For a film that arrived quietly and built its reputation through word of mouth, Eko has achieved something enviable. It refuses to fade. Just when the psychological thriller seemed to have settled into its post OTT life, actor Dhanush added a fresh jolt of validation.
A rare shoutout from Dhanush sets the tone
Taking to social media, the National Award winner called the film “a masterpiece” and reserved special praise for debutant Biana Momin. “Biana momin deserves all the highest honours. World class performance,” Dhanush wrote in his Eko movie review. In an industry where compliments from top stars are rare and often measured, the warmth of his endorsement stood out.
EKO the Malayalam film is a masterpiece. Actor Biana momin deserves all the highest honours. World class performance.
— Dhanush (@dhanushkraja) January 13, 2026
What makes the moment even more special is the story behind the actress. Biana Momin makes her acting debut in Eko as Mlathi Chedathi, a Malaysian character who becomes integral to the film’s layered narrative. Off screen, she is better known for her work in the educational sector in Meghalaya. With this film, she has also created history by becoming the first woman from the Garo tribe to appear in Malayalam cinema. In a year when representation is finally being discussed with seriousness, her presence in Eko feels quietly revolutionary.
The enigma of Kuriachan and a film that rewards patience
Directed by Dinjith Ayyathan and written by Bahul Ramesh, Eko does not play to the gallery. It unfolds like a maze, asking its viewers to lean in rather than lean back. At its heart is the hunt for a mysterious man called Kuriachan, portrayed with chilling restraint by Saurabh Sachdev.
The search is not led by a single hero but by a cluster of broken, curious, and deeply human figures. There is a Navy officer played by Narain, a restless youngster portrayed by Sandeep Pradeep, and two police officers brought to life by Binu Pappu and Renjit Shekar. Each of them enters Kuriachan’s orbit for different reasons, but as the investigation tightens, it becomes clear that they are not just chasing a man. They are confronting their own buried fears, memories, and moral blind spots.
What elevates Eko beyond a conventional manhunt thriller is the way Kuriachan is written. He is present in absence. Every revelation peels back a new layer of who he might be, even as the truth remains tantalisingly out of reach. This narrative strategy could have collapsed under its own weight, but Bahul Ramesh’s writing maintains an unnerving balance between ambiguity and insight. The film does not spoon feed. It provokes.
Dinjith Ayyathan’s direction leans into silences, into glances that linger a beat too long, into scenes that feel less like exposition and more like therapy sessions conducted in the dark. It is no surprise that the film has found a second life on Netflix, where viewers seem more willing to pause, rewind, and absorb its details.
Why Eko refuses to leave the conversation
Part of Eko’s growing cult status comes from performances that feel startlingly lived in. Narain brings weary authority to the Navy officer, while Sandeep Pradeep’s character captures the impatience of youth searching for meaning in chaos. Binu Pappu and Renjit Shekar give the cops an emotional grounding that keeps the story from drifting into abstraction.
And then there is Biana Momin. In a role that could easily have slipped into stereotype, she brings restraint and a strange stillness. Her Mlathi Chedathi is not defined by dramatic monologues but by the weight she carries in her eyes. That Dhanush chose to single her out is telling. In a film crowded with strong performers, she manages to linger in memory.
Eko may not have arrived with the trappings of a blockbuster, but it is steadily carving out something rarer. A reputation built on respect.
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