Athiradi Review: Tovino Thomas Film with Basil Joseph Called Complete Entertainer by Fans

Athiradi opened to strong early reactions after paid premiere shows, with viewers praising the performances of Tovino Thomas and Basil Joseph. The action-comedy is being called fun, engaging commercial entertainer with positive audience buzz online.

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Early Reactions Call Athiradi a Fun Commercial Entertainer

Athiradi premiered through paid preview shows on May 13 ahead of its theatrical release, and the first reactions from audiences have started pouring in online. Directed by Arun Anirudhan, the Malayalam action-comedy stars Tovino Thomas, Basil Joseph, Zarin Shihab, and Riya Shibu in important roles.

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Positive Buzz After Paid Premieres

Social media reactions suggest that the film delivers a mix of comedy, emotions, and energetic action scenes. Many viewers described it as a complete entertainer aimed at family and youth audiences. Popular film tracking page ForumKeralam called the movie a “winner” after the premiere screenings.

According to early reviews, the first half offers light-hearted fun and campus moments, while the second half becomes more engaging with emotional scenes and action sequences. Viewers also praised the chemistry between the lead cast, especially Basil Joseph and Tovino Thomas. A surprise cameo in the film reportedly received loud cheers from audiences during the screenings.

Some reactions mentioned that the background score could have been stronger in a few scenes, but overall response towards the film remains positive.

#Athiradi paid premiers, May 13th 6.30 PM, planning in 75 Screens all over Kerala 🔥🔥🔥

CONFIDENCE LEVEL 🙏

Day 1 charted in 325 screens 🔥

— AB George (@AbGeorge_) May 8, 2026

#Athiradi WINNER 💥 

A decent first half followed by a Good Second half👌Beyond the fun elements, the emotional portions also worked quite well. Basil, Tovino, Vineeth & Riya all performed impressively. The response for the cameo was absolutely earth-shattering 🔥BGM could’ve… pic.twitter.com/B9M4YGRh3O

— ForumKeralam (@Forumkeralam2) May 13, 2026

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Story, Cast and Technical Team

Athiradi follows the story of Samkutty, a lively college student who decides to revive a banned college festival. His decision soon sparks rivalry, chaos, and unexpected conflicts on campus. The film blends college drama with humour and action-packed moments.

The music is composed by Vishnu Vijay, while cinematography is handled by Samuel Henry. The screenplay is written by Paulson Skaria and Arun Anirudhan. The film is produced by Dr. Ananthu S and Basil Joseph, with Sameer Thahir and Tovino Thomas serving as co-producers.