2018 everyone is a hero movie review

2018: Everyone Is A Hero

By Abhishek Sharma | November 29, 2023

Cinema is often needed to inspire hope, resilience, and harmony. It’s about the optimistic values that movies help honor and endure in times of pain, suffering, and hardship. If any film fills you up in tears and then tugs you close to its heart to return you to serenity – it has to be Everyone Is A Hero ( Officially titled 2018 ). A story of collective survival and forbearance of society amid the dreaded Kerela Floods of 2018, Everyone Is A Hero unravels as a two-faceted docu-drama comprising a wider emotional tangent that extends into more touching and character-driven insights into the ardent rescue efforts that brought Kerela together against an unprecedented calamity.

“…story of collective survival and forbearance of society amid the dreaded Kerela Floods of 2018…”

Director Jude Anthany Joseph begins 2018: Everyone Is A Hero with a soothing and comfortable introduction to the characters that, at the time, weren’t connected by any strand. Filled with a powering and commendable ensemble, an excellent one-hour of the film keeps you with these characters, Anoop, Nixon, Shaji, Manju, Narain, and Mathachan, among many others – subtly peeping into their traits, values, backdrops, and ambitions and gradually familiarizing us with them. The forthcoming danger is beginning to lurk in these moments as the government opens long-shut dam doors due to heavy rainfall.

Joseph’s plans to take his time in introducing the ensemble push back the film’s more thrilling part – the exhilarating rescue operations. However, nothing here goes without purpose, for Joseph perfectly payoffs every small setup he captures on camera during the initial hour of the film. Joseph’s minor non-linearity in the narrative leading up to the floods doesn’t have a significant impact; nevertheless, each loose strand meets its match by the end, with every character meeting a complete and conclusive arc and fulfilling their purpose. Joseph has done a commendable job of intertwining these stories and telling them simultaneously, for they indeed assist in sustaining a pause-less run – first as a heartfelt drama and then as a daunting rescue thriller.

2018: Everyone Is A Hero (2023)

Directed: Jude Anthany Joseph

Written: Jude Anthany Joseph, Akhil P. Dharmajan

Starring: Tovino Thomas, Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Narain, Lal, etc.

Movie score: 9/10

"…fills you up in tears and then tugs you close to its heart..."

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'2018' review: Indeed, everyone is a hero!

Jude Anthany's film is a tribute to the indomitable spirit of Keralites

It has been said that the memories that you wish to forget are the toughest to leave behind. For every Keralite, the year 2018 is one they wish to forever put away.

However, the death and devastation that the August of 2018 brought along in the form of rain fury and subsequent floods are hard to forget, especially for those who suffered the loss of dear ones. The only possible takeaway from this great agony has perhaps been the realisation that when pushed to a corner by a force that is impossible to tame, the state and its people tend to possess the indomitable spirit and altruism to fight back as one formidable unit.

It is this spirit of courage that 2018: Everyone is a Hero seeks to celebrate.

Disaster thrillers are among the least explored genre of movies in Mollywood (save for Malayankunju in recent times), or Indian cinema for that matter. Possibly for a good reason. It is hard to sit through an hour or two of absolute mayhem and near-hopelessness that crush the human spirit even when you know the darkest hour will pass for those whom you root for, and there is, in all likelihood, light at the end of the tunnel.

Directed by Jude Anthany Joseph and starring an ensemble cast, including Tovino Thomas, Kunchacko Boban, Aparna Balamurali, Asif Ali, Lal, Kalaiyarasan, and Vineeth Sreenivasan among others, 2018 recounts the days of death and misery that the rains and floods brought along, even as it pays tribute to ordinary men and women whose heroics need to be cherished forever. Joseph has been the man behind a few feel-gooders ( Om Shanthi Oshana , Sara ), but he leaves his comfort zone to come up with a decently crafted disaster thriller that has plenty of hair-raising moments.

The movie begins by recalling the great flood of '99, even as it focuses on the daily lives of a few ordinary men and women in various parts of the state and elsewhere. The reality of rain means something different to each of these—for the fisherfolk, it is the season of scarcity and danger; for some it reminds of the school days and cosy, wet June and the months that follow, and for some others it is another season of moving to a relief camp.

In the first act, you see several such ordinary people, and it even gets tad boring and artificial as there are too many characters to keep track of—there is a deserter who realised that the dangerous Army job isn’t for him and wants to land a job in Dubai, an aspiring model who is not too proud of his fishermen family, a Tamilian who despises Keralites, an NRI youngster whose marriage appears to be crumbling, a reporter who seems to have a sense of what is coming, a sibling rivalry, a blind grocery store owner, a Polish couple and a crafty taxi driver, and many more. But you know what fate has in store for all these men and women who go about, taking each day as it comes.

