Siddharth and Kalidas Jayaram in Alphonse Puthren's next

Promising young filmmaker Alphonse Puthren has been on a long break ever since the release of his blockbuster film Premam in 2015. The movie emerged as one of the highest grossing Malayalam movies of all time. Ever since then, the audience have been waiting to hear from Alphonse about his next movie.

Earlier this year, the director finally announced that he will be doing a Tamil film as his next. Eventhough there were speculations about Aphonse teaming up with Nivin Pauly once again, the director had made it clear that Nivin will not be a part of his next movie.

As per latest reports, Kalidas Jayaram and noted South Indian actor Siddharth is likely to play the lead roles in the movie. Pre-production works for this yet-to-be-titled movie is currently progressing in Chennai. Though Alphonse had said that his next film in Tamil, certain reports suggest that he is planning to make it as a bilingual in Malayalam as well.

The two film old director has already carved a niche for himself in the industry. His debut Neram was a commercially successful Tamil-Malayalam bilingual while Premam was a sensational success all across South India.

Alphonse has already announced that his upcoming movie will be a musical entertainer. He has also retained his two trusted friends/technicians – cinematographer Anend C Chandran and composer Rajesh Murugesan for his next.

The highly talented Siddharth is best known for his performance in films like Rang De Basanti, Aayutha Ezhuthu, Kaaviya Thalaivan and Jigarthanda to name a few. He is making his Malayalam debut by playing a crucial role in Dileep’s upcoming big budget movie Kummarasambhavam.

Kalidas Jayaram made his Tamil debut last year with Meen Kuzhambum Mann Paanaiyum. He is currently awaiting the release of his much delayed Poomaram, directed by Abrid Shine. The movie is expected to hit screens by the end of this year.

An official announcement about the Alphonse Puthren film is expected to be made very soon.

Mohanlal to play a police trainer in his next with Priyadarshan!

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Vignesh Madhu

October 19, 2017

Mohanlal to play a police trainer in his next with Priyadarshan!

Recently, we had reported about the all time favorite combo of Mohanlal and Priyadarshan teaming up for a mass entertainer, which is being planned to be made in 5 languages. Producer Santhosh T Kuruvilla of Moonshot Entertainment was the one who revealed this highly exciting project earlier this week through his official Facebook page.

According to latest reports, Mohanlal will be playing the role of a police trainer in the movie. It is one of the very few characters he has not played before in his three decade long career. Though he has played a police officer previously, a police trainer is something different.

Priyadarshan and Mohanlal have previously worked together in around 40 films which includes several classics. Their last outing Oppam, released for last year’s Onam, was a huge success which entered the elite 50 crore club of Mollywood. More details regarding the duo’s upcoming project is not yet known. It is expected to go on floors sometime by mid 2018.

Both Priyadarshan and Mohanlal are currently busy with their respective commitments. The director is caught up with the post production works of his Tamil film Nimir, which is the official remake of Dileesh Pothan’s Maheshinte Prathikaram.

Meanwhile, Mohanlal is busy shooting for VA Shrikumar Menon’s Odiyan in Palakkad. It is a big budget film which deals with magical realism and a few fantasy elements. The actor will be sporting different looks for the movie and hence shoot is also planned in multiple schedules.

After the completion of Odiyan he will be joining the sets of Ajoy Varma’s thriller, which is also produced by Moonshot Entertainment. The superstar’s next release will be Villain, slated to hit screens on 27th of this month.

Vijay’s Mersal beats Vivegam to set a new first day record!!

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Vignesh Madhu

October 19, 2017

Vijay’s Mersal beats Vivegam to set a new first day record!!

Amidst huge fan fare Thalapathy Vijay’s Mersal hit screens worldwide last day. This Atlee directorial came in with massive pre-release hype. And staying true to the expectations, the movie has taken a fantastic opening in centres all across the globe.

According to latest reports from trade analysts, the movie has set a new opening day record in the Chennai city box office. Mersal has shattered the existing record held by Vivegam. While the Ajith starrer managed to gross Rs 1.21 crores, Mersal has earned a whopping Rs 1.52 crores. After Vivegam it was Rajinikanth’s Kabali (1.12) and Vijay’s Theri (1.05).

Leading trade analyst Kaushik has tweeted that the movie has most probably set a new record in the overall TN box office. But the official figures are yet to be announced officially. It is expected to be released by today afternoon.

Mersal is a complete mass entertainer that has all commercial ingredients one would expect from a star vehicle. It is a kind of film that families would like to watch during this festive season. Though the movie follows the usual commercial formula, Mersal is a paisa vasool mass entertainer that appeals to audience of all age groups.

