Shoot for Mohanlal-Jeethu Joseph film Ram to resume in February!
Shoot for Mohanlal-Jeethu Joseph combo’s ‘Ram’ was progressing when the lockdown was declared. The makers had to stall shoot as most of the remaining portions had to be filmed abroad. After few months of waiting, Mohanlal and Jeethu Joseph decided to proceed with the sequel of ‘Drishyam’. While ‘Drishyam 2’ shoot is set to begin later this month, the makers are planning to resume ‘Ram’ by February 2021. They are hoping that things would return to back to normalcy by then.
‘Ram’ has Mohanlal and popular South Indian actress Trisha in the lead roles in the film. The film is said to be a thriller made on a big scale. Trisha plays a doctor named Vineetha in the film. Indrajith Sukumaran, Durga Krishna, Chandhunath and Leona Lishoy are also part of the cast. The makers had originally planned to shoot some important portions in Egypt, London and Istanbul. After the virus outbreak, it remains to be seen how they plan to complete the shoot.
Ramesh R Pillai and Sudhan S Pillai are jointly producing the film under the banner of Abhishek Films.
In a recent interview with a popular Tamil magazine, ace filmmaker Vetrimaaran has confirmed that he is planning to work with Thalapathy Vijay. He said that script works are already underway and is just waiting for Vijay’s call. Upon hearing the news, the actor’s fans in social medias have been really excited. Vijay seems to be trying to attain a balance between content-oriented films and masala entertainers and his said project with Vetrimaaran is likely to be the beginning of a new trend.
After the restrictions over film shootings are lifted, Vetrimaaran will begin his new film that has Soori in the lead. It was supposed to be shot much earlier but had to be postponed as it demands to be shot the Middle East. Elred Kumar of RS Infotainment will be producing the film.
After completing Soori’s film, Vetrimaaran will be helming the Suriya starrer ‘Vaadivasal’. The film based on CS Chellappa’s popular novel of the same name is produced by Kalaippuli S Thanu of V Creations. Vetri’s film with Vijay is expected to start once the star is free from his other commitments.
Kutti Love Story: Gautham Menon, Venkat Prabhu, Nalan Kumarasamy and AL Vijay team up for an anthology!
Tamil filmmakers Gautham Vasudev Menon, Venkat Prabhu, AL Vijay and Nalan Kumarasamy are coming together for an anthology film titled ‘Kutti Love Story’. The film is produced by Ishari K Ganesh of Vels International. It was announced last day with a short promo video in which the four directors narrate a particular romantic scene from their respective films.
The project looks very promising as it is not often that such leading filmmakers team up for an anthology film in Tamil. The announcement regarding the cast and crew of each of these four segments is eagerly awaited. The film’s producer Ishari K Ganesh, in a statement, said,
“As an audience, I have admired the poetic, voguish and emotional dimension of love that Gautham Vasudev Menon, Venkat Prabhu, Vijay and Nalan Kumarasamy have crafted and portrayed in their films. In fact, they have created a huge fan base for such beautiful renditions. I am extremely happy, collaborating with these great filmmakers and curiously looking forward to experiencing the final product. We will be soon making announcements on the cast and crew.”
‘Kutti Love Story’ is most likely to get a direct OTT release.
Official: Saif Ali Khan to play the antagonist in Prabhas starrer Adipurush!
As announced earlier, Prabhas is teaming up with director Om Raut for a multilingual mega-budget film. Titled as ‘Adipurush’, it is said to be the big screen adaptation of Indian epic, Ramayana. The makers have announced that Saif Ali Khan will be playing the antagonist role in the film. His character is named as Lankesh, which is actually Raavan from the mythological epic.
It must be noted that Saif Ali Khan was also part of director Om Raut’s last film ‘Tanhaji’. The biographical action-epic had Ajay Devgn and Saif in the lead roles. The film was a huge hit and is currently the highest grossing Bollywood film of 2020.
Expectations on ‘Adipurush’ are already high as Om Raut brings together Prabhas and Saif Ali Khan. The film is planned be made completely in 3D format. It will be shot simultaneously in Hindi and Telugu. It will also dubbed and released in Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada languages.
The film will go on floors in 2021, and targets a 2022 release.T Series and Retrophiles production are jointly producing it.
C U Soon Review: Mahesh Narayanan and team come up with a path-breaking film!
We are currently living in unprecedented times where virtual communication takes precedence over the real world bonding. This makes Mahesh Narayanan’s latest film ‘C U Soon’ all the more relevant and relatable. It has been shot entirely during the pandemic-induced lockdown period with minimal resources.
The USP of ‘C U Soon’ is that the story unfolds completely through screens. We get to see all the action happening through phone screens, computer screens and CCTV footage. Though the technique has been employed effectively in films like ‘Searching’ and the recently-released Hindi web series ‘Gone Game’, this is a first as far as Malayalam cinema is considered.
