Within two decades, Fahadh Faasil has established himself as one of contemporary Indian cinema’s finest artistes. If you wish to go down a rabbit hole of this versatile Malayalam star’s heavily acclaimed filmography, we have got you covered with the definitive guide to his best movies and where you can watch them.
Where can you stream Fahadh Faasil’s best movies?
Most of Fahadh Faasil’s best movies are available to stream on mainstream OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate Play, and specific Indian ones like Hotstar, ZEE5, and Sun NXT. Most of Faasil’s post-pandemic releases have also been Netflix and Prime originals, ensuring that they stay on these streaming platforms.
Once you have got your Fahadh Faasil watchlist sorted, have a look at his diverse on-screen journey so far.
Fahadh Faasil’s career at a glance
While far from being a conventional nepo kid, Fahadh Faasil was still born in an artistic family with his father being the acclaimed Malayalam cinema director Fazil. His father had helmed many hits in Kerala but he couldn’t launch his son in the industry that easily. Faasil’s acting debut in his father’s romance Kaiyethum Doorath failed to make a mark in both critical and commercial terms.
The disappointment hit Faasil hard who took a sabbatical from the craft for seven years until he returned in a segment in the anthology Kerala Cafe. 2011 was a notable year for his performance in the thriller Chaappa Kurishu which earned him some positive reactions. Faasil starred as a wealthy builder whose life gets intertwined with that of a working-class man over an ominous phone call.
Further critical acclaim was to follow with 2012 projects like the harrowing thriller 22 Female Kottayam and the feel-good medical romantic drama Diamond Necklace. He won his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor, for his role as a sexual assault victim’s partner in 22 Female Kottayam.
It was in the latter half of the 2010s when Faasil began to really shine for his dramatic prowess. An artiste who can convey a lot with just his eyes, Faasil emphasised on subtle physicality and a chameleon-like versatility instead of fixating with a loud, masala-heavy brand of heroism. Be it in his native language Malayalam or occasional Tamil and Telugu segues, Faasil has excelled in both lead and supporting parts.
Even when Faasil is playing villainous characters, the actor asserts a layer of vulnerability and depth to humanise these characters. A few cases in point include the 2017 drama Thondi Muthalum Driksakshiyum, the televangelist Viju Prasad in the psychological thriller Trance, and, of course, the cult-favourite antagonist of Kumbalangi Nights, Shammi Sreenivasan.
Other morally grey characters in Faasil’s rapidly increasing filmography include the titular character of Joji, a pandemic-era reimagining of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and Malik, a Godfather-style political drama that finds Faasil as a local leader forced to introspect on his influence.
Faasil is one of Malayalam cinema’s most popular exports as is evident from his villainous parts in productions outside Kerala, like the Telugu blockbuster Pushpa The Rise Part 1, Kamal Haasan’s record-breaking Tamil thriller Vikram, and the acclaimed Tamil anti-caste drama Maamannan.
It seems like that seven-year sabbatical really worked in Faasil’s favour!
Why is Kumbalangi Nights Fahadh Faasil’s best movie?
Fahadh Faasil has helmed many unforgettable movies as a leading man and yet it’s his villainous supporting part in Kumbalangi Nights that is synonymous with his career. The modern classic is a multi-dimensional exploration of masculinity and patriarchy within a dysfunctional Keralite family of four brothers.
Adding to the chaos is Faasil’s wealthy but ruthless businessman Shammi Sreenivasan. Faasil’s Shammi has become a cult favourite character of Malayalam cinema with his quotable dialogues and morally ambiguous personality.
