Sarvam Maya

Sarvam Maya
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Akhil Sathyan
Written by	Akhil Sathyan
Produced by	Ajayya Kumar Rajeev Menon
Starring	Nivin Pauly Riya Shibu Aju Varghese Janardhanan Preity Mukhundhan
Cinematography	Sharan Velayudhan
Edited by	Akhil Sathyan Rathin Radhakrishnan
Music by	Justin Prabhakaran
Production companies	Firefly Films Akhil Sathyan Films
Distributed by	Central Pictures
Release date	25 December 2025 (2025-12-25)
Running time	146 minutes[1]
Country	India
Language	Malayalam
Box office	₹138.35 crores[2]

Sarvam Maya (transl. Everything is an Illusion) is a 2025 Indian Malayalam-language supernatural comedy film written and directed by Akhil Sathyan.^[3] Produced by Firefly Films, the film stars Riya Shibu in the title role along with Nivin Pauly, Aju Varghese, Janardhanan, and Preity Mukhundhan in lead roles.^[4] The film is produced by Ajayya Kumar and Rajeev Menon under Firefly Productions.^[5][6]

Sarvam Maya released worldwide on 25 December 2025 in theatres, coinciding with Christmas.^[7][8] The film received positive reviews from critics and audiences with praise for the performances (particularly of Nivin Pauly and Riya Shibu), direction, music, cinematography, screenplay, and light-heartedness. It has emerged as the fourth highest-grossing Malayalam film of 2025 and one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.

Critics described Sarvam Maya as the commercial comeback of Nivin, following a series of unsuccessful films.

Plot

Prabhendu Namboothiri is an aspiring guitarist and an atheist who is born into a traditional Brahmin priest family in Kerala. After his visa application to Europe is rejected, he returns to his hometown in Palakkad. Unable to find stable work, he temporarily assists his cousin Roopesh, who works as a priest.

While participating in an exorcism ritual at an advocate’s house, the ritual goes wrong. Soon after, Prabhendu starts experiencing the presence of a young woman who is visible only to him. The woman has no memory of her identity or past, and Prabhendu casually nicknames her “Delulu”. As he continues pursuing his music career, Delulu accompanies him, and the two gradually form a close emotional bond.

Delulu begins to show human-like behaviour, including taking Prabhendu’s personal belongings, ordering clothes, and interacting with her surroundings, which at times creates confusion for people around him. She also urges Prabhendu to speak to his estranged father, with whom he has not had a meaningful conversation for several years following the death of his mother. Prabhendu also forms a friendship with Saadhya, the manager of a Bollywood music director from Mumbai who brings Prabhendu to his attention.

Over time, Delulu develops romantic feelings for Prabhendu, but he hesitates to respond, stating that such a relationship is not possible.

Later, Prabhendu narrowly escapes a serious road accident, after which Delulu begins to recover memories of her past. She remembers that her real name is Maya Mathew Manjooran and that she lives with her family in Kuttikkanam in Idukki. Maya is in love with her senior and travels with her family to propose the relationship. During this time, she meets with a road accident that eventually leads to her being declared brain-dead.

After fully recalling her past, Maya embraces Prabhendu, during which Prabhendu experiences her memories and sheds a tear. With her story acknowledged and understood, Maya disappears peacefully.

Prabhendu later travels to Kuttikkanam and meets Maya’s mother, introducing himself as her friend. When Maya’s mother asks whether he is the one Maya loved, Prabhendu pauses before answering in the affirmative. As he leaves the house, he feels a gentle breeze, recalling Maya’s earlier reference to it as a form of her presence. In the end, Prabhendu becomes a musician like his dream and continues living his life to the fullest, guided by Maya's memories.

Cast

• Riya Shibu as Maya Mathew Manjooran / Delulu
• Nivin Pauly as Prabhendhu N. Namboothiri (Prabha/Indu)
• Aju Varghese as Roopesh Namboothiri (Rupa), Prabhendhu's cousin
• Janardhanan as Prahladan Namboothiri / Valliyachan, Prabhendhu's elder uncle(paternal)
• Preity Mukhundhan as Saadhya (voice dubbed by Shakthisree Gopalan)
• Raghunath Paleri as Neelakandan Namboothiri, Prabhendhu's father
• Madhu Wariar as Deepankuran N. Namboothiri (Deepu), Prabhendhu's elder brother
• Arun Ajikumar as Sreerag
• Vineeth as Vinod Mathew Manjooran, Maya's father
• Methil Devika as Annie, Maya's mother
• Dhruvan Sankar as Jacob (Chacko) Manjooran, Maya's brother
• Anand Ekarshi as Faisal
• Jaya Kurup as Roopesh's mother
• Althaf Salim as Delivery boy
• Vijeesh as Sreekuttan, Roopesh's assistant
• Saumya Bhagyan Pilla as Thulasi
• Reshmi Boban as Deepthi, Avinash's mother
• Srikant Murali as Krishnan Panicker
• Vijilesh Karayad as Animon
• Manikandan Pattambi as Saji Pattambi
• Chembil Ashokan as Table Chacko
• Niyas Backer as Client
• Nandan Unni as the Passport Verification Assistant
• RJ Twinkle as Chockichosky
• Aniyappan as House Owner
• Viji Viswanathan as Malu, Deepu's wife
• Basil P Reji as Kuttoos / Avinash
• Salim Hassan as Paulose
• Alphonse Puthren as Dr. Rafael (Cameo appearance)
• Priya Prakash Varrier as a co-passenger of Prabhaendu on a flight (Cameo appearance)

Production

Release

Reception

Sarvam Maya received fairly positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 95% of 12 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8/10.

Sajin Shrijith of The Week gave 4/5 stars and wrote "The film marks the triumphant return of Nivin Pauly to his beloved charming persona in a feel-good fantasy directed by Akhil Sathyan, who presents a heartwarming 'ghost-as-angel' story, perfect for the holiday season"^[19] Gayathiri Krishna of OTTplay gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Nivin Pauly and Aju Varghese are portrayed in Akhil Sathyan's film in a way that appeals to Malayalis. Additionally, Riya Shibu is a real find."^[20] Janani K of India Today gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Sarvam Maya is a wholesome film with a lot of heart. The pace of the film may not be everyone's cup of tea, but Sarvam Maya is a film that deserves to receive as much love as it gives."^[21] Risha Ganguly of Times Now gave 3/5 stars and wrote "For viewers looking for a festive release that offers light chills, gentle laughs and introspection, Sarvam Maya proves to be a decent choice."^[22]

Onmanorama termed it a modest fantasy that relies on character dynamics and situational humour rather than melodrama.^[23] Zoom TV wrote that the film offers a restrained blend of belief and anxiety, focusing more on atmosphere and performances than conventional scares.^[24]

References

External links

• Sarvam Maya at IMDb