And when it comes, it is brutal, and almost nobody is prepared for it. The director does not want to project the rain fury as the 'revenge of Gaia' and give a commentary on the same as movies in this genre often tend to do. Neither is his focus on the state machinery that managed to rise to the challenge despite the initial stupefaction. The film is a tribute to the sheer triumph of the will, coupled with the innate altruistic inclination of people to be empathetic in the face of a catastrophe.

Of course as the water begins to rise, you know what is to come because most Keralites have been part of it in one way or another. The timid deserter would eventually turn heroic, the youngsters who were often scolded for being too busy with their phones would use their tech skills to coordinate rescue operations, the fisherfolks would turn superheroes.... While the deaths, desperation, and destruction that the floods bring along are hard to watch, the triumphs of the unlikely heroes comfort you.

Most of the actors come up with fine performances, especially in the third act. Tovino as the timid youngster who manages to win the hearts of those who used to mock him, Sudheesh as the man trapped in a house along with his family, and Kalaiyarasan as the man caught in a moral quandary, stand out.

The director and his team, especially the art department and cinematographer Akhil George, do a great job in recreating the floods and subsequent ruination without resorting to the frequent use of found footage. The background score makes the torment and anguish all the more atmospheric and real.

The movie’s tagline says it all. This isn’t the story of extraordinary people; this is the story of, and tribute to, ordinary people who became extraordinary because of their willingness to risk their lives for total strangers.

Director: Jude Anthany Joseph

Cast: Tovino Thomas, Kunchacko Boban, Aparna Balamurali, Asif Ali, Lal, Kalaiyarasan, Vineeth Sreenivasan

Rating 3.5/5

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2018 Movie Review: Tovino Thomas, Jude Anthany Joseph's recreation of Kerala floods is heartbreaking

Director jude anthany joseph's 2018 – everyone is a hero is an emotional film about the 2018 kerala floods that rocked the state. the film is a brilliant recreation that is high on emotion, says our review..

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• 2018 - Everyone is a Hero is directed by Jude Anthany Joseph.
• The film released in theatres on May 5.
• Tovino Thomas, Lal, Indrans, Aparna Balamurali and Asif Ali played pivotal roles.

Release Date: 5 May, 2023

In 2018, Kerala saw one of the worst floods in history. The people who experienced the floods first-hand and those who were affected by it still bear the wounds. Some lost their lives, some their houses and some their livelihoods. Yet, none of these mattered when everyone came together to uphold humanity. Irrespective of their differences (read: caste, creed or economic background), people joined hands to help their fellow humans to overcome the calamity. Director Jude Anthany Joseph, in his recently released film, 2018, has tried to capture the same. And he has succeeded.

2018 begins in a village called Aruvikkulam and we are introduced to the inhabitants and how they go about with their lives. There’s Anoop (Tovino Thomas), who left the Army showing a fake medical certificate, so he could go to Dubai to make ends meet. There’s a fisherman's family comprising Lal, Narain and Asif. While Lal and Narein’s characters are proud fishermen, Asif Ali wants to pursue acting. There’s a pregnant woman, parents of a specially-able child, a blind person and so many characters.

The first half showcases the mundane lives of the myriad characters of the village. Slowly, we see the rains lashing the state and how the situation turns grim in just a matter of a few hours. As Kerala begins flooding, we get transported to their world and feel helpless. At several moments in the film, we feel anxious as to what’s going to happen next. Whether it’s a pregnant lady being airlifted or Asif Ali's character finding a snake during a rescue or the fishermen stepping up to save trapped human beings, we are moved to see the proceedings.

While 2018 takes a melodramatic route in some places, it works for the major part. It is a technically sound film and that’s what makes it an immersive experience. It might feel a bit stretched towards the end, but the film stands as a testament to the people of Kerala and those who extended a helping hand to the needy from different parts of the world.

2018 is a heartwarming film. You feel for the characters, you feel trapped, you well up and you also feel relieved when the characters are saved. If a film is able to make you feel so many emotions, then the director has succeeded in what he set out to do.

Tovino Thomas stands out in a film that's full of extraordinary performers. So do Lal and Asif Ali. Indrans, Naraein, Kunchako Boban, Aparna Balamurali and several other characters have made an impact in the screen time they got. Cinematographer Akhil George, editing by Chaman Chacko and VFX made the audience understand the magnanimity of the disaster through their impeccable work.

