Chatha Pacha Movie Review (2026): Arjun Ashokan’s Malayalam action comedy film “Chatha Pacha: The Ring of Rowdies” has been released, and it is safely one of the most experimental Malayalam films in recent times. The movie takes us to the flamboyant world of WWE-style wrestling, and the film provides the combination of action, comedy, friendship, and emotional beats to deliver a proper big-screen entertainer.
Chatha Pacha was directed by debutant Adhvaith Nayar, is seen as Malayalam cinema’s first full-fledged wrestling-based action comedy. But is the film worth the watch? Let’s find out in this Chatha Pacha: The Ring of Rowdies review.
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Baapofmovies.com Rating: 3.5/5
- Release Date: January 22, 2026
- Director: Adwaith Nayar
- Writer: Adhvaith Nayar
- Cast: Arjun Ashokan, Roshan Mathew, Vishak Nair, Ishan Shoukath, and others
- Runtime: 134 Minutes
- Banner: Reel World Entertainment
Chatha Pacha Story Overview and Setting: Fort Kochi Meets the Wrestling Ring
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Chatha Pacha: The Ring of Rowdies is set around an underground wrestling club in Fort Kochi. Here, a group of youngsters are largely inspired by WWE, and they together decide to form their own wrestling group. It started as a fun and passionate journey, but slowly it got changed into rivalry, ambition, loyalty, and self-discovery.
The narrative unfolds in two distinct halves. The first half is very much focused on character introductions and world-building. However, the second half takes us into high-energy action, emotional confrontations, and crowd-pleasing moments.
Chatha Pacha Performances: Youthful Energy Drives the Film
Arjun Ashokan, Roshan Mathew, Vishak Nair, and Ishan Shoukath have done an amazing job to anchor the film with strong and spirited performances. Roshan Mathew is the major standout, as he delivered one of his most confident outings in recent years. Arjun Ashokan provided the right balance of humour and intensity effectively. The rest of the cast deserve more exploration, but together they bring freshness and physical credibility to the wrestling setup.
Veteran actors like Siddique, Manoj K. Jayan, and Lakshmi Menon add emotional depth. The much-talked-about Mammootty cameo (kept spoiler-free) is getting a lot of hype and enthusiastic reactions from early viewers.
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Technical Brilliance and Direction in Chatha Pacha
Adhvaith Nayar’s direction feels surprisingly assured. On his debut, he effortlessly handled the large ensembles, action choreography, and tonal shifts and showed clarity of vision. Anend C Chandran’s cinematography was decent enough to capture the chaos and thrill of wrestling with dynamic camera work, and he made the ring sequences visually exciting.
The action choreography by Kingston also clicked well to deliver mass moments without losing spatial clarity.
Music and Background Score: A Major Strength
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As expected, the Malayalam debut of Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy turns out to be a big win. They didn’t disappoint, as their energetic background score perfectly complements the wrestling theme, and it worked very well to elevate the film’s adrenaline-pumping moments. Mujeeb Majeed’s original score also works well to strengthen the emotional beats.
What Works Well in Chatha Pacha
- Chatha Pacha: The Ring of Rowdies gives us a unique WWE-style concept that is rarely seen in Malayalam cinema.
- The film has a high-energy second half that is packed with mass moments.
- Strong ensemble performances, especially Roshan Mathew.
- The powerful background score of the film makes sure that it amplifies the theatrical experience.
- Nostalgic old-school Hulk Hogan and John Cena energy can be felt through the screen.
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What Could Have Been Better in Chatha Pacha
- Chatha Pacha: The Ring of Rowdies’s first half is poorly executed, as it feels slightly stretched and has a slower pacing.
- There are some characters that deserved deeper emotional backstories.
- The film prioritises spectacle over realism, and it may not work for all viewers.
- A few emotional beats feel predictable.
Box Office Buzz
As per the reports, advance bookings of Chatha Pacha: The Ring of Rowdies have already crossed ₹1 crore even before release. Early audience reactions have described it as a fun, emotional, and fulfilling popcorn entertainer.
Final Verdict
Overall, Chatha Pacha: The Ring of Rowdies is not flawless, but its ambition, energy, and heart make it a solid theatrical watch.
Watch Chatha Pacha Trailer
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