Aavesham hit because Fahadh Faasil's Ranga is loud, funny and dangerous in the same breath. This list picks Malayalam films that share eccentric-gangster or college-meets-underworld chaos, ranked by flavour rather than box office. Notes as of November 6, 2026.
Quick facts
- No. | Film | Year | Director | Why it feels like Aavesham | Where to watch (as of Nov 6, 2026)
- 1 | Romancham | 2023 | Jithu Madhavan | Same director, friend-group chaos | reportedly on JioHotstar
- 2 | Thallumaala | 2022 | Khalid Rahman | Fight-comedy swagger, youth packs | reportedly on Netflix
- 3 | RDX | 2023 | Nahas Hidayath | Martial-arts friendship action comedy | reportedly on Netflix, ManoramaMAX
- 4 | Chotta Mumbai | 2007 | Anwar Rasheed | Gang comedy, punch dialogues | reportedly on Sun NXT
- 5 | Bheeshma Parvam | 2022 | Amal Neerad | Family-gangster power swagger | check apps (as of Nov 6, 2026)
- 6 | Aadu 2 | 2017 | Midhun Manuel Thomas | Over-the-top gang slapstick | reportedly on ZEE5
- 7 | Malik | 2021 | Mahesh Narayanan | Fahadh crime-don gravity | reportedly on Prime Video
- 8 | Kaduva | 2022 | Shaji Kailas | Eccentric mass-power lead | reportedly on Prime Video
1. Romancham (2023)
- Director: Jithu Madhavan
- Cast: Soubin Shahir, Arjun Ashokan, Sajin Gopu
- Genre: Horror comedy
- Where to watch: reportedly on JioHotstar (as of November 6, 2026)
Jithu Madhavan's debut before Aavesham follows a bachelor group and a Ouija board that will not stay quiet. He has said Aavesham is not a Romancham spin-off.
Our take: Start here if you liked Aavesham's friend-group panic more than the gangster mass. Same director, smaller canvas, still loud. Keep the spin-off rumour out of your watch order and treat the two films as sibling tones only. Confirm the OTT row above before you press play.
2. Thallumaala (2022)
- Director: Khalid Rahman
- Cast: Tovino Thomas, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Shine Tom Chacko
- Genre: Action comedy
- Where to watch: reportedly on Netflix (as of November 6, 2026)
Thallumaala runs on fights, edits and youth swagger more than on a single crime boss.
Our take: Pick this when Ranga's chaos made you miss stylish brawls more than political underworld maps. It is not a gangster biography; it is the closest recent youth action-comedy neighbour on this list for music-video pace with Malayalam punch. Confirm the OTT row above before you press play.
3. RDX (2023)
- Director: Nahas Hidayath
- Cast: Shane Nigam, Antony Varghese, Neeraj Madhav
- Genre: Martial-arts action comedy
- Where to watch: reportedly on Netflix and ManoramaMAX (as of November 6, 2026)
Three friends and martial arts collide with crisis and street fights.
Our take: Useful after Aavesham if you want pack loyalty and fight craft without another Ranga clone. Keep expectations on stunt comedy, not on a mono-act crime boss who owns every frame the way Fahadh does in Aavesham. Confirm the OTT row above before you press play.
4. Chotta Mumbai (2007)
- Director: Anwar Rasheed
- Cast: Mohanlal, Bhavana, Siddique
- Genre: Action comedy
- Where to watch: reportedly on Sun NXT (as of November 6, 2026)
Anwar Rasheed's gang comedy with Mohanlal and punch-dialogue mass humour. He later produced Aavesham. Visual: official Sony Music Malayalam song cut; no clean studio trailer survives online.
Our take: The older template for Malayalam gang comedy with a star who owns the room. Watch for the social swagger Aavesham updates for a new decade, and for the Anwar Rasheed banner link that ties the two eras. Confirm the OTT row above before you press play.