Director Jude Anthany Joseph’s 2018 is a film that reminds us of the Kerala floods. It is also a reminder that humanity still exists and how solidarity matters when survival is in question.

'2018' movie review: Stunningly staged, powerfully evocative

Recently, during a casual conversation with an actor, we reflected on how some folks in Kerala, no matter what they have against each other, will come together when the state experiences a grave crisis. And when I mentioned that they might return to their old ways once all the chaos dies down, he reminded me that even if that happens, we can always rely on the hope that they’ll reunite if disaster strikes again.

Jude Anthany Joseph’s 2018 —based on the devastating Kerala floods that occurred in the same year—celebrates this hope. It’s a film rich with layers and information. Take the plot thread involving a Tamilian truck driver, Sethupathi (Kalaiyarasan), harbouring a prejudice against Malayalis, set against the backdrop of the Mullaperiyar dam issue and water scarcity. He is not the only one. The most compelling threads, for me, are the ones involving Tovino Thomas (as an ex-army man) and Tanvi Ram (as a teacher and his bride-to-be), Asif Ali (as a struggling model) and Lal (his father), and Vineeth Sreenivasan (an expatriate going through a divorce).

Given the presence of the massive cast, much care has gone into moulding the screenplay in a way that respects all its characters. Its ability to make a particular character endearing within a short time is commendable. All these characters are connected in some way. If they aren’t, the connection will eventually happen. And nowhere do you feel one character is more important than the other. Even if someone has a short screen time, it doesn’t undermine their utility. Though largely linear, the screenplay occasionally goes back and forth, but the coherent construction ensures zero confusion.

And having big names occupy some of these ‘heroic’ characters doesn’t necessarily mean all of their arcs culminate in a happy ending. In that regard, 2018 doesn’t tread the predictable route. “Everyone is a hero,” says the film’s tagline. Indeed, but the film doesn’t treat anyone as a superhero. But Jude doesn’t forget to give us uplifting moments too. There is a neat balance between the upbeat and downbeat moments. The theatre erupted in applause when the fishermen, the real heroes of this story, gathered all their boats to gear up for rescue operations. One can say the same for a scene of two brothers-in-arms acknowledging each other with a salute. Sometimes relief comes from the most unexpected corners. Sometimes it’s the most unlikely individual who, at one point, was deemed worthless that astonishes you.

2018 is not only the finest multi-starrer but also the finest disaster thriller to come out of Kerala since Virus (2019) and the most engaging hyperlink film from the state since 2011’s Traffic. There is a great sense of urgency, most essential for a disaster-centric movie, especially one based on true events. I came to Kochi in 2018, and I vividly remember the anxiety in the air—my contribution included—when the floods reared their ugly heads in the middle of that year. We heard scary stories that we badly hoped didn’t happen to us. There was the constant fear of waking up the next day and finding out that your house was half submerged underwater. And if you were living in a rented house, there was the irrational fear of your house owner leaving town to prioritise their own safety without informing their tenants.

So when you see a film that throws at you images of helpless parents with a disabled child struggling to survive or a blind man left abandoned, all in the thick of the night while water levels around them are rapidly increasing, how can you not feel a shiver run up your spine? At a time when even the most privileged were pondering their fates, can you imagine yourself in the shoes of the underprivileged? 2018 explores this class divide at a crucial point when a patriarch, played by Joy Mathew, who earlier dismissed a family of fishermen, is eventually forced to shift to the very place he looked down on because he has no other option. “So what if you have to stay at a camp? There’s unity and laughter to be found there,” says Nileen Sandra’s character in one scene.

It goes without saying the film benefits from having a stellar cast that includes the who’s who from contemporary Malayalam cinema, such as Tovino Thomas, Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, and Vineeth Sreenivasan, in addition to notable appearances from Narein, Tanvi Ram, Lal, Kalaiyarasan, and Indrans. The performances veer slightly towards the cinematic, with some situations resorting to amped-up melodrama to convey tremendous peril, like the one involving Sudheesh and Gilu Joseph. Personally, I would’ve preferred a more subtle, tone-down approach, but this has always been a characteristic of Jude’s films, which always targeted a wider audience.

Had he opted for the Virus (the Aashiq Abu film) treatment, I suspect it might alienate a section of audiences for whom the evening teleserial is an unavoidable pastime—the ones who like a bit of loudness in their movies. Actually, I wouldn’t frame this quality as a complaint because how can we say with complete certainty that someone would react in such situations in a certain way? 2018 shows us at least two circumstances characterised by heightened melodrama. Maybe we would’ve reacted the same way if we had experienced the same. How sure are we of not going beyond our breaking point? It could happen.