Vijay plays a triple role in the film and three female leads – Nithya Menen, Samantha and Kajal Aggarwal are paired opposite him. SJ Suryah plays the antagonist while Sathyaraj, Vadivelu, Kaali Venkat, Kovai Sarala and Harish Perady play supporting roles.

Apart from the star-studded cast, the movie has some big names in the technical department as well. Oscar winner AR Rahman has handled the music department and Baahuabli’s co-writer Vijayendra Prasad has helmed the movie’s screenwriting along with Atlee and Ramana Girivasan.

Popular production house Sri Thenandal Films has funded this high profile project, which incidentally is also their 100th venture. Mersal is sure to give a historic success for this banner.

Check out the motion poster of Diwanjimoola Grand Prix

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Vignesh Madhu

October 18, 2017

Check out the motion poster of Diwanjimoola Grand Prix

The official motion poster of director Anil Radhakrishnan Menon’s Diwanjimoola Grand Prix has been released today. It is the director’s third film after the National award winning North 24 Kaatham, Sapthamsree Thaskaraha and Lord Livingston 7000 Kandi.

We hear that Diwanjimoola Grand Prix is a social satire with an element of fun and adventure. The three-film-old director is noted for his penchant for trying something unique in all his works. All his previous movies dealt with entirely different themes and his upcoming one is also no different. Interestingly, the movie will feature several characters from other films as part of its cast.

https://www.facebook.com/directoranilradhakrishnanofficial/videos/2088481654510959/

Kunchako Boban is playing the role of an IAS officer in the movie. The actor is reprising his character Sajan Joseph from the 2003 Lohithadas directorial Kasthooriman. Similarly, many characters from various other movies are also part of Diwanjimoola Grand Prix. Like Nedumudi Venu’s Nobiletan and Sudheer Karamana’s Leaf Vasu from the director’s own Sapthamsree Thaskaraha. Tini Tom is reprising the character he played in Mammootty’s Pranchiyettan and the Saint.

Nyla Usha, Siddique, Vinayakan, Joy Mathew, Sudhi Koppa, Rajeev Pillai, Ketaki Narayan and Shaheen Siddique are also part of this upcoming movie. A host of new comers will also be introduced to the Malayalam film industry.

Diwanjimoola Grand Prix is scripted jointly by Anil Radhakrishnan Menon and former Kozhikode collector Prashanth Nair. The movie is being produced by Masoodh Muhammed and Safeer Ahmed under the banner of Mars International. Anil Radhakrishnan Menon is also venturing into production as a co-producer in Divanjimoola Grand Prix.

Mersal Review: A thoroughly entertaining festive film!

Reviews

Vignesh Madhu

October 18, 2017

Mersal Review: A thoroughly entertaining festive film!

After a lot of final minute hurries and commotion, Vijay’s Mersal has finally hit screens today. Thalapathy is teaming up with Atlee after the blockbuster Theri and this time the director has brought a star studded cast and crew. Coming in amidst humongous hype, has Mersal managed to live up to that? Read to know more..

Mersal has a larger than life storyline that is cinematic in every sense. But when a fabulous mass hero like Vijay is in the helm of things, we hardly have any time to think of all that. Vijay is the USP of this movie as he rocks the screen with his performance as a doctor, a stylish magician and an 80s village head.

The actor has pulled off the magician’s role effortlessly and the flashy moves he does is such a treat to watch. In the flashback portions, as the village head, Vijay appears in a different look and mouths the Madurai accent. His introduction scene and the following ‘Aalaporan Tamizhan’ song is one of the major highlights of the film. The movie has a lot of action sequences and the one during the pre-interval block was easily the best.

Mersal does not boast of a novel plot. The basic storyline is something very simple but what has worked tremendously well the movie is its screenplay and Atlee’s skills in commercial filmmaking. The two-film-old director has smartly packaged the movie as a clean commercial entertainer. The screenplay penned by Atlee along with KV Vijayendra Prasad and Ramana Girivasan deserves appreciation. The interesting staging of mass scenes and the slight mystrey in the inital half makes it very engaging for the audience.

Technically, Mersal is easily Atlee’s best film. GK Vishnu’s spectacular cinematography makes one forget that it is first independent work. AR Rahman’s songs became sensational even before the release. His thumping background score in the mass moments elevates certain scenes perfectly.

Atlee’s mentor, director Shankar would feel proud on watching the picturization of Mersal’s songs. All four songs are wonderfully shot and with Vijay’s unmatchable dancing skills, it is a treat for the eyes. However, the staging of these songs were quite strange. Except for the ‘Aalaporan Tamizhan’ song, all the remaining three looked forced in.

