Fahadh Faasil birthday: For many non-Malayali cinephiles, their tryst with Fahadh started with the very popular film ‘Bangalore Days’. Despite not being among the film’s central trio (Nivin Pauly, Dulquer Salmaan, Nazriya Nazim), Fahadh managed to steal hearts with a subtle yet impactful performance. What started with ‘Bangalore Days’, continued in ‘Super Deluxe’ and after ‘Kumbalangi Night’, Fahaadh was successful in establishing himself as an actor to look out for among movie buffs across languages.  


The rise of OTT platforms played a pivotal role in this. It opened the treasure trove of Malayalam cinema, giving access to Fahadh’s earlier works and allowing them to discover the true gem that he is. If you are still not familiar with Fahaadh’s movies, here’s a list of films (in no particular order) to watch and marvel at his understated acting: 


Also read: Here Are 6 FaFa Reasons To Watch Aavesham


Kumbalangi Nights 
Actors: Soubin Shahir, Shane Nigam, Fahadh Faasil and Sreenath Bhasi
Director: Madhu C. Narayanan



A 2019 Malayalam drama, Kumbalangi Nights dives into the complex dynamics of four brothers living on the island of Kumbalangi, who share a love-hate relationship. Fahadh plays Shammi in the film, a controlling and possessive man, who on the outer seems responsible and peaceful. This is Fahadh’s one of the finest performances, where he plays a man desperate for control and power, who eventually shows his violent streak. Fahadh’s casual glance or even silence makes the audience feel the undercurrent.


Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum 
Actors: Fahadh Faasil, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Nimisha Sajayan 
Director: Dileesh Pothan 



The film, where Fahadh plays a petty thief, bagged him a National Award for Best Supporting Actor. Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum follows the story of a newly married couple whose gold chain gets stolen on a bus journey. Prasad (played by Fahadh Faasil) is the thief who is taken to the police station for the theft, what unravels after shows morality, class struggle, and the complexities of human relationships. Fahadh is not a stereotypical villain in the film but knows how to manipulate situations very well. Through his body language, expressive eyes, and comic timing, Fahadh embodies Prasad effortlessly.


North 24 Kaatham 
Actors: Fahadh Faasil, Nedumudi Venu, Swathi Reddy
Director: Anil Radhakrishnan Menon



North 24 Kaatham is a story of a socially awkward IT professional with OCD named Harikrishnan and his journey to Trivandrum during which he meets Gopalan (Nedumudi Venu), a retired school teacher with a free spirit, and Narayani (Swathi Reddy), a social worker with genuine warmth. Meeting them make Harikrishnan shed his inhibitions. Fahadh perfectly captures the character's initial discomfort and resistance and the eventual change he undergoes through human connection. Faasil's expressive eyes and subtle gestures convey the emotional journey of Harikrishnan beautifully.


Joji
Actors: Fahadh Faasil, Joji John, Dileesh Pothan, Unnimaya Prasad
Director: Dileesh Pothan



The film follows the story of Joji (Fahadh Faasil) who is the youngest son of a wealthy plantation owner in rural Kerala and his desire for power which leads him to make a plan to gain control of the family wealth. Fahadh portrays Joji's resentment, intensity, and envy with accuracy. He beautifully conveys Joji’s dark thoughts and sinister plans through subtle expression and body language. The film explores the dark side of human nature.


Trance
Actors: Fahadh Faasil, Nazariya Nazim, Shoubin Shahir
Director: Anwar Rasheed




A small-time motivational speaker (Viju), who is facing personal and professional challenges, finds employment with a corporate entity to serve as a preacher. Viju undergoes transformation and becomes Pastor Joshua Carlton, only to have his credibility and the services he offers scrutinised after a televised appearance. What happens after is a blurred line between reality and illusion. Fahadh has gone all out in this neo-noir psychological thriller and excelled in portraying Viju's vulnerability to his newfound confidence and charisma as Pastor Joshua and his mental state after his television appearance.


Malayankunju 
Actors: Fahadh Faasil, Rajisha Vijayan
Director: Sajimon Prabhakar 



Malayankunju is a 2022 survival drama in which Fahadh plays Anikuttan who gets trapped under the debris of a massive landslide. Anikuttan often gets into a fight with his neighbours as their newborn baby cries at night, his resentment towards the family is particularly because of them being lower caste. While trying to survive under the debris, Anikuttan also saves the baby and eventually adopts her. It is also a journey of self-exploration for Anikuttan. Fahadh once again showed his mettle as an actor in the film by portraying the journey of a man who becomes cynical due to events of his life and how a fight for survival leads to a self-discovery for him.


Malik 
Actors: Nimisha Sajayan, Vinay Forrt 
Director: Mahesh Narayanan 



Malik is a story of Sulaiman Malik's (Fahadh Faasil) journey from a young poor man to a powerful figure with a controversial legacy. He navigates the murky world of Ramadappally, a coastal town riddled with poverty and corruption. While some view him as a Robin Hood figure, fighting for the downtrodden and building infrastructure in the town, others perceive him as a criminal mastermind who amassed wealth through illegal means. The story spanning decades, shows Fahad's acting chops in transforming from a young impulsive man to a seasoned, calculative powerful man.


Maheshinte Prathikaaram 
Actors: Fahadh Faasil, Aparna Balamurali, Anusree, Sujith Shankar
Director: Dileesh Pothan



The comedy-drama revolves around Mahesh (Fahadh Faasil), a studio photographer, who is humiliated in front of the entire town by Jimson (Sujith Shankar), a local bully. Mahesh then vows not to wear slippers until he has publicly beaten Jimson. In his desire to take revenge, Mahesh makes changes in his life, starts learning martial art, learns new techniques of photography and also falls in love. Fahadh brings a unique charm to Mahesh's character and perfectly portrays his vulnerability, gradual transformation, and redemption.


Athiran 
Actors: Sai Pallavi, Fahadh Faasil
Director: Vivek



Watch this psychological thriller for its plot twist! Set against the backdrop of a mental asylum where  Dr. Kannan Nair (Fahadh Faasil), a psychiatrist comes to inspect the place and notices a patient Nithya (Sai Pallavi) locked away. He starts observing her and eventually grows closer to her, as the film progresses, the lines between reality and delusion blur. What happens after will leave you stunned.


Annayum Rasoolum 
Actors: Fahadh Faasil, Andrea Jeremiah
Director: Rajeev Ravi



If only we could watch more of Fahadh in romantic roles! Annayum Rasoolum is a love story between a Christian girl Anna (Andrea Jeremiah) and a Muslim taxi driver Rasool (Fahadh Faasil). The two gets closer to each other despite their contrasting background and wish for a life together. The film has a tragic end. With the most expressive eyes, Fahadh doesn't even need dialogues to romance on-screen. His portrayal of a man deeply in love without any over the top expressions can make you go weak in your knees. Similarly he beautifully essays the pain of a man who has lost his love.