Hollywood has Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC Universe, Monsterverse and so on. Hindi cinema has Cop Universe, YRF Spy Universe, Maddock Supernatural Universe et al. Tamil Cinema has Lokesh Cinematic Universe. So what is Malayalam Cinema up to when it comes to 'cinematic universes'? Well, Sophia Paul - producer of Minnal Murali and RDX - is bringing out Mollywood's first cinematic universe through her banner Weekend blockbusters in 'Weekend Cinematic Universe'. Detective Ujjwalan, starring Dhyan Sreenivasan in the lead, is establishing this cinematic universe, even though it is the second film of this CU. ‘Detective Ujjwalan’ Title Teaser: Dhyan Sreenivasan Is a PI With a ‘Rorschach’ Secret in This Second Movie in ‘Weekend Cinematic Universe’.

So what is the first film? While there were heavy speculations on this when the movie was announced, the title reveal teaser of Detective Ujjwalan, launched on September 3, gave a clue as to which could be the first movie. Detective Ujjwalan is written and directed by Indraneel Gopeekrishnan and Rahul G.

In the teaser trailer of Detective Ujjwalan, Dhyan Sreenivasan's supposedly titular character is trying to piece together a mystery case through newspaper clippings and maps all pinned together on his evidence board. It is set a couple of decades back, as evidenced by his using a Walkman. There is also a mysterious man in the same room who is wearing a mask and has a bloody hammer. His side of the room resembles a crime scene. Towards the end of the teaser, Ujjwalan asks him to remove the mask, and before we see his face, the promo ends.

ICYMI, Here's The Tile Teaser of 'Detective Ujjwalan':

What Connects 'Detective Ujjwalan' to 'Minnal Murali'?

Eagle-eyed fans have spotted one small glimpse in the teaser, and they think they have discovered the first film in the 'Weekend Cinematic Universe'—Basil Joseph's Minnal Murali. The superhero movie, starring Tovino Thomas in the lead, came out in 2021 (straight to Netflix) to good reviews and is considered a cult film. Minnal Murali Movie Review: Tovino Thomas Gives Malayalam Movie Buffs a Superhero Worth Rooting for in Basil Joseph’s Netflix Film.

So, which scene connects Detective Ujjwalan to Minnal Murali? This scene from the teaser trailer shows a map...

A Scene From 'Detective Ujjwalan' Title Teaser

The marked spot shows Kurukkanmoola, the fictional village where the events of Minnal Murali are set.

Netizens Spotting the 'Kurukkanmoola' Easter Egg in the Teaser

'Kurukkanmoola Reference'

'Same Universe as Minnal Murali'

'Seriously Making a Universe?'

Funnily, Minnal Murali also has its own sneaky universe, as director Basil Joseph has added some quirky easter eggs in the movie, which connects the film to his earlier directorials like Kunjiramayanam and Godha. But with 'Weekend Cinematic Universe', we are finally having a proper cinematic universe in Malayalam Cinema, and we also hope that Tovino Thomas makes a cameo in Detective Ujjwalan as Minnal Murali.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 03, 2024 09:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).