Olavum Theeravum: Baputty, atimber trader falls in love with his dead friend's sister Nabeesa. However her mother, a prostitute, wants to marry her off to Kunjali, a wealthy trader.The story culminates in a dramatic confrontation between the two men, with Bapputty asserting his love for Nebeesu.
Kadugannava, Oru Yathra Kurippu: A journalist named Venugopal travels to Sri Lanka for an official purpose, motivated by a childhood mystery involving his father and a young girl named Leela. He searches for Leela in the village of Kadugannava, where his father once lived, hoping to uncover the truth about their past.
Kazhcha: Sudha, a woman living in a troubled marriage, returns to her Kerala village to inform her family of her decision to divorce. Faced with opposition and societal pressure, she seeks advice from an elderly woman named Valiyamma. The story explores themes of women's choices, societal expectations, and the complexities of marriage.
Shilalikhitham: A historian, Gopalankutty, and his daughter witness a young woman dying alone in their village. The indifference of the villagers to the woman's plight becomes a focal point of the story, highlighting societal hypocrisy and the failure to help those in need.
Vilpana: A journalist, Sunil Das, encounters a mysterious woman named Mrs. Parekh while looking for furniture. She involves him in a strange situation, leading to a series of unexpected events. The story delves into the complexities of human connection and the unexpected bonds that can form between strangers.
Sherlock: Balu, a recovering alcoholic, visits his sister in Philadelphia. He develops a strained relationship with her pet cat, Sherlock, who seems to have an uncanny ability to expose Balu's secrets. The story explores themes of surveillance, privacy, and the complexities of family relationships.
Swargam Thurakkunna Samayam: Kuttinarayanan, known for his expertise in end-of-life rituals, is called to a dying man's bedside. The arrival of the man's selfish children disrupts the peaceful atmosphere, revealing the stark contrast between the dying man's character and his family's materialistic values.
Abhayam Thedi Veendum: A stranger arrives in a village and takes refuge in an abandoned house. As he becomes increasingly attached to the place, he faces resistance from the local villagers. The story builds suspense as the stranger awaits a confrontation with the house's owner, ultimately revealing a chilling truth.
Kadalkkaattu: A successful businessman leads a double life, juggling his family in the village and a mistress in the city. His life takes an unexpected turn when his lover reveals a shocking secret, forcing him to confront the consequences of his actions.
The anthology consists of nine short stories byM. T. Vasudevan Nair.[26] It was conceptualised by Nair's daughter, Aswathy V. Nair, during theCOVID-19 pandemic to commemorate his 90th birthday. Initially, she selected 20 stories, but eventually narrowed it down to 10, and finally settled on nine. While her initial intention was to focus on stories with female protagonists, she also included stories with male protagonists after discovering several compelling narratives. Explaining her decision, she stated, "I wanted women as the protagonists but discovered many wonderful stories with male protagonists. Ultimately, I chose stories with an abiding human element, with emotions of love, lust, greed and revenge, etc". Aswathy also directed one segment titledVilpana.[27] According toOnmanorama, the anthology draws inspiration fromStories by Rabindranath Tagore (2015), a television series based on the works of poetRabindranath Tagore.[28]
Aswathy served as the creative producer. The series began production in 2021. By January 2022, six of the films had completed production, includingSilalikhitham,Vilpana,Kadalkkaattu,Kazhcha,Abhayam Thedi Veendum, andSwargam Thurakkuna Samayam.Priyadarshan-directedOlavum Theeravum is a remake of the 1970film of the same name. It began production on 10 July 2022[29] and wrapped up on 17 July 2022.[30] Priyadarshan also directedSilalikhitham.[19]Kadugannawa Oru Yathra was initially supposed to be directed byLijo Jose Pellissery.[31] ButRanjith replaced him and began production on 16 August 2022[32] and wrapped up on 26 August 2022.[33]Olavum Theeravum completed filming in July 2022 inThodupuzha,[34] which was made inblack-and-white format.[35] Initially, the series was produced forNetflix, but the platform rejected the anthology reportedly due to the addition of new segments starringMohanlal,Mammootty, andFahadh Faasil which increased the production cost. Later,ZEE5 acquired the series.[36][37]the series was co-produced by Anil Thampi and Chandana Thampi[38]
During trailer launch of the series,Asif Ali was supposed to present a memento toRamesh Narayan, but Ramesh allegedly refused to accept it from the actor, leading to widespread criticism about his behaviour.[50][51] He responded that he was music director ofJayaraj's segment of the series, but he didn't get invited to stage on launch event and he was disappointed. He also clarified that he didn't hear the announcement and didn't know thatAsif Ali is presenting the momento.[52][53][54]
A review in theIndian Express found, the anthology film "has some standout segments, some that are decent and others that fall short."[55] whileThe Hindu too stated it contained "a few hidden gems".[56]The Hindustan Times praised the poetic achievement of the production.[57]