Cinematographer Akhil George, whose work in Kala impressed me greatly, demonstrates, once again, his supreme photographic skills. With dolly zooms, god’s eye views, and the occasional handheld approach, he makes us feel the immense scale and doom-laden atmosphere, all enhanced by convincing practical and digital effects. (Kudos to the technicians behind these stunning results.) We also get some striking juxtaposition of images, like cutting to an ad shoot with artificial rain immediately after showing a Tamil Nadu village dealing with an acute water crisis. In another example, the image of a little girl watching a cartoon house getting flooded with water is matched with the visual of real people gathering elsewhere to see the opening of a dam. Both sides hope to see a spectacle, but the context is different.

The film also reminds us not to ignore our four-legged friends. Even a brief flash of a pet dog’s face is enough to show that these poor creatures, too, are hoping to be rescued. While on rescue, genuine feelings of peril accompany these sequences, injected with the necessary suspense and dread. One nail-biting night rescue involves a pregnant woman (Vinitha Koshy) and her daughter.

This week, there are two major Malayalam releases; strangely enough, it’s the one that doesn’t deserve any attention that arrived with much fanfare for all the wrong reasons. But when you have another film that propagates unity and compassion and salutes the unforeseen resilience of individuals when planted in the most trying of circumstances, why would one think of watching something that peddles hate and propaganda? Pick wisely.

Film: 2018 Director: Jude Anthany Joseph Cast: Tovino Thomas, Asif Ali, Kunchacko Boban, Tanvi Ram, Lal, Narein, Indrans Rating: 4/5

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2018 Everyone Is A Hero Movie Review (2023)

• 05 May 2023

Jude Anthany Joseph's '2018: Everyone is a Hero' is painted in very broad strokes but ends up a solid account of a tragic time

2018 Everyone Is A Hero Movie Cast & Crew

There are two ways to make a movie about a large-scale disaster. One is to reduce the scale, like Lakshmy Ramakrishnan did in the exquisitely moving and understated House Owner . The story revolves around the 2015 Chennai floods, but it remains an intimate narrative about just one couple, played by character actors. By focusing on a tiny part, you get a sense of the whole. The other approach is seen in Aashiq Abu's superbly written, superbly crafted medical thriller Virus , where a galaxy of stars come together to battle the Nipah virus. Jude Anthany Joseph's 2018: Everyone is a Hero follows the Virus model, and here, a galaxy of stars come together to tackle the devastating Kerala floods. But unlike the former film, the director and his co-writer Akhil P Dharmajan go for the broad strokes, with dashes of hysterical melodrama. 2018 does not rise to the levels of Virus , but on its own, it is a solid account of a tragic time.

One of the aspects that bothered me about the writing is the constant attempt to over-manipulate the audience. The flood is in itself a hugely affecting source of drama, something that binds us instantly to the characters. And with this huge cast, you instantly wonder – like in the Hollywood disaster movies – who will live and who will die, which becomes an additional source of drama. But clearly, it is not enough. It is not enough that a woman is in trouble – it has to be a heavily pregnant woman. It is not enough that a little boy is in trouble – it has to be a boy with Down's Syndrome. It is not enough that an older man is in trouble – he also has to be blind. This is the kind of movie where you know that the minute a fisherman's son looks at his father's profession with contempt, he is going to turn into a full-on fisherman by the end. And the minute a truck driver is shown as not spending time with his family, we are going to end up with the loving call he makes to his mother and little daughter.

But all of this is not a huge deal-breaker because, as a title card tells us at the beginning: "Every calamity is just news until it hits us." And in both Tamil Nadu and Kerala, it hit us hard. At one point I wondered why we are so drawn to a story of suffering that we just experienced in real life. Why do we want to relive those horrible memories? Why do we want to see the 9/11 terror attack recreated? I don't know – but two visuals in 2018 nudged me towards a possible answer. One was the image of a big-ass, wall-mounted flat-screen TV whose base hovers over a rapidly increasing water level. I think these films remind us of impermanence, that however much we have, it can all go away in an instant. The second image is that of a birthday celebration, even as the mayhem begins. There's also the assurance that life does go on.

2018 begins with little scene- and character-setting events, where we meet everyone. I liked the touches like the Indrans character tuning his radio to an old Yesudas song. It may be a cliche, but  it says something about the man and instantly makes him a familiar figure we want to root for. And I liked the way the screenplay keeps mixing moods. For instance, we get a tense stretch with fishermen at sea facing a huge ship, and also a nascent love story with comic moments, and also a clueless Polish couple who have chosen the worst possible time for a visit to God's Own Country, and also a dramatic stretch involving sibling rivalry. I could have lived without the artificially amped-up drama like the bits about a bomb consignment or a cobra or a train accident – but hey, I did say we are dealing with broad strokes here.

