aditi Balan plays a character called Maramalli. The show is essentially asking: when the exam is rigged, who do you even fight? It’s a question that hits close to home for a lot of people, and Sarkunam is sharp enough to know it.

A strong week. Pick your poison.