Anali: Nikhila Vimal and Leona Lishoy’s new JioHotstar series is based on Jolly Joseph and the notorious killings?

Anali on JioHotstar: Midhun Manuel Thomas directs the series, which has Nikhila Vimal and Leona Lishoy in key roles. The Malayalam series appears to be based on Jolly Joseph-linked serial killings.

Anali series on JioHotstar

JioHotstar announced three new series - Anali, Roslin, and Cousins & Kalyanams - during its South Unbound event on Tuesday. Interestingly, the teaser of Anali released recently promises a tense thriller is on the cards, which has strong vibes of real-life serial killings that shook Kerala. The incident in question is Jolly Joseph and her link to the Koodathayi murder cases. Midhun Manuel Thomas directs the series, which has Nikhila Vimal and Leona Lishoy in key roles. Let's look at what the Anali teaser shows.

JioHotstar's Anali teaser

The teaser of Anali was unveiled on social media even as live announcements were made during the South Unbound event of the platform held in Chennai on December 9, 2025. The Anali teaser begins with a shot of a house in Kerala, as a voiceover informs about the three mysterious deaths at the Palamottom family. We see people battling for thier life and scenes from a funeral.

Another individual, probably a cop, says that it is truly unbelievable that a person was able to manipulate the society and police and commit heinous crimes and evade law for 14 years. Then we are introduced to the characters played by Nikhila Vimal and Leona Lishoy. Though we do not know what is the character of Nikhila, it is clear that Leona plays the central character accused of the killings.

The series synopsis on the platform says that Anali focuses on a woman who is driven to take extreme actions. Though the makers have not made any claims that it is linked to the infamous Jolly case, the plot conveyed in the teaser strongly hints so. A release date is yet to be announced for Anali. When it drops on JioHotstar, it will also be available on OTTplay Premium

Who is Jolly and her link to Koodathayi murder case?

Jolly Joseph is a Malayali woman, who is accused of killing several members of her husband's family in Koodathayi of Kerala's Kozhikode district. The deaths happened over a span of several years, and a police probe in 2019 provided evidence of foul play. Jolly has been arrested and the matter is still in court. Earlier, a documentary titled Curry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case, helmed by director Christo Tomy, was released on Netflix.

The JioHotstar other series, Roslin, revolves around a teenage girl and her parents, while the third series Cousins and Kalyanams promises to be a fun tale about the chaos surrounding a wedding.

JioHotstar has also announced upcoming seasons for Kerala Crime Files and 1000 Babies.

Also read: 1000 Babies Season 2: Rahman promises a more intriguing story, S1 was just ‘icing on the cake’

Malayalam series FAQs

Q. Which are the latest series announced by JioHotstar?

A. JioHotstar has announced three Malayalam series - Roslin, Anali and Cousins & Kalyanams. Kerala Crime Files and 1000 Babies have also been renewed for their next seasons by the platforms. All the series will be available on OTTplay Premium.

Q. What is the Netflix series on Jolly Joseph?

A. The Netflix documentary series on Jolly Joseph is titled Curry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case, which is helmed by Christo Tomy.

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