Movie recommendation: Before ‘Padakkalam’, there was ‘Ithihasa’: Shine Tom Chacko’s body-swap comedy film

The recent Malayalam release ‘Padakkalam’ has sparked fresh interest in the body-swapping comedy genre.But while ‘Padakkalam’ might feel like a new entry in the genre for many, let's take a look at the time when the actor Shine Tom Chacko impressed the audiences with the film 'Ithihasa' which deals with the same premise of body swapping.

The movie was released in the year 2014 and was a superhit.‘Ithihasa’: The body-swap taleDirected by Binu Sadanandan, ‘Ithihasa’ is widely regarded as one of the first Malayalam films to bring the body-swapping concept to mainstream comedy.'Ithihasa's story follows Alvy, a clever pickpocket, and Janaki, a reserved IT professional, who find themselves waking up in each other's bodies after wearing a pair of mysterious magic rings.

Alvy’s mischievous life and Janaki’s disciplined world collide and this leads to a series of laugh-out-loud moments as each tries to adapt to the other’s life.

The supporting characters — including Janaki’s traditional family and Alvy’s partner-in-crime — add to the hilarity as they navigate the confusion.With perfect amount of fun, action and suspense, 'Ithihasa' is surely one of the best entertainers in Mollywood. Shine Tom Chacko's performance also deserves much praises. ETimes gave the movie a rating of 3 stars with our official review reading, "The film is technically brilliant, with breath-taking cinematography by Sinoj Ayyappan.

There are plenty of slow motion scenes, but they have the desired effect. There are many obvious loopholes – for example, the girl and her friends are supposedly working in a private firm but for a full 15 days, they do nothing but struggle with the situation all day.

But, the director has done a decent job and the film, with all its absurdity, makes for a cute, light-hearted entertainer."Padakkalam plot‘Padakkalam’ reinvents the body-swap formula for a younger audience. Set in an engineering college, the film centers around two professors who unexpectedly switch bodies.The movie features Suraj Venjaramoodu and Sharafudheen in the lead. Our official review for ‘Padakkalam’ reads, “Padakkalam is a riotous blend of comic chaos and supernatural spice, wrapped in sharp sound design and vibrant visuals."