The film's title says "Everyone is a hero", though apparently, some heroes are bigger than others. Tovino Thomas gets the most fully fleshed-out character, and even a love interest – and later, he gets to do the biggest saving acts. He is both a star and a character actor here. In contrast, Kunchacko Boban gets the least to do. As the Home Secretary, he is stuck inside a room with his colleagues. Vineeth Sreenivasan is also used mainly for his empathetic presence – both these actors have faces we instantly warm up to (which is why, random thought alert , it would be great to see them play a serial killer or some such embodiment of evil). Asif Ali, Lal, Narain, Kalaiyarasan – all get a moment or two to shine, but it's a bit of a pity that none of the women characters, with the exception of the reporter played by Aparna Balamurali, get much to do. The awesome Pauly Valsan is introduced as a police officer and reduced to a matchmaker. Just for variety in the drama, it would have been nice to see a few female heroes, too.

But the end result is a film with many affecting sights. 2018 could have been so much better, but it's impossible not to be moved by the sight of an aged woman being lowered into a makeshift boat – basically, a tub-like thing. There are many tragic reminders like this. There is a big death at the end, which should have had a bigger impact. In Virus , we felt for everyone, both the affected and the people fighting to save them – and given the nature of the two films, I think comparing them is a valid exercise. But 2018 is more logistically complicated. The visual effects, the sound effects are well done and we almost feel drenched by the time we leave the theatre. I guess I had mixed feelings about the movie itself, but as a document of our times, it's a solid monument to a tragedy that took place in one particular area, but really cuts across borders and makes us think about the bigger picture of life.

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Baradwaj Rangan

National Award-winning film critic Baradwaj Rangan, former deputy editor of The Hindu and senior editor of Film Companion, has carved a niche for himself over the years as a powerful voice in cinema, especially the Tamil film industry, with his reviews of films. While he was pursuing his chemical engineering degree, he was fascinated with the writing and analysis of world cinema by American critics. Baradwaj completed his Master’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations through scholarship. His first review was for the Hindi film Dum, published on January 30, 2003, in the Madras Plus supplement of The Economic Times. He then started critiquing Tamil films in 2014 and did a review on the film Subramaniapuram, while also debuting as a writer in the unreleased rom-com Kadhal 2 Kalyanam. Furthermore, Baradwaj has authored two books - Conversations with Mani Ratnam, 2012, and A Journey Through Indian Cinema, 2014. In 2017, he joined Film Companion South and continued to show his prowess in critiquing for the next five years garnering a wide viewership and a fan following of his own before announcing to be a part of Galatta Media in March 2022.

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2018: Everyone Is A Hero Movie Review: Drop everything else and watch the best Indian film of 2023, by far

The hit malayalam movie releases across india in hindi, tamil and telugu, on may 26.

Director : Jude Anthany Joseph

Cast : Tovino Thomas, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Aparna Balamurali, Kalaiyarasan, Kunchacko Boban, Lal, Narein, Tanvi Ram, Sshivada, Gauthami Nair

Where : At theatres near you

Rating : 4 stars

At the very beginning of the film, a line says, 'every calamity is just news, until it hits us'. Directed by Jude Anthany Joseph, '2018: Everyone is a Hero' is a stark reminder that adversity democratises us. Based on the unfortunate August 2018 deluge that ravaged the state of Kerala, leaving 14 districts of the state affected, over 500 people dead and 15 people missing, the film is a gigantic celebration of how ordinary citizens displayed extraordinary courage and solidarity, in the face of darkness.

Written by Joseph and Akhil P Dharmajan, the brief and crisp first half of the film establishes the lives of the common folk in Kerala, who are living through their mundane existences. An ex-army officer is the butt of jokes in his village for running away from the battlefield. An aspiring model is embarrassed to be hailing from a family of fishermen, which becomes a point of contention in his marriage prospects. A Gulf-based husband's marriage is in trouble. A righteous journalist wants to report the important news even as she is constantly reminded about the sensational nature of her job. A Tamil native harbours hate against Keralites, a narrative inspired from the Mullaperiyar dam issue. There’s a government official, who must choose between duty and responsibility. Lastly, a little before the interval sets in, we are introduced to the prime nemesis of the film, the rains.

