35 Best Soubin Shahir Movies and Where to Watch Them
Starting out as an assistant director, Soubin Shahir has made his way to mainstream stardom in Malayalam cinema with socially conscious choices like Kumbalangi Nights, Sudani From Nigeria, and Manjummel Boys.
Which Soubin Shahir movies should I watch first?
For contemporary Malayalam cinema beginners, Shahir’s best movies would include critically acclaimed picks like the family dramas Kumbalangi Nights and Bheeshma Parvam, the sci-fi family comedy Android Kunjappan Ver 5.25, the cult romance Premam, the Ouija board-themed horror comedy Romancham, and the fact-inspired survival drama Manjummel Boys.
All of these movies find Shahir playing empathetic or morally grey lead characters, evoking dramatic nuance with occasional comic timing. Much like peer and frequent co-star Fahadh Faasil, Shahir’s performances brim with an energy that’s not over-the-top but impactful enough.
He is equally effective in supporting roles with his debut performance also being a side role in the 2013 Fahadh Faasil-starrer Annayum Rasoolum. Having worked as an assistant director for a decade, Shahir also made his directorial debut in 2017 with the coming-of-age drama Parava. The poignant tale set around a game of pigeon race and cricket makes for quintessential viewing for Shahir’s fans. Interestingly, the movie also featured an extended cameo appearance by Malayalam hero Dulquer Salman who has starred alongside Shahir in many other films.
Part of what works in making Shahir’s filmography gritty is its emphasis on real-world topics. So, while Trance dealt with the perils of religious televangelism, Kumbalangi Nights exposed toxic masculinity among a band of brothers. Similarly, Manjummel Boys played out as a claustrophobic real-world horror as it followed the titular town’s inhabitants daringly rescue their friend stranded in a pit at Kodaikanal.
But that doesn’t mean that Shahir doesn’t have a funny side. Even the most serious of his roles brim with either pious naivety or an underlying sense of mischief. Some of his most heartwarming comedies include Sudani From Nigeria, a sports comedy that finds Shahir’s football-loving protagonist befriending a Nigerian footballer stranded between immigration tussles. Android Kunjappan Ver 5.25 similarly had him playing a family patriarch encountering the titular AI humanoid.
If you wish to venture into Soubin Shahir’s filmography, our streaming guide has you covered with a definitive ranking of his best movies ranging from mainstream hits to more niche arthouse picks.