‘C U Soon’ takes off with Dubai-based Jimmy scrolling through the dating app Tinder to find the perfect match. He comes across an Anumol Sebastian and they casually hit it off over text chats and video calls. Before we know, Jimmy proposes Anu awkwardly on a mid-night video call which includes his mom and sister. All this while, there is a sense of mystery glooming around Anu.
On the other hand, Jimmy is exactly like how his Tinder profile reads. He is vulnerable, edgy and desperate for a serious relationship. When he informs his mother about his wish to marry Anu, enters Kevin, his cousin. Jimmy’s mom asks Kevin, who is a cyber security analyst, to get details about the girl for a basic background check before they proceed with the proposal.
The set up part is done effectively. By now, we get an idea about the lead characters and their world. The audience is also made familiar with the new pattern of storytelling, which is only through screens. So once the conflict arises, we are no longer bothered about the screens as we are completely engrossed in the narrative.
Anu goes missing which lands Jimmy in trouble. This is where Kevin’s expertise in technology comes handy. As he tries to track her down, he unravels shocking details about the girl. The last half hour of the film takes a shift from a mystery thriller to a hard-hitting humane story.
The film begins through Jimmy’s perspective. Roshan Mathew plays the part neatly without going overboard at any point. He has that innate urban-guy look and charisma which suits this character. Fahadh Faasil’s reputation as an actor par excellence keeps growing as he once again delivers a marvelous performance. His character Kevin has a proper arc in the film. He is one of those irritable, cocky guys who is hard to deal with. His misogynistic and self-centered nature is revealed through his love-hate relationship with his partner, Sanjana. But over the course of the story, we see him getting more empathetic. It is through his eyes that we get to know more about the real Anu and her hardships. There is a scene where Kevin tries hard to hold his tears but eventually breaks down. Fahadh is really good.
Despite all that, the scene-stealer has to be Darshana Rajendran. The actress, who has mostly been doing sidekick roles, comes up with a knock out performance in this one. The entire film revolves around her character and she ensures not to waste such a big opportunity. The film has several close up shots where Anu describes her traumatic situation. Darshana is so real and convincing in these scenes that her performance might move you to tears.
‘C U Soon’ is a product of Mahesh Narayanan’s vision and he deserves all the appreciation in the world for conceiving an idea like this and bringing together the right set of people to execute it. Just like his debut film ‘Take Off’, ‘C U Soon’ is also emotionally-charged and speaks about an important issue that needs to be addressed. The screen-film technique doesn’t come off as a mere gimmick but a clever and innovative method of storytelling. We are so immersed that the logical loopholes hardly matter.
Another notable aspect about Mahesh’s films is his amazing ability to convince the audience with the locations. It was already proven in ‘Take Off’ but it is even better in this film. Since we are all aware of the circumstances under which the filming was done, the makers seem to have invested more time and efforts to camouflage everything convincingly. The production design is so perfect that we are made to believe that the scenes have really been shot in the UAE. Real footages are seamlessly blend with the computer-generated ones to impart an overall authentic feel.
In short, ‘C U Soon’ is a phenomenal achievement that should inspire more filmmakers to swim against the tide and come up with innovative ideas. Even if you leave all that aside, the film deserves a watch just for the gripping experience it offers.
Grrr: Kunchacko Boban and Suraj Venjaramoodu in Ezra director Jay K’s next
Kunchacko Boban and Suraj Venjaramoodu are set to play the lead roles in a new film titled ‘Grrr’. Jay R Krishnan of ‘Ezra’ fame will be directing the film. From the title poster released recently, the film promises to be a fun film with zoo and animals as part of the storyline. As per the makers, it will be a feel-good comedy entertainer centered around inter-personal relationships.
‘Grrr’ will be majorly shot in Thiruvananthapuram. The zoo in the capital city is an important part of the plot. Some portions will also be filmed in a VFX studio in London. The film will have a mix of real animals, visual effects and animatronics. The makers had planned to start shooting in April this year, but due to the pandemic, they have pushed it further.
August Cinema will be producing the film. More details regarding the other cast and crew members and are expected to be out before shoot begins. The makers are hoping to start shoot in two months’ time.
The title poster of upcoming Malayalam film ‘Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam’ has been released online. It has been shared by many celebs including Kannada star Rakshit Shetty, Malayalam filmmaker Basil Joseph, actresses Nikhila Vimal, Tanvi Ram, Santhy Balachandran etc.
The film is directed by Senna Hegde, who has previously made the hit Kannada rom-com ‘Katheyondu Shuruvagide’. He has also made an indie Malayalam film titled 0-41* that got screened at some international film festivals. ‘Thinkalazhcha Nishchaya’ marks Senna’s mainstream Malayalam debut.
As the title suggests, the film revolves around an engagement ceremony. Senna has penned the film’s screenplay along with cinematographer Sreeraj Raveendran. Notably, he was also the DOP of Senna’s ‘Katheyondu Shuruvagide’.
Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam title poster
‘Thinkalazhcha Nishchayam’ is shot completely in Kanhangand with a bunch of newcomers in the lead roles. The actors were picked through various rounds of auditions. Some other known names such as Unniraj Cheruvathur, Rajesh Madhavan, Sajin Cherukayil, Manoj KU and Ranji Kankol are also part of the cast. Music is composed by Mujeeb Majeed and edits are done by Harilal K Rajeev. Vinayak Sasikumar and Nidheesh Nadery have penned the song lyrics. Nixon George is in charge of the sound design.
Vinod Divakar is the executive producer and the film is produced under the banner of Pushkar Films. Release plans have not yet been announced.
Check out this fun promo song from Lal-Lal Jr film Tsunami
Veteran director Lal and his son Lal Jr are together helming a film for the first time. Titled as ‘Tsunami’, the film stars Aju Varghese, Balu Varghese, Mukesh, Innocent and many others as part of the cast. The makers have now released the first promo song online. It is a fun track that is sung by the actors themselves. Innocent, Mukesh, Aju Varghese, Balu Varghese and Suresh Krishna have sung the track along with Unni Karthikeyan and Neha S Nair. Lal has penned the lyrics and it is set to tunes by Innocent, Neha and Yakzan Gary Pereira.
‘Tsunmai’ scripted by Lal is said to be based on a true story. The film’s shoot was completed during the lockdown period. The makers had originally started shoot in February and was hoping to wrap up by March end. However, with just 12 more days of shoot left, the lockdown was announced and the following days witnessed a spike in Corona affected cases in Kerala.
After waiting for nearly three months, ‘Tsunami’ team decided to resume shoot. It was also the first Malayalam film to resume shoot during the lockdown. They shot with a minimal crew adhering to all protocols laid down by the government and managed to wrap up the remaining portions in quick time. Alex J Pulickal is the DOP and Ratheesh Raj handles the edits.
Allan Antony is presenting the film under the banner named Panda Dad Production.
Tovino Thomas starrer ‘Minnal Murali’ is being publicized as the first superhero film from Malayalam. Its teaser was released recently and got excellent response from the viewers. The makers have gone all out to ensure that the film gets a pan Indian reach. The Hindi version of the film has been titled as ‘Mister Murali’ and its teaser was released by Abhishek Bachchan and Arjun Kapoor. Vijay Sethupathi and Keerthy Suresh shared the Tamil teaser and Rana Daggubati launched the Telugu version. ‘KGF’ star Yash released the Kannada teaser.
Bollywood superstar Hrithik Roshan also shared the teaser through his Twitter handle. His post reads,
Introducing the fastest Superhero #MinnalMurali played by the eclectic @ttovino. My best wishes to the team, looking forward to the film ?
It must be noted that Hrithik Roshan’s ‘Krrish’ is Indian cinema’s first proper superhero franchise. Tovino acknowledged the same and wrote,
And that’s India’s iconic superhero KRRISH wishing the new entrant Minnal Murali to the superhero arena ! Thank you sir
‘Minnal Murali’ is directed by Basil Joseph of ‘Godha’ and ‘Kunjiramayanam’ fame. The film is scripted by Arun Anirudhan and Justin Mathew. Along with Tovino, Tamil actor Guru Somasundaram is also there in a major role. Aju Varghese, Baiju Santhosh, Harisree Ashokan, Mammukoya, debutante Femina George and many others are part of the cast.
Cinematographer Sameer Thahir, music director Shaan Rahman and Hollywood-based action choreographer Vlad Rimburg form the core technical team. Sophia Paul of Weekend Blockbusters is producing the film.
Fahadh Faasil, Syam Pushkaran and Dileesh Pothan reunite for new project
The successful trio of Syam Pushkaran, Dileesh Pothan and Fahadh Faasil are planning to come together once again. Dileesh Pothan is set to direct a new film with Fahadh in the lead role. Syam Pushkaran is currently working on the script. The makers are eyeing to start shooting by the end of this year.
The three had earlier teamed up for ‘Maheshinte Prathikaram’, ‘Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum’ and ‘Kumbalangi Nights’, though their roles were different each time. ‘Maheshinte Prathikaram’ had Fahadh in the lead with Syam Pushkaran scripting it and Dileesh Pothan making his directorial debut. In ‘Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum’, Syam was the dialogue writer and creative director. ‘Kumbalangi Nights’ had the trio coming together for the first time for production. Syam was also the scriptwriter and Fahadh essayed one of the major roles in the film.
The trio was also supposed to work together in another film titled ‘Thankam’. It was to be directed by ‘Theeram’ fame Saheed Arafath with Syam Pushkaran as the scenarist. Fahadh, Joju George and Dileesh Pothan were announced as the lead actors. Shoot was scheduled to begin by mid-2020 but since the film is set mostly outside Kerala, the makers have decided to push it considering the pandemic situation. Fahadh, Dileesh Pothan and Syam Pushkaran are also producing the film.
While ‘Thankam’ is a crime-thriller, it is not known what genre the trio is attempting next. Stay tuned for more updates.