Once the lengthier second half kicks in, is when you watch how the unfortunate and unavoidable catastrophe unfolded and what followed. In a great case of mixing fact with fiction, we are informed about how the worst deluge before August 2018 was in the year 1924 or what is called the 'Great Flood of 99', as per the Malayalam calendar. The impact of that deluge was such that it had left the hilly terrains of Munnar submerged in water and even destroyed the Kundala Valley Railway, which was the first monorail project in the country. On the technical front, one must commend the efforts that have gone behind mounting this film as per Hollywood standards, at a humble budget of just ₹30 crores. Akhil George's cinematography, coupled with Mohandas' production design and Vishnu Govind's sound, creates the sense of urgency and palpable tension, that will leave your heart pounding in instances, more than once. You'd find yourself biting your nails as a pregnant woman is being airlifted or when a blind man remains unaware about his abode being submerged in water. What works in Joseph's storytelling is that the knowledge and information about the incident is still fresh in one's memory. Hence, despite the seemingly predictable premise, he is able to give us an engaging, gripping survival drama. While I really appreciate the maker's intent to highlight the feeling of community and the sense of belonging, my only gripe with the film would be its inability to mention the role played by the state government in aiding relief efforts during the crisis.

Leaving that aside, '2018: Everyone Is A Hero' is an exceptional story of humanity and courage, which allows all its characters to cherish their moment of glory and finds unlikely, unsung heroes too. An emotional tear-jerker, you’d be left feeling grateful, hopeful and humbly insignificant.

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Trailer Video

2018 Everyone Is A Hero Malayalam Movie

There is a notion that most disaster and survival movies are good pieces of escapism, despite being loud and bombastic. This is probably because the story and storytelling play second fiddle to the technical elements of such films. However, Jude Anthany Joseph's "2018" is an exception to that notion, both from a technical point of view and the canvas it encompasses. For the uninitiated, this is the story of the undying spirit of a state in an hour of crisis.

2018 is based on the real-life incident in the same year that left a good part of Kerala under water, caused many casualties, and wreaked great havoc. A calamity of this size hit the state almost a century ago, which explains how unimaginable it was for the people of the state. The first half of the film is a clever set-up with multiple storylines and characters. Jude jumps from one subplot to another at the slightest pretext and firmly establishes each. There is the story of a fishermen's family and the embarrassment they have to face for their so-called status. There is the plot of a military person who left the army and came back home, citing fake health reasons. A family man in the Middle East faces a possible marital crisis. A blue-collar worker from Tamil Nadu has to transfer a few boxes of explosives to keep his family afloat. And a travel agent faces his biggest hurdle as nature forces a near-lockdown-like situation.

The moment Jude establishes these subplots, it is easy to see where he is going with each storyline. This is not an act of criticism but rather a realization of how the genre works. To avoid spoilers, let us just say that most of the characters will be in the thick of the action once the calamity strikes. For a filmmaker and storyteller, it is nearly impossible to transcend these genre trappings, but Jude and his brilliant technical team pull off the unthinkable in terms of recreating the calamity while retaining the universal story of unity during a calamity.

The 2018 floods in Kerala were a reminder that real heroes come in flesh and blood, not in capes and masks. As a Keralite, you will go into the theater with this default sense of awareness and understanding of the story. This only makes it very challenging for the filmmaker to tell the story effectively, and boy do Jude and his team of technicians live up to the enormity of the task at hand!

For a small part of the film, I wondered whether it emphasizes the story of triumph a little more than that of tragedy. There are moments that make you go, "Surely, a calamity could not have been this triumphant". Wait for Jude to come back to the small stories he has already established early on in the film. When the subplots come full circle, so to speak, you understand why a character or group of characters behaves in a certain way at different points.

It is also the hallmark of a disaster film to make the audience feel scared for the lives of the characters. It is only until the scene where a woman gets airlifted that we even start to feel this way, and this is partly due to the structure of Jude's film. There is such good use of lighting, editing, music, and VFX here that it is easy to forget that the whole film is shot in a large film set. A drone shot of a man rowing away through a line of houses, partly covered under water, is so amazing that it belies the budget of Malayalam cinema. You can say that about the whole film, by the way.

Now, does this mean that 2018 is a perfect film? Probably not. Surely, Jude could have at least trimmed some storylines in the movie, although he achieves closure with each. But to give credit where credit is due, he does not exploit the real-life incident and tells the story in the film with a great deal of finesse.

Jude Anthany Joseph fired 'a big actor' from 2018 for misconduct: 'Name the wrongdoers'

Filmmaker jude anthany joseph has called for the public naming of actors implicated in the hema committee report on misconduct within the malayalam film industry..

