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Ayyappanum Koshiyum is not a mass film, but a very intense, realistic kind of cinema: Prithviraj

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Ayyappanum Koshiyum is not a mass film, but a very intense, realistic kind of cinema: Prithviraj

‘Ayyppanum Koshiyum’ has a positive buzz among the Malayali audience thanks to team involved and the recently released teaser. Sachi is directing the film that has Prithviraj Sukumaran and Biju Menon in the titular roles. The trio had earlier teamed up for ‘Anarkali’, which was a superhit film.

‘Ayyappanum Koshiyum’ is centred around a conflict between a police constable and a retired solider over a legal issue. Biju Menon plays Ayappan Nair, a middle-aged police constable and Prithviraj essays the part of Koshy Kurian, a havildar who is retired from army after 16 years of service.

From the teaser, the film looks like a mass entertainer that revolves around these two main characters. But Prithviraj, in a recent interview, clarified that it’s not a mass film but an intense, realistic kind of cinema. Though the film has stunts in it, it’s not a proper action flick. The star also revealed that he plays a flawed character in the film and it is Biju Menon who essays the ideal guy’s part.

Veteran director Ranjith, Anna Reshma Rajan, Siddique, Anu Mohan, Sabumon Abdusamad, Anil Nedumangad, Shaju Sreedhar and many others are part of the supporting cast. Sudeep Elamon of ‘Pathinettam Padi’ and ‘Finals’ fame is the DOP and Jakes Bejoy is the composer. The film is produced by director Ranjith and PM Sasidharan under the banner of Gold Coin Motion Picture Company.

Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo grosses a whopping Rs 83 cr from Day 1

Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo grosses a whopping Rs 83 cr from Day 1

Allu Arjun’s ‘Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo’ has taken a massive opening at the box office. The makers have officially announced that the film has grossed a staggering Rs 83 crore from its first day of worldwide theatrical run. The Trivikram Srinivas directorial got released across the world on January 12. In US, it released a day prior to that. The film also had a simultaneous Malayalam dubbed version release.

‘Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo’ is facing good competition from the other Sankranti release, ‘Sarileru Neekevvaru’ (SN) starring Mahesh Babu. As per the makers of SN, the film has a business of Rs 103 crore from its first three days.

‘Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo’ is jointly produced by S Radhakrishna and Allu Aravind under the banners of Geetha Arts and Haarika & Hassine Creations. It high pre-release expectations and fortunately, the film lived up to the hype. Majority have rated it as a proper entertainer for the festive season. Families are thronging theatres in large numbers to enjoy the film during the holidays.

Trivikram’s neat writing, Allu Arjun’s swashbuckling performance and Thaman’s music are the biggest highlights of the film. It has a stellar star cast, which includes two female leads in Pooja Hegde and Nivetha Pethuraj. Samuthirakani, Tabu, Jayaram, Sushanth, Navdeep, Sathyaraj, Rajendra Prasad, Vennela Kishore, Brahmaji and Sunil play other major roles.

Prithviraj to shoot for Aadujeevitham from March till September!

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Prithviraj to shoot for Aadujeevitham from March till September!

Though it has been over two years since ‘Aadujeevitham’ went on floors, only 25% of the shoot has been completed so far. Blessy is directing the film that has Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead. The star is currently on a three-month long break to reduce weight and undergo a major physical transformation. He will be shedding oodles of weight to achieve a malnourished look.

It is learnt that Prithviraj will be resuming shoot for the film from March beginning. He will be working on the film till September for over 6 months. They will be shooting extensively in Jordan, Egypt and some portions in India. All the other films that Prithviraj has already committed for, will begin only after the completion of ‘Aadujveeitham’.

The film is based on Benyamin’s award winning novel of the same name. It is the life story of an abused migrant worker, Najeeb Mohammed, who gets stranded in the middle of deserts in Saudi Arabi. The film is being shot in various schedules as Prithviraj needs to be appearing in multiple looks. If things turn out as per plans, it will hit screens early next year.

Celebrities heap praise on team Anjaam Pathiraa!

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Celebrities heap praise on team Anjaam Pathiraa!

‘Anjaam Pathiraa’ continues to have an extraordinary run at the Kerala box officer. After a tremendous opening weekend, the film is having high occupancy during the working days. Special extra shows are being added in several major centres. Since it is a thriller film, audience are eager to watch it at the earliest to avoid the spoilers.