On the negative side, one cannot help but notice the duration, which is nearly 170 minutes. The movie could have been a lot more crispier if a few portions from the flashback were edited tightly. Apart from a superb Nithya Menen, the other two heroines – Kajal Aggarwal and Samantha – do not have any scope for performance. Vadivelu in his comeback has done his part well and another notable performer is Kaali Venkat. Despite having some terrific actors like Sathyaraj and SJ Suryah on board, Atlee has not been able to utilize them to their best. From the word go to the very last frame, Mersal is completely a Vijay show.

Overall, Mersal is what a common audience would expect to watch during this festive season with families. There is humour, dance, action, emotions and also a relevant social message. The movie has a blockbuster written all over it. So, its celebration time for Vijay fans!!

Kerala Box Office: Solo 8 Days Collection Report

Collection Report

Vignesh Madhu

October 18, 2017

Kerala Box Office: Solo 8 Days Collection Report

Dulquer Salmaan’s latest release Solo has been in the news for some unfortunate reasons. Releasing amidst much fanfare on October 5, this Bejoy Nambiar directorial opened to mixed response from the audience. Majority of the audience were critical of the fourth story and its strange climax. Many took to social media platforms to express their disappointment about the movie’s ending.

This backlash from the audience forced the makers of the Malayalam version to chop off the climax portions. The shows after the initial couple of days had a different ending. This apparently has had a big impact on the movie’s box office collections. The word of mouth was also mixed to negative.

Our trade sources inform that the movie has managed to gross Rs 8.30 crore from its 8 days run in Kerala. This is an average figure for a big star like Dulquer Salmaan. The changed climax and the initial backlash has affected the movie’s box office earnings.

Solo, made as a Tamil-Malayalam bilingual, is an anthology of four stories. Each story is based on the basic elements of Water, Wind, Earth and Fire. Dulquer plays four different protagonists in the film. These four characters – Shekar, Trilok, Rudra and Siva – are basically the avatars of Lord Shiva.

Bejoy Nambiar, who has also scripted the movie, has woven these four elements with love and revenge as the basic premise. Solo has an elaborate star cast and huge technical crew from industries across the country.

Abraham Mathew has produced the Malayalam version under the banner of Abaam Movies. Tamil version is jointly funded by Anil Jain and Bejoy Nambiar

Kerala Box Office: Ramaleela Collection Report – 15 Days

Collection Report

Vignesh Madhu

October 18, 2017

Kerala Box Office: Ramaleela Collection Report – 15 Days

Dileep’s Ramaleela continues to do terrific business across all the release centres. Releasing on September 28, the movie opened to overwhelming response from the audience. The movie is fast progressing to become one of the all time highest grossers of Malayalam cinema.

According to latest collection reports from our trade sources, the movie has earned a whopping Rs 21.70 crores from its 15 days theatrical run in Kerala alone. Recently, more screens were added for Ramaleela due to the massive response from the audience.

More centres have been added in Kerala and Chennai. The movie is also being screened in centres like Mumbai, Pune, Bhopal, Ghorakpur, Surat, Noida, Gurgaon, Goa and Kolkata among other places. The last time we witnessed such a phenomenal response for a Malayalam movie was for Mohanlal’s Pulimurugan.

Ramaleela, directed by debutant Arun Gopy is a political thriller. Sachi has scripted this movie which features Dileep as Ramanunni, a public representative. Prayaga Martin has played the female lead. Senior actors like Raadhika Sarathkumar, Mukesh, Viayaraghavan, Kalabhavan Shajon and Suresh Krishna are also part of the supporting cast.

Extensive promotions by Tomichan Mulakupadam has also been instrumental in pulling more audience to theaters. Trade experts believe that Ramaleela has the potential to overhaul all non-Pulimurugan records. Ramaleela’s success is even more special considering all the issues amidst which the movie got released.

Mohanlal to play a mahout in Spadikam director Bhadran’s next!

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Vignesh Madhu

October 18, 2017

Mohanlal to play a mahout in Spadikam director Bhadran’s next!

It’s been a while since reports have been doing the rounds about a Mohanlal-Bhadran project. The latest we hear that is the project is indeed on. Reportedly, Bhadran pitched an idea to Mohanlal during the shoot of Velipadinte Pusthakam. Mohanlal was highly excited by the subject and immediately squeezed in dates for the movie from his busy schedule.

Like the duo’s previous outings, this one will also be a mass action film. Mohanlal will be playing the role of a mahout, which is a first in his three decade long career. Mohanlal has given a whopping 100 days for the movie, which is entirely set in the backdrop of a forest. Director Bhadran is currently busy finishing the screenplay.