Jude Anthany Joseph directed 2018 movie.

Filmmaker Jude Anthany Joseph has made a strong call for transparency in the Malayalam film industry by demanding that all actors implicated in the Hema Committee report be publicly named. Speaking out on the issue, Jude shared his own experiences with misconduct on film sets, revealing a past incident where he witnessed a prominent actor misbehaving with a junior artist during the filming of 2018: Everyone is a Hero.

In his account, Jude described how he took a stand against the mistreatment of women on his sets by firing the actor, despite the significant impact it had on the production. The actor in question played a key role in the film, and his removal required extensive reshoots, which came at a considerable cost to the project.

ALSO READ: Jayasurya my first villain, Mukesh demanded sex for AMMA membership: Minu Muneer

"Instead of beating around the bush, it’s important to state things clearly," Jude remarked, paraphrasing his stance on the need for accountability. He recalled the moment when he saw the actor behaving inappropriately with a female junior artist. "After that, I didn't just cut his scenes—I removed him from the movie entirely. His character was crucial to the narrative, so I had to replace him with another actor and complete the shoot."

Jude also noted that if viewers pay close attention to the film, they may notice the change in actors playing the same role, a subtle testament to the seriousness with which he handled the situation.

The filmmaker emphasized his commitment to ensuring that everyone on his sets feels safe, adding that he would never tolerate wrongful activities during his productions. Jude’s remarks come in the wake of the Hema Committee report, which has brought renewed attention to issues of harassment and misconduct within the Malayalam film industry.

2018 was inspired by the events that unfolded in the wake of one of the biggest calamities in the history of Kerala. Made on a tight budget, the movie, starring Tovino Thomas in the lead, became the first Malayalam movie to breach the Rs 200 crore mark at the global box office in 2023. 

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As ‘2018: Everyone Is A Hero’ goes to the Oscars, Tovino Thomas says it’s a double dhamaka for him

Tovino thomas also recently won the septimius award for the best asian actor for his role in the malayalam movie.

Updated - September 28, 2023 06:24 pm IST

Published - September 28, 2023 03:16 pm IST

Tovino Thomas with the Septimius Award for the Best Asian Actor for his role in 2018 : Everyone Is A Hero | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Anoop, a friendly neighbourhood chap in the village, makes it clear that he is no hero. How Anoop becomes a valiant saviour when confronted by the flood in 2018 that devastated Kerala is one of the subplots in the Jude Anthany Joseph film 2018 : Everyone Is A Hero .

And Tovino Thomas, who brought alive Anoop with his usual ease and charm, is winning accolades for his role in the blockbuster film, India’s official entry to the Oscars.

“It is a double dhamaka — my award for my character in the film and its selection to the Oscars. This seems like a dream,” says the actor from Amsterdam, Netherlands where he went to collect the Septimius Award for the Best Asian Actor for his role in the film 2018 : Everyone Is A Hero .

A still from 2018: Everyone Is A Hero . | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

“We worked very hard to bring this film to the screen. It was team work that helped us all excel. Shooting the film was a challenge as it required technical and artistic expertise,” says Tovino, thanking the producers for putting their faith in the team and director Jude for pursuing his dream project for more than two years in spite of the naysayers.

The actor says he regrets not being in Kerala for the promotional work for the film and for the celebrations that followed when the movie smashed box office records. He believes it must be the sincerity of the team that helped 2018 win hearts and critical acclaim.

Tovino Thomas with Jude Anthany Joseph on the sets of 2018: Everyone Is A Hero | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

“Imagine, a small town guy like me from Irinjalakuda finding a space in cinema and winning awards…,” he muses aloud. “Jude  ettan , Basil (Joseph, director of Minnal Murali ) and many of us in Malayalam cinema today come from small towns in Kerala. All of us had cinema dreams but we had no connections in the industry. All we had was passion for cinema and willingness to work hard,” adds Tovino.

That passion and determination to walk the extra mile has helped the actor to fly high, with many of his movies making a mark. Not all were box office hits but Tovino was noticed for his ability to slip into a wide range of characters.

Tovino Thomas as Minnal Murali in the eponymous film | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

In 2021, Basil’s Minnal Murali ,  the story of a local tailor with super powers, hit the bull’s eye with Tovino playing the masked hero with elan; Aashiq Abu’s Naaradan , also headlined by Tovino, got noticed for its theme;  Dear Friend  showcased a character with shades of grey.

He says that after the lead role of Murali in  Minnal Murali , he prepares mentally and physically for his characters. “That does not mean, I did not do that earlier. It is just that I am more aware of the responsibilities that rest on an actor.”