Common audience have unanimously rated it as the best thriller to have come out of Malayalam cinema in recent years. Even industry insiders have been highly impressed by the film. Sunny Wayne, Anu Sithra, ‘Helen’ director Mathukutty Xavier, Tini Tom, Jude Anthany Joseph, award-winning novelist Benyamin and many others have written highly about ‘Anjaam Pathiraa’ in their social media handles.

Actress Saniya Iyappan has written,

Anjaam Pathiraa is undoubtedly a mindblowing start to 2020. I’m awestruck by how brilliantly this thriller has been woven together with a perfectly written script. The casting has my heart – Chackochan, Unnimaaya, Sreenath Bhasi, etc have given their very best and taken this movie to a whole different level. The cinematography and background score is quite a feast and it beautifully blends in to give us the exact feel of the story. I must say that this brilliant thriller has done complete justice to the genre. Though the climax was a little saddening, I believe it is the perfect climax this film could ever have. I am greatly impressed and I believe Anjaam Pathiraa is the best movie I could start my year with. Congrats to Midhun, the Director, the whole cast and the great crew behind the screen who put in the best of their efforts to make this movie a spectacular one. A big thank you to them for giving us this gem!

Actor Deepak Parambol’s Facebook post reads,

With no Doubt Anjam Pathiram is one among the best malayalam thriller movies !! Midhun Manuel Thomas made a shift from his usual genre of films and executed it surprisingly well ! Magnificent Frames by Shyju Khalid ! Excellent Bgm bySushin Shyam and well perfomed actors ! From the beginning to the end the film could engage the audience! Hari Krishnan congratz bro you have done ur role really well! Ashiq Usman congratulations on the success of ur film.!

Director Arun Gopy:

‘Anjaam Paathira’ a different perspective on the thriller genre. Midhun Manuel Thomas has rightly used the plot to evoke elements of suspense. The editor, music director and cinematographer has very well supported the sequences. A great lead by darling Chackochan Kunchacko Boban. Applause to Indransettan, Sharaf U Dheen, Nandana Varma, Jaffar Idukki and Siddharth Bhasi. Cheers to the team. Ashiq Usman than aalu poliyaanu it’s ur pathiraaa!!

‘Manoharam’ fame Aparna Das:

Watched Anjam Pathira last night and I saw how people actually enjoy a good film. After a long time I saw one amazing thriller! With such a strong script. No unwanted scenes or lag! Every character in that film had a contribution towards the investigation. Bgm ,Direction, acting everything about this film was extremely good ! @midhunmanuelthomas with no doubt made a neatly crafted psycho thriller !! Worth every penny !! Support such good films for more and more films like this Watch it in big screen for the best experience. Cheers team Anjam pathira. And dearest Ashiq Usman (THE PRODUCER) Chetta Thank you for this film and congratulations on the success.

‘Anjaam Pathiraa’ directed by Midhun Manuel Thomas is a whodunnit thriller centred around a series of murders. Kunchacko Boban plays the lead role of a criminal psychologist named Anwar Hussain. Remya Nambeesan, Sreenath Bhasi, Indrans, Unnimaya Prasad, Jinu Joseph and many others are part of the cast.

Oscar Nominations 2020: Here’s the complete list

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Oscar Nominations 2020: Here’s the complete list

Nominations for the 92nd Oscars got announced last day. Todd Phillips directorial ‘Joker’ scored a leading 11 nominations, including best picture, best director for Phillips and best actor for Joaquin Phoenix.

Martin Scorsese’s Netflix film ‘The Irishman’, Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ and Sam Mendes’ ‘1917’ got 10 nominations each. Bong Joon Ho’s South Korean film ‘Parasite’ got six nominations. It became the first Korean film to be nominated for a best picture at Oscars.

The Academy Awards will be held on February 9 at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and will be televised live on ABC.

Here’s a full list of the nominees:

Best Picture

1917
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite
Ford v Ferrari

Best Director

Bong Joon-ho (Parasite)
Sam Mendes (1917)
Todd Phillips (Joker)
Martin Scorsese (The Irishman)
Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)

Best Actor

Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)
Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory)
Adam Driver (Marriage Story)
Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes)

Best Actress

Cynthia Erivo (Harriet)
Renée Zellweger (Judy)
Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story)
Charlize Theron (Bombshell)
Saoirse Ronan (Little Women)

Best Supporting Actress

Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
Florence Pugh (Little Women)
Margot Robbie (Bombshell)
Kathy Bates (Richard Jewell)
Scarlett Johansson (Jojo Rabbit)

Best Supporting Actor

Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
Al Pacino (The Irishman)
Joe Pesci (The Irishman)
Anthony Hopkins (The Two Popes)
Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood)

