# Dominic and the Ladies' Purse
**Dominic and the Ladies' Purse** (Malayalam: ഡൊമിനിക് ആൻഡ് ദി ലേഡീസ് പേഴ്സ്) is a 2025 Indian Malayalam-language detective comedy-mystery directed by [Gautham Vasudev Menon](https://www.edgepedia.org/gautham-vasudev-menon) in his Malayalam directorial debut, starring [Mammootty](https://www.edgepedia.org/mammootty) as a disgraced ex-cop turned private detective who takes on the seemingly simple task of finding the owner of a lost ladies' purse, a case that escalates into a murder mystery.[1](https://filmi.ai/film/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-2025/) • [2](https://www.moviecrow.com/News/34381/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-mammootty-gvm-reviews) It was produced by Mammootty Kampany and released in theaters worldwide on January 23, 2025.[2](https://www.moviecrow.com/News/34381/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-mammootty-gvm-reviews)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | January 23, 2025 (India, theatrical); digital release on ZEE5 from December 19, 2025[3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32887317/) • [4](https://simkl.com/movies/2490621/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse) |
| Director and writers | Gautham Vasudev Menon (his first Malayalam film), with Neeraj Rajan and Sooraj Rajan[2](https://www.moviecrow.com/News/34381/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-mammootty-gvm-reviews) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32887317/) |
| Cast | Mammootty, Gokul Suresh, Sushmitha Bhat, Viji Venkatesh, Siddique, Vijay Babu, Lenaa, Shine Tom Chacko[1](https://filmi.ai/film/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-2025/) |
| Runtime and certification | 151 minutes; CBFC U/A[3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32887317/) • [1](https://filmi.ai/film/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-2025/) |
| Music and crew | Music by Darbuka Siva; cinematography by Vishnu Dev; editing by Anthony[1](https://filmi.ai/film/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-2025/) |
| Box office | ₹199.2 million (₹19.92 crore) worldwide gross in 35 days (₹109.2 million (₹10.92 crore) India, ₹90 million (₹9.00 crore) overseas), per Sacnilk as of 26 August 2026[1](https://filmi.ai/film/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-2025/) |
| Streaming | ZEE5 (India), in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada audio[5](https://www.zee5.com/ta/movies/details/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse/0-0-1z5874712) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and premise
Dominic is a former police officer who left the force and now works as a private detective, running a struggling agency out of a flat where he owes months of unpaid rent to his landlady.[6](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-review-gautham-vasudev-menon-mammootty-deliver-an-amateurish-mystery-comedy-filled-with-missed-opportunities-9794249/) According to the Moviebuff synopsis, he is a former Circle Inspector ousted for an undiagnosed color blindness that resulted in a critical mistake, now living as a broke, divorced ex-cop.[7](https://www.moviebuff.com/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse) His landlady Madhuri (Viji Venkatesh) asks him to locate the owner of a ladies' purse she found in a public place so it can be returned.[6](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-review-gautham-vasudev-menon-mammootty-deliver-an-amateurish-mystery-comedy-filled-with-missed-opportunities-9794249/)
The simple errand grows into a darker case involving missing persons, murder, a stalker, and the mysterious dancer Nandhita, played by [Sushmitha Bhat](https://www.edgepedia.org/sushmitha-bhat).[1](https://filmi.ai/film/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-2025/) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32887317/) Dominic takes on a young assistant, Vignesh, called Vicky ([Gokul Suresh](https://www.edgepedia.org/gokul-suresh)), a wealthy young man interested in true crime and detective stories whom Dominic hires partly because he does not have to pay him much.[8](https://letterboxd.com/highonfilms/film/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse/) Reviewers noted the film's debt to [Sherlock Holmes](https://www.edgepedia.org/sherlock-holmes), with India Today describing Darbuka Siva's score as an Indianised version of Sherlock Holmes music.[9](https://www.moviecrow.com/movie/5186/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-malayalam-movie-review/review)
## Production and release
The film marked Gautham Vasudev Menon's first direction in [Malayalam cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/malayalam-cinema), after a career in Tamil films that includes police stories such as *Kaakha Kaakha*, *Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu*, and *Yennai Arindhaal*.[10](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/2025/01/23/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-malayalam-cinema-gautham-vasudev-menon-mammootty.html) It was a production venture of Mammootty Kampany, the actor's own company.[2](https://www.moviecrow.com/News/34381/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-mammootty-gvm-reviews) The trailer was released in early January 2025 ahead of the January 23 theatrical opening.[11](https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/movie-news/2025/01/08/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-official-trailer-out.html)
The film later streamed on ZEE5, which lists it with audio in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, and a listed duration of 2h 29m on that platform.[5](https://www.zee5.com/ta/movies/details/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse/0-0-1z5874712) IMDb gives the theatrical runtime as 2h 31m (151 minutes).[3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32887317/)