Sophia Paul’s Weekend Blockbusters is in talks for production. It must be noted that Mohanlal’s first release this year, Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol was produced by the same banner. An official confirmation is still awaited regarding this upcoming movie.

Director Bhadran has previously worked with Mohanlal in four films namely Uncle Bun, Spadikam, Olympiyan Anthony Adam and Udayon. Spadikam, released in 1995, is widely regarded as one of Mohanlal’s best films till date. The movie enjoys a enjoys a cult status among the Malayali audience. Earlier this year on Mohanalal’s birthday, Spadikam was re-released after a gap of 22 long years.

If the reports turn out to be true and Mohanlal joins hands with Bhadran, then we can certainly expect a high voltage mass entertainer. Meanwhile, Mohanlal is currently busy shooting for VA Shrikumar Menon’s Odiyan in Palakkad. After its completion, he will be joining the sets of Ajoy Varma’s thriller film, slated to go on floors in December.

The superstar also has Priyadarshan’s multilingual mass entertainer, Prithviraj’s directorial debut Lucifer, Joshiy’s family drama, a Shaji Kailas-Renji Panicker movie and the 1000 crore magnum opus Mahabharata in the pipeline.

Irrfan Khan to do a movie based on sister Abhaya murder case

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Vignesh Madhu

October 18, 2017

Irrfan Khan to do a movie based on sister Abhaya murder case

Sister Abhaya’s murder case is the longest standing case in the judicial history of Kerala. Investigation on this shocking murder case is still going on even after 25 years of the incident. A leading production company from Mumbai is reportedly planning to make a movie on based on the incident. Earlier also there have been films based on the Abhaya murder case like Suresh Gopi’s Crime File, which was loosely inspired from this incident.

Sister Abhaya was a Knanaya Catholic nun, who was found dead in a water well in St Pius X Convent in Kottayam on 27 March 1992. Initially the incident was reported as a suicide case but multiple investigations revealed it to be a murder. After 16 years, in 2008, a third team of CBI finally found two priests and a nun responsible for the murder and arrested them.

Ace actor Irrfan Khan is likely to play the lead role in the upcoming Hindi movie. More details regarding this project is not yet known. But the latest news that a movie is being planned on Kerala’s most shocking murder case itself has raised the curiosity among the public.

Irrfan Khan is well known for his terrific acting skills. Unlike his Bollywood contemporaries, Irrfan is someone who is interested in doing realistic films rather than the usual commercial stuff. Interestingly, Irrfan played a crucial role in Talvar, another real life inspired movie, which was based on the Noida double murder case. The movie, directed by Meghna Gulzar was premiered at several international film festivals and even went on to win a couple of National awards.

Never before seen craze for Vijay’s Mersal in Kerala; All set for a massive release tomorrow!!

Latest News

Vignesh Madhu

October 17, 2017

Never before seen craze for Vijay’s Mersal in Kerala; All set for a massive release tomorrow!!

Vijay is one of the biggest superstars in South India. The actor enjoys massive popularity worldwide. Besides his home ground Tamil Nadu, the actor has a strong foothold in all the South Indian states. His fan base in Kerala is easily on par with the big Ms of Mollywood. Vijay’s movies garauntee a massive opening and they have often broken the pre-existing opening days records in the state.

On most occasions, filmmakers in Kerala schedule their releases to avoid a clash with Vijay’s movies; such is his fan base in the state. The actor’s much awaited movie Mersal is releasing tomorrow, on Diwali day, amidst humongous expectations. Global United Media, the market leaders, who bagged the distribution rights, are eyeing to release the movie in a record number of screens all across Kerala.

Vijay’s fans in Kerala have been involved in a lot of promotional works for Mersal. The Trivandrum unit of Vijay fans recently hogged the limelight after they held bike rallies and flash mobs to promote the movie. Around 300 members participated in the rally which was also intended to spread awareness about the importance of helmets and safe riding. Similar road shows were organised by the fans associations in Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Malappuram districts.

This is a never before seen craze for any movie in Kerala. With such massive promotions and wide release, Mersal is all set to have a record opening in the Kerala box office. Expectations about this movie are huge as Vijay is teaming with director Atlee after the blockbuster success of Theri.

Vijay is also playing a triple role in the film, which is a first in his two decade long career. Oscar winner AR Rahman is handling the music and the songs are already trending virally. The movie also has three alluring beauties in Nithya Menen, Samantha and Kajal Aggarwal. That’s more than enough reasons to watch this festive entertainer.