In 2022, Tovino romanced the screen with Vishnu Raghav’s  Vaashi , Sanal Kumar Sashidharan’s  Vazhakku , Khalid Rahman’s  Thallumaala  and Aashiq Abu’s remake of the classic  Bhargavi Nilayam ,  Neelavelicham . The thematic diversity of the movies showcased Tovino’s versatility as an actor. While  Vaashi  was a rom-com and  Vazhakku , a relationship drama,  Thallumaala , a feisty, youthful film, was lapped up by teenagers. Tovino’s character in  Neelavelicham , a period film, came in for praise from none than thespian Madhu, who had enacted the same character some 50-plus years ago in  Bhargavi Nilayam .

Tovino Thomas in Aashiq Abu’s Neelavelicham | Photo Credit: R Roshan

“Madhu’s sir’s words of appreciation are the best award I could have got. It means a lot when someone like him has good things to say about a role,” asserts Tovino.

Like every actor, the 34-year-old says that he looks out for characters that “gives me the scope to act and challenge myself”.

“Naturally, I want every film of mine to do well commercially and impress critics as well,” says the engineer-turned actor who also turned producer with  Kilometers and Kilometers (2020) in which he played the lead.

Tovino has been lucky that he has had movies written for him such as Basil’s  Minnal Murali .

Isn’t he pleased with that? “Well, I am certainly happy. It could be that I am easy to work with. I think I am an actor who goes by what the director says. It could also be that we are all friends who came to cinema to pursue a dream,” he says with an embarrassed laugh.

The teaser of Ajayante Randam Moshanam   | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

Coming up next are some interesting movies that should gladden the hearts of Tovino fans. Jithin Laal’s  Ajayante Randam Moshanam  has the actor playing three roles in different periods of time – Maniyan, Kunjikelu and Ajayan. It is in the post-production stage.

Adrishya Jalakangal , directed by Dr Biju, is a surrealistic film on life and death, the shooting of which has been completed. Tovino is one of the producers of the movie in which he plays a nameless character, a stylistic device in many of Dr. Biju’s works. The film, which is said to be an anti-war movie, features Nimisha Sajayan and Indrans.

“From Amsterdam, I am flying straight to Hyderabad for the shoor of Lal Jr’s  Nadikar Thilakam .”

He laughs when asked if direction is on the cards. “No, I have a long list of directors I am longing to work with. I want to concentrate as an actor. Then, after many years, maybe…”

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2018 Everyone Is A Hero Preview: Here's What We Know About The Much-Awaited Multistarrer!

One of the star-studded, much-anticipated films in Malayalam, 2018 Everyone Is a Hero, hit the screens all over Kerala and a few other parts of the world on April 21. But unfortunately, the movie has been postponed to May 5, due to some technical reasons.

2018 Everyone Is a Hero is a movie, which falls under the thriller category, set in the backdrop of the Kerala floods in the year 2018. The movie is an attempt to unfold the lives of people whose every day became a struggle over one night. The catastrophic consequences and the collective effort as a community put in by the brave were depicted in this drama.

Directed by Jude Anthany Joseph, 2018 is a film produced by Anto Joseph, Venu Kunnampilly, and CK Padma Kumar under the banner of Kavya Films.

2018 everyone is a Hero movie stars an ensemble cast in the form of Kunchacko Boban, Tovino Thomas, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Aparna Balamurali, Kalaiyaraan, Narain, Lal, Tanvi Ram, Aju Varghese, Gauthami Nair, and Indrans among others in crucial roles.

Nobin Paul worked as the film's music director and Vishnu Govind was the Sound Designer. Akhil George cranked the camera. Chaman Chacko was roped in for the project to work as its editor.

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The goal of /r/Movies is to provide an inclusive place for discussions and news about films with major releases. Submissions should be for the purpose of informing or initiating a discussion, not just to entertain readers. Read our extensive list of rules for more information on other types of posts like fan-art and self-promotion, or message the moderators if you have any questions.

2018 : Everyone is a hero (2023)

I noticed there were no posts about this movie, unless I was searching wrong, and as I saw it tonight I thought I'd make a post to here others thoughts about it.

It is a Malayalam language film which I saw in the Cinema via English subtitles. More information about the movie here : https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_(film)

It currently has 9/10 on IMDB and 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. And having seen it I can say those reviews are accurate it is a very good film.

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Life-size dinosaurs, a candy store tour and more to do this weekend

Take a road tip to Wiscasset for art, food, car racing and a gargantuan amount of candy.

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