Meesha (film)

Meesha
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Emcy Joseph
Written by	Emcy Joseph
Produced by	Sajeer Gafur
Starring	Kathir Shine Tom Chacko Hakim Shahjahan Sudhi Koppa
Cinematography	Suresh Rajan
Edited by	Manoj
Music by	Sooraj S. Kurup
Production company	Unicorn Movies
Distributed by	Capital Studioz
Release date	31 July 2025 (2025-07-31)
Country	India
Language	Malayalam

Meesha (transl. Moustache) is a 2025 Indian Malayalam-language survival drama film written and directed by Emcy Joseph. The film stars Kathir in his Malayalam debut, alongside Shine Tom Chacko, Hakim Shahjahan, and Sudhi Koppa.^[1] It explores themes of betrayal, brotherhood, and survival in an intense forest setting.^[2][3]

Set against a dense forest backdrop, Meesha follows the journey of a group of men trapped in a life-or-death situation. As they struggle against nature and each other, long-buried emotions, hidden betrayals, and personal conflicts emerge.

• Kathir as Midhun
• Shine Tom Chacko as Kitho
• Hakim Shahjahan as Anandhu
• Sudhi Koppa as Imodh
• Srikant Murali as Dynamite Basheer
• Jeo Baby as Poth Rekhu
• Unni Lalu as Tinu
• Renjith Vengodan as Sudhi
• Nithin Raja as Thripudi

Meesha marks the Malayalam debut of Tamil actor Kathir.^[4][5][6] Filming wrapped in August 2024.^[7] Director Emcy Joseph said in an interview that writing for films is harder than writing books.^[8] In an interview, Kathir shared his reasons for choosing this role.^[9][10] Hakim Shahjahan spoke about the challenges of surviving in the industry in an interview.^[11] Jeo Baby played a cameo role.^[12]

Director Emcy Joseph stated the film explores "the shades of grey in male friendships".^[13]

The teaser and trailers were well received.^{[14][15][16][17]}

A promo song titled "The Moustache" became popular.^[18][19]

The film was released on 31 July 2025.

Meesha received mixed critical reviews, with praise for its thematic ambition and performances tempered by criticism of its screenplay and execution.

• The Hollywood Reporter described the film as a “solid survival drama” but remarked that it eventually “loses its way in the forest” due to narrative incoherence and pacing issues.^[20]
• Cinema Express scored it 2 / 5, noting its “promising premise” exploring male friendships and caste-political tensions was ultimately “undone by cluttered execution” and shallow socio-political commentary.^[21]
• Onmanorama appreciated the layered portrayal of the male ego and character performances—especially Kathir and Hakim Shahjahan—but observed that narrative clarity falters in the second half, especially in forest-set sequences with underwhelming VFX.^[22]
• OTTplay rated it 3.5 / 5, characterizing it as “a compelling flick” that tackles friendship, betrayal, and political inequality with emotional depth—though the screenplay could have been tighter.^[23]
• Lensmen Reviews deemed the film a “wannabe political drama” that comes across as “gimmicky and shallow,” critiquing its undercooked treatment of caste-politics, visible green‑screen effects, and disjointed storytelling.^[24][25]

• Meesha at IMDb