Best Film Editing

The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Ford v Ferrari
Parasite

Best Costume Design

Sandy Powell and Christopher Peterson (The Irishman)
Mark Bridges (Joker)
Arianne Phillips (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
Jacqueline Durran (Little Women)
Mayes C Rubeo (Jojo Rabbit)

Best Production Design

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
The Irishman
1917
Jojo Rabbit
Parasite

Best Sound Mixing

Ad Astra
Joker
1917
Ford v Ferrari
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Best Sound Editing

1917
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Best Original Screenplay

Rian Johnson (Knives Out)
Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story)
Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns (1917)
Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)
Bong Joon-ho (Parasite)

Best Adapted Screenplay

Steven Zaillian (The Irishman)
Greta Gerwig (Little Women)
Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit)
Anthony McCarten (The Two Popes)
Todd Phillips and Scott Silver (Joker)

Best Cinematography

Roger Deakins (1917)
Rodrigo Prieto (The Irishman)
Lawrence Sher (Joker)
Jarin Blaschke (The Lighthouse)
Robert Richardson (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood)

Makeup and hairstyling

Bombshell
Joker
Judy
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
1917

Visual Effects

Avengers: Endgame
The Irishman
The Lion King
1917
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Music (Original Score)

Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Music (Original Song)

I’m Standing With You (Breakthrough)

Into The Unknown (Frozen II)
Stand Up (Harriet)

I’m Gonna Love Me Again (Rocketman)

I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away (Toy Story 4)

Glasgow (Wild Rose)

Animated Feature Film

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Klaus
Missing Link
Toy Story 4

Animated short film

Dcera (Daughter)
Hair Love
Kitbull
Memorable
Sister

Live-action Short Film

Brotherhood
Nefta Football Club
The Neighbors’ Window
Saria
A Sister

Documentary Feature

Advocate
The Cave
The Edge of Democracy
For Sama
Honeyland

Documentary Short Feature

In the Absence
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl)
Life Overtakes Me
St. Louis Superman
Walk Run Cha-Cha

International Feature Film

Les Misérables (France)
Honeyland (North Macedonia) Corpus Christi (Poland)
Parasite (South Korea)
Pain and Glory (Spain)

Rajinikanth’s Darbar crosses Rs 150 crore mark from opening weekend collections!

Rajinikanth’s Darbar crosses Rs 150 crore mark from opening weekend collections!

Superstar Rajinikanth’s ‘Darbar’ had hit screens worldwide on January 9. The film got released amidst high expectations, particularly among the fans. Though the critic reviews were mixed, box office figures have been on the rise. After the opening weekend run, the makers have officially announced that the film has crossed the Rs 150 crore mark. The collections were released by producers Lyca Productions through their social media handle. The fact that the film got a solo release and the good pre-release buzz has helped it a great deal.

‘Darbar’, written and directed by AR Murugadoss, is a mass action-thriller that has Rajinikanth in a police officer’s role. It is the superstar’s highly energetic performance that holds the film together. Though Nayanthara plays the female lead technically, it is Nivetha Thomas, who plays Rajinikanth’s daughter, who gets the meatier role. Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty essays the villain part.

After the release of the two Telugu biggies – Mahesh Babu starrer ‘Sarileru Neekevvaru’ and Allu Arjun’s ‘Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo’, ‘Darbar’ is now facing stiff competition at the box office. It remains to be seen if the Rajinikanth film manages to hold steady for a long run.

I would love to direct Fahadh, Dulquer and Nivin: Prithviraj

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I would love to direct Fahadh, Dulquer and Nivin: Prithviraj

2019 was a year that saw Prithviraj Sukumaran taking up many new roles. Apart from making a mark as an actor, he also made his debut as a director as well as a producer. He launched his own production house by producing the sci-fi thriller ‘9’ aka ‘Nine’. His directorial debut ‘Lucifer’ was widely talked about and it emerged as the biggest blockbuster in Malayalam cinema history.

Prithviraj’s efficiency as a filmmaker was widely talked about. Although it has already been announced that his sophomore directorial will be the second part of ‘Lucifer’, Malayali audience are still eager to hear about his other directorial plans. In a recent interview to TOI, he was asked about his opinion on directing younger generation of actors.

Prithviraj said that he would love to direct films with Fahadh Faasil, Dulquer Salmaan and Nivin Pauly, but the fact is, he doesn’t see himself as a full time director. Like always, he maintained that he is an actor first and direction is something he would like to do every three years. He also added that he currently has a few ideas in mind but eventually, it will all depend on what he wishes to do after ‘Empuraan’, the second part of ‘Lucifer’.