5. Bheeshma Parvam (2022)
- Director: Amal Neerad
- Cast: Mammootty
- Genre: Action crime drama
- Where to watch: We could not confirm a streaming platform as of November 6, 2026
Amal Neerad's family-gangster canvas gives Mammootty a controlled, larger-than-life centre. Heavier than Aavesham, with a don who fills the frame.
Our take: Choose this when you want adult gangster gravity after Ranga's comic extreme. Spoiler-light: stay for the family-power texture, not for a comedy rematch, and expect Amal Neerad's heavier crime canvas rather than slapstick laughs from the Aavesham comedy lane itself.
6. Aadu 2 (2017)
- Director: Midhun Manuel Thomas
- Cast: Jayasurya, Sunny Wayne, Vinayakan
- Genre: Comedy
- Where to watch: reportedly on ZEE5 (as of November 6, 2026)
Shaji Pappan and his gang return for slapstick crime mix-ups, sillier than Aavesham but still eccentric-crew energy.
Our take: A palate cleanser after heavier gangster picks. Use it when you want chaos without Fahadh's menace, and when you can handle pure gag pacing from Shaji Pappan's crew rather than a single eccentric don. Confirm the OTT row above before you press play.
7. Malik (2021)
- Director: Mahesh Narayanan
- Cast: Fahadh Faasil, Nimisha Sajayan, Joju George
- Genre: Crime drama
- Where to watch: reportedly on Prime Video (as of November 6, 2026)
Fahadh as a crime lead in a heavier register than Ranga. Same star, different menace, useful when you want the don without the college comedy.
Our take: Watch after Aavesham if the Fahadh performance was the hook more than the punchlines. Expect politics and tragedy rather than meme-ready chaos, and treat it as a tonal cousin, not a comedy rematch. Confirm the OTT row above before you press play.
8. Kaduva (2022)
- Director: Shaji Kailas
- Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Vivek Oberoi, Samyuktha Menon
- Genre: Action drama
- Where to watch: reportedly on Prime Video (as of November 6, 2026)
Shaji Kailas mass-power storytelling with an eccentric lead who fills the frame. It sits here for swagger, not for Aavesham's friend-group comedy.
Our take: End here if you want classic mass-hero energy after the Fahadh lane. Keep expectations on confrontation and pride, not on bachelor-pad chaos, and loop back to Aavesham when you want the laugh-menace mix again. Confirm the OTT row above before you press play.
More Jithu Madhavan / loud Fahadh
Romancham is the only other released Jithu feature here. Rajamanikyam and Black were cut: no official rights-holder trailer or still cleared the visual rule.
Where to start
Same-director: Romancham then Aavesham. Youth action: Thallumaala then RDX. Classic mass: Chotta Mumbai or Kaduva. Darker don: Bheeshma Parvam or Malik.
FAQs
What movies are like Aavesham?
Films with eccentric gangster energy, college-meets-underworld chaos or punchy mass comedy. Leads include Romancham, Thallumaala, RDX, Chotta Mumbai, Malik and Kaduva.
Is Romancham connected to Aavesham?
Same director, Jithu Madhavan. He has said Aavesham is not a Romancham spin-off.
Where can I watch Aavesham?
Reportedly on Prime Video after its May 2024 premiere, as of November 6, 2026. See the Aavesham hub.
Are there Malayalam gangster comedies?
Yes. Chotta Mumbai and Aavesham sit in that lane. Thallumaala and RDX lean youth action comedy.
Films like the Ranga character?
For comic menace, stay with Aavesham. For heavier Fahadh crime, try Malik. For mass swagger, try Chotta Mumbai or Kaduva.
Related reading
ആവേശം പോലുള്ള മലയാള ചിത്രങ്ങൾ: റൊമാഞ്ചം, തല്ലുമാല, RDX, ചോട്ട മുംബൈ, മാലിക്, കടുവ തുടങ്ങിയവ. സ്പിൻ-ഓഫ് അല്ലെന്ന് ജിത്തു മാധവൻ പറഞ്ഞ റൊമാഞ്ചം-ആവേശം ബന്ധം FAQ-യിൽ. നവംബർ 6, 2026 OTT കുറിപ്പുകളോടെ.
