Dominic And The Ladies' Purse

''Dominic and the Ladies' Purse'' is a 2025 Indian Malayalam-language mystery comedy thriller film directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, in his Malayalam debut, and produced by Mammootty Kampany. The film stars Mammootty in the titular role, alongside Gokul Suresh, Sushmitha Bhat, Viji Venkatesh, Siddique, Vineeth and Vijay Babu. The film revolves around Dominic, a sharp but disgraced ex-cop, nice guy, who knows all the right moves and is now a detective, as he takes on a simple job to find the owner of a purse.

The film was officially announced in July 2024 under the tentative title ''Production No: VI'', as it is the sixth production venture of Mammootty Kampany, and the official title was announced that September. Principal photography commenced the same month in Kochi. The film has music composed by Darbuka Siva, cinematography handled by Vishnu Dev and editing by Lewellyn Anthony.

The film was released theatrically on 23 January 2025 and received mixed reviews from critics and became "an average performer at the box office".

Plot

The film introduces Dominic, a seasoned former police officer who has transitioned into a career as a private detective. He runs his investigative agency with the capable assistance of Vignesh alias Vicky, his dedicated aide. Their latest assignment begins with a seemingly mundane task: locating the rightful owner of a lost ladies' purse. This initial inquiry, however, quickly steers them into a much more complex and darker mystery.

Upon examining the contents of the purse, Dominic and Vicky discover a connection to a woman named Pooja, who has been reported missing. What starts as a simple case of finding a purse's owner transforms into an urgent investigation into Pooja's disappearance. As Dominic delves deeper, his inquiries lead him to Pooja's boyfriend, Karthik, who is also nowhere to be found, further complicating the intertwining mysteries.

Dominic's sharp detective instincts and meticulous investigation eventually unearth a shocking and deeply personal truth. He discovers that Karthik has undergone a significant transformation, having adopted the identity of his late sister, Nandhitha. The narrative then reveals a crucial and tragic detail: "Nandhitha," who is in fact Karthik living under this new identity, is responsible for Pooja's death. The motive for the murder is chillingly revealed as "Deadnaming," implying a profound conflict or offense related to their identity and how Pooja addressed them.

In a tense culmination, with the truth exposed, Nandhitha attempts to evade justice by fleeing the mainland and seeking refuge in the remote Andaman Islands. However, Dominic, demonstrating his unwavering resolve and keen investigative prowess, tracks them down to the islands. This final pursuit brings the complex and emotional mystery to a conclusive resolution, ensuring that the perpetrator is brought to account for their actions.

Cast

Production

Development

A few weeks before ''Turbo'''s release in 2024, it was reported that Mammootty and Gautham Vasudev Menon would come together for their next film's. Nayanthara, who lastly paired opposite Mammootty in ''Puthiya Niyamam'', was reported to pair up with the actor again. The project would mark as Gautham's directorial debut in Malayalam cinema. The production was set to begin that June 2024 in Chennai; however, the team instead finalised in Kochi. Touted to be an action thriller, production was pushed to July 2024. The project would be funded by Mammootty Kampany, in their sixth production following '' Rorshach, Nanpakal Neerathu Mayakkam, Kaathal The Core, Kannur Squad'' and ''Turbo''. The makers made announcement on 10 July 2024, confirming the project, under the tentative title ''Production No: VI''.

The film also marks as the second collaboration between Mammootty with Gautham after they had previously acted together in ''Bazooka''. A muhurat puja was held the same day in Kochi with the cast and crew. Darbuka Siva would score the music, while Vishnu Dev and Lewellyn Anthony would handle the cinematography and editing. Sound designer Tapas Nayak and designer Aesthetic Kunjamma are also a part of the crew alongside them. Although Nayanthara was confirmed to not be a part of the cast, Gokul Suresh, Lena, Siddique, Vijay Babu and Viji Venkatesh were announced to be part of the cast. In May 2024, the film's screenplay was reported to written by Gautham, Martin Prakkat, Naveen Bhaskar and Neeraj–Sooraj; the writers of ''ABCD: American-Born Confused Desi'' (2013), while the story would be written by Neeraj–Sooraj. The reports were confirmed during their presence in the muhurat puja.

According to Gautam, the story was pitched to him by writers Neeraj and Sooraj, whom he met through Manju Warrier. Gautam approached Mammootty, decided not to tell the idea but rather the full script. However Mammootty asked him to tell the idea. Knowing it was an investigation genre, Mammootty said he had done too many investigation films and urged Gautam for something else. But Gautam insisted him to hear the narrative adding that if he didn't like it, he'd pitch another one. Hearing the narration, he liked the script and thought it was different from the films he has been doing, and agreed to produce the film.

Filming

Principal photography began with the first schedule on 10 July 2024 in Kochi. In September, Mammootty and Gautham Menon finished filming in Kochi and were set to relocate to Munnar to finish the remaining scenes. The Munnar schedule would be short, ending in less than two weeks. Mammootty wrapped up his portions in September 13, 2024. As of September 21, 2023, five days of shooting was left to be completed. The film was shoot in a 45-day stretch. From production to release, it was Gautam's shortest film he has worked on.

Music

The music and background score is composed by Darbuka Siva, in his Malayalam debut; second with Gautham after ''Enai Noki Paayum Thota'' (2019).

Release

''Dominic and the Ladies' Purse'' was released in theatres on 23 January 2025.

Reception

Critical response

The film received mixed reviews from critics.

Rohit Panikker of ''Times Now'' gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote "The film is a fun and entertaining mystery thriller that has been packaged and presented differently from what we have been used to from the genre of late ..''Dominic and the Ladies' Purse'' definitely makes for an engaging theatrical experience both in terms of visual as well as cerebral story-telling."

Gopika I. S. of ''The Times of India'' gave 3/5 stars and wrote "''Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse'' is more of a Mammootty one-man show, in a good way. It is a little different from your regular Gautham Vasudev Menon film but there is a style to the storytelling and there are those seemingly trivial things that add a special charm to the film."

Janani K. of ''India Today'' gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "''Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse'' come together in its last act, where the film springs a surprise. While ''Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse'' had great elements that could have been fleshed out into an intriguing whodunit thriller, Gautham Menon's approach doesn't quite land well."

Anandu Suresh of ''The Indian Express'' gave a negative review of the film rating it 1.5/5 stars and wrote "From the very beginning, ''Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse'' consistently evokes a feeling in us; and that's frustration. It's not that the GVM film is outright terrible, but the sheer carelessness in its execution is so palpable that the movie ultimately feels like a series of wasted opportunities."

S. R. Praveen of ''The Hindu'' wrote "Dominic's quest for the purse's owner and the way it slowly builds into a wider investigation with bigger stakes is quite an intriguing narrative, but the way it is approached on screen almost spoils it."

Latha Srinivasan of ''Hindustan Times'' wrote "An investigative thriller should be gripping and keep you engaged at every turn, and this was amiss in this flick. Having said that, there are sparks of brilliance throughout the film, and the final twist was good but perhaps a tad too late to redeem its flaws."

References

External links

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{{Gautham Vasudev Menon

2020s comedy thriller films
2020s Indian films
2020s Malayalam-language films
2025 thriller films
Films directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon
Films shot in Kanyakumari
Films shot in Kochi
Films shot in Munnar
Indian comedy thriller films