Prithviraj is currently on a three-month long break as part of preparations for his new film ‘Aadujeevitham’. He also has ‘Ayyappanum Koshiyum’ gearing up for release.

Vaadivaasal: Suriya’s next with Vetrimaaran is based on Jallikattu

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Vaadivaasal: Suriya’s next with Vetrimaaran is based on Jallikattu

Recently, at the Vikatan Cine Awards ceremony, it was announced that Suriya-Vetrimaaran film has been titled as ‘Vaadivaasal’. The film is based on CS Chellappa’s popular novel of the same name. Kalaippuli S Thanu of V Creations, who produced the director’s last blockbuster ‘Asuran’, is backing this film as well.

Director Vetrimaaran had acquired the rights of ‘Vaadivaasal’ 3 years back itself. The novel is actually based on Jallikkattu, a famous bull taming sport practiced from the Tamil classical period (400-100 BC). Vaadivasal is the narrow gate through which the Jallikattu bulls are let out for young men to subdue during the Pongal celebrations.

It is said that CS Chellappa’s novel has immense potential to be made into a film. It captures the native spirit of the sport that is a very integral part of Tamil culture. With acclaimed films like ‘Visaaranai’ and ‘Asuran’, director Vetrimaaran has already proven his abiltiy to helm literary adaptations. So there will be lot of expectations this time as well. In addition to that, this is his first film with Suriya. The star’s fans as well as common cine lovers are equally excited.

Shoot is expected to begin by the end of this year.

Master does massive pre-release business; Makers officially announce the distributors!

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Master does massive pre-release business; Makers officially announce the distributors!

The hype surrounding Thalapathy Vijay’s ‘Master’ is so huge that the distribution rights for all major areas have been sold even before the release of a teaser or trailer. Though the film’s release is still three months away, the makers have already closed all the business deals.

United India Exports and Malik Streams have bought the overseas rights. They will be releasing the film in Sri Lanka, Canada, USA, Thailand, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia. In domestic regions, Dheeraj Enterprises have bagged the Karnataka rights while East Coast Productions sealed the rights in the two Telugu speaking states. In Kerala, the rights have been sold area wise. Listin Stephen’s Magic Frames will be releasing the film in Travancore region while Fortune Cinemas will be releasing it in Malabar and Cochin areas.

‘Master’ is written and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. Along with Vijay, the film will see another big star, Vijay Sethupathi, in a major role. Malavika Mohanan, Andrea Jeremiah, Arjun Das, Shanthanu Bhagyaraj and Gouri Kishan are also part of the film. The presence of such a star-studded cast has also heightened the expectations.

Apart from the distribution rights, ‘Master’ has got some other big deals. While Sony Music India bought the audio rights, Amazon Prime bagged the streaming rights for a new record price. Sun TV has procured the satellite rights. Xavier Britto is producing the film which is scheduled for an April release this year.

Minnal Murali will be a complete fantasy entertainer that appeals to both kids and regular audience: Basil Joseph

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Minnal Murali will be a complete fantasy entertainer that appeals to both kids and regular audience: Basil Joseph

After the superhit success of ‘Godha’, Tovino Thomas and director Basil Joseph are reuniting for a new film titled ‘Minnal Murali’. The makers are publicizing it as the first superhero film in Malayalam. Tovino plays a rustic youth Murali, who gets superhero powers after getting struck by a lightning. The story is set in the 90s in the rural locales of Wayanad. Arun Anirudhan and Justin Mathew are scripting the film and Sophia Paul of Weekend Blockbusters is producing it.

According to director Basil, ‘Minnal Murali’ is a local superhero flick — the first of its kind in Malayalam. He assures that it will be a complete fantasy entertainer that appeals to both the kids as well as the regular audience. Shoot is currently progressing and it will last for around 120 days.

Interestingly, ‘Minnal Murali’ is being made simultaneously in 4 languages – Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. Along with Tovino, Tamil actor Guru Somasundaram will be also be seen essaying a very prominent role. Aju Varghese, Baiju Santhosh, Harisree Ashokan, Mammukoya, debutante Femina George and many others are part of the cast.

The makers have also assembled a strong technical crew headlined by Sameer Thahir as the cinematographer, Shaan Rahman as the composer and Hollywood-based Vlad Rimburg as the action choreographer. The film has been scheduled as an Onam 2020 release.