Nizhal (film)
Nizhal (; ) is a 2021 Malayalam-language mystery thriller film directed by Appu N. Bhattathiri in his debut and written by S. Sanjeev. It stars Kunchacko Boban and Nayanthara. It also features Izin Hash, Rony David, Saiju Kurup and Divya Prabha in supporting roles. Appu N. Bhattathiri with Arunlal S. P. edited the film while Deepak D. Menon handled the cinematography. Sooraj S. Kurup composed the original songs and background score. The film is produced by Anto Joseph Film Company and Melange Film House in association with Tentpole Movies. Boban plays the role of a first-class Judicial Magistrate. In the film, John Baby, who is recouping from a traumatic accident, meets Nitin, a young boy who interests him with murder stories. When Baby explores the possibility of Nitin's stories by mapping the events, it corresponds with the actual incidents. Plot 
The film starts with a rain scene where John Baby, a magistrate getting into a car accident. After being discharged, he is told to temporarily wear a protective face mask until his nose is stable for it to get better. As he resumes his life as a first-class Judicial Magistrate, strange things start to happen as he hallucinates, probably from the accident. On the other hand, his friend Shalini, a child psychologist, approaches him with the case of her patient. Nitin, an eight year old schoolboy, shares with his class a murder story. This strikes Baby's interest and he, along with Shalini visits the boy's mother, Sharmila, in order to talk to the boy. Hostile at first, she lets them as he says that the case should have been reported to the Police. The boy appears energetic and normal like any other child. Baby decides to search the place mentioned in the boy's story with the help of the Police and finds a human skull submerged in a pond. Following the investigation, Baby gets close to Nitin and Sharmila. Nitin tells another story and Baby follows the lead and finds out that it is another actual crime. In order to find the source of these stories, Sharmila, Baby and Nitin travel to the house of a person who kept some of her late investigator husband, Sachin's case files. That night when Baby gets disturbing visions again, he walks to Sharmila and Nitin's room only to discover that it was Sharmila who was telling the boy stories of murder in her sleep. After rushing back home, leaving them behind, to share this discovery to Shalini and her husband. Baby reveals this fact to Sharmila after she returns. He questions her about her mother to find any connection, to her annoyance. Finally, they meet Viswanathan, the man who took care of Sharmila after her mother's untimely demise. Vishwanathan faints upon recognising her. At the hospital he reveals that Sharmila's mother was his love interest; however he did not marry her due to her only being recently widowed. He also confesses that he was the one who had committed the murders in the name of the political party in which he was working, and used to confess to Sharmila's mother while she cradled her baby to sleep, thus transmitting the stories to Sharmila's subconscious mind. Baby decides to get him arrested as soon as he is discharged from the hospital. As Sharmila had to go for a video conference, Nithin goes with Baby. Sharmila feels sorry for the old Vishwanath, given how much he seemed to repent and how much time had passed, and so helps him leave before the cops were called. Upon hearing that he has escaped, Baby is dissuaded from calling for a search, for the aforementioned reason, as well as the fact that the party could target them too. Nithin having overheard some of the conversation asks who Radhamma (Sharmila's mother) was. He reveals he knew the story about Radhamma's death. Realisation hits Baby and he rushes to Sharmila's house. In the meantime, Vishwanath shows up at Sharmila's house and reveals to Sharmila that he was the one who killed her mother. As he found out that both she and her son now know the truth, he had to get rid of them. He attempts to kill her. Luckily, Baby reaches in time to save her from being strangled, but Viswanathan accidentally loses his footing at the balcony and falls to his death. At the end Baby is free from his visions whereas Sharmila has started to hallucinate. 