## Critical reception
**Reviews were mixed.** The Filmi aggregate score is 48 (Mixed), the mean of three critic readings, with readings running from 30 to 62.[1](https://filmi.ai/film/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-2025/) [Individual](https://www.edgepedia.org/individual) published ratings included 3.0 out of 5 from Gopika in The Times of India, who wrote that Mammootty shines in the stylish mystery drama and called Sushmitha Bhat the standout performer after the lead.[9](https://www.moviecrow.com/movie/5186/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-malayalam-movie-review/review) India Today's Janani gave 2.6, praising the music but noting that some supporting actors' Malayalam slang was not on point.[9](https://www.moviecrow.com/movie/5186/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-malayalam-movie-review/review) [The Hindu](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-hindu)'s S. R. Praveen gave 2.5, calling it average fare weighed down by needless flab.[9](https://www.moviecrow.com/movie/5186/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-malayalam-movie-review/review) Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave 1.5, describing the film as an amateurish mystery comedy.[9](https://www.moviecrow.com/movie/5186/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-malayalam-movie-review/review)
Recurring points of agreement were Mammootty's performance and a slower, lighter treatment. Onmanorama wrote that the film is not experimental but fun, with a light first half and an investigation that picks up pace only in the second half.[10](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/2025/01/23/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-malayalam-cinema-gautham-vasudev-menon-mammootty.html) The Cinema Express review called it a restrained origins film focused on establishing Dominic as a character, with shades of gray rather than the misanthropy of Sherlock Holmes.[12](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2025/Jan/23/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-movie-review-a-detective-in-gray-features-in-this-colourful-origins-story) Moviecrow's own review found few thrills but credited the film's low-key charm and a convincingly handled twist.[13](https://www.moviecrow.com/News/34393/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-review-mammootty) First-day audience reactions on social media, compiled by Moviecrow, praised Mammootty's screen presence and the humor of the first half while opinions divided on the second half and climax.[2](https://www.moviecrow.com/News/34381/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-mammootty-gvm-reviews)
## Box office
Per Sacnilk figures reported by Filmi, the film grossed ₹199.2 million (₹19.92 crore) worldwide in 35 days, comprising ₹109.2 million (₹10.92 crore) in India and ₹90 million (₹9.00 crore) overseas, as of 26 August 2026.[1](https://filmi.ai/film/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-2025/)
## References
1. [Dominic and the Ladies' Purse (2025) review, box office, OTT release date, Filmi](https://filmi.ai/film/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-2025/)
2. [Dominic And The Ladies' Purse: Public Reviews of the Gautham Menon, Mammootty movie, Moviecrow](https://www.moviecrow.com/News/34381/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-mammootty-gvm-reviews)
3. [Dominic and the Ladies' Purse (2025), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32887317/)
4. [Dominic and the Ladies' Purse, Simkl](https://simkl.com/movies/2490621/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse)
5. [Watch Dominic and the Ladies' Purse, ZEE5](https://www.zee5.com/ta/movies/details/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse/0-0-1z5874712)
6. [Dominic and the Ladies Purse movie review, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-review-gautham-vasudev-menon-mammootty-deliver-an-amateurish-mystery-comedy-filled-with-missed-opportunities-9794249/)
7. [Dominic and the Ladies Purse, Moviebuff](https://www.moviebuff.com/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse)
8. [Dominic and the Ladies' Purse review by High On Films, Letterboxd](https://letterboxd.com/highonfilms/film/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse/)
9. [Dominic And The Ladies Purse Malayalam Movie - Critic Reviews, Moviecrow](https://www.moviecrow.com/movie/5186/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-malayalam-movie-review/review)
10. [Mammootty-Gautham Vasudev Menon's 'Dominic and the Ladies' Purse' is not experimental, but is fun, Onmanorama](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/2025/01/23/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-malayalam-cinema-gautham-vasudev-menon-mammootty.html)
11. [Dominic and The Ladies Purse official trailer news, Manorama Online](https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/movie-news/2025/01/08/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-official-trailer-out.html)
12. [Dominic and the Ladies' Purse Movie Review: A gray detective gets his start in this colourful origins film, Cinema Express](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2025/Jan/23/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-movie-review-a-detective-in-gray-features-in-this-colourful-origins-story)
13. [Dominic And The Ladies' Purse Review - Few thrills but a certain low key charm works, Moviecrow](https://www.moviecrow.com/News/34393/dominic-and-the-ladies-purse-review-mammootty)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Malayalam films of the 2020s › Malayalam films of 2025*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license