Genelia D’Souza, the bubbly ‘boys’ girl is finally making a start in Mollywood. She will be seen as the heroine to Prithviraj in the new movie directed by Santhosh Sivan titled ‘Urumi’. Scripted by Shankar Ramakrishnan, the movie will be set in the 15th century with Genelia playing the role of a Portuguese princess.With Santhosh Sivan at the helm, the movie is sure to create rave reviews for its lead actress.
Genelia to debut in Mollywood
Archana Kavi debuts in Tamil
Archana has got an offer from Vasanthabalan in his forthcoming Tamil film ‘Aravaan’.Vasanthabalan who has made some memorable films like ‘Veyil’ and ‘Angadi Theru made the official announcement few days ago.’Aravaan’ film will have ‘Eeram’ fame Aadhi as the protagonist. Archana Kavi and Dhanshika are the two heroines in the film. ‘Veyil’ fame Pasupathy is also playing an important role.
‘Aravaan’ is a period film happening in the 18th century Tamil Nadu. Popular singer Karthik is debuting as the music composer. Siddarth of ‘Yaaradi Nee Mohini’ fame would wield the camera. T Siva of Amma Creations would produce the film.
Oru Naal Varum Review
Movie – Oru Naal Varum
Producer- Manianpilla Raju
Director- T.K.Rajeev Kumar
Cast- Mohanlal, Sreenivasan, Sameera Reddy, Devayani, Suraaj Venjaramoodu etc.
Music- M.G.Sreekumar
Lyrics- Murugan Kattakada
Story, Screenplay, dialogues- Sreenivasan
Review by – Unni / www.Kerala9.com
T.K.Rajeev Kumar delivers in ‘Oru Naal Varum’ a movie that you can watch and enjoy, maybe alone or maybe with your family. But whether the film has what you call ‘substance’ is worth discussing. And the film doesn’t appeal as much as did the earlier Mohanlal-Sreenivasan films. Yet, ‘Oru Naal Varum’ is no trash.
Gopi Krishnan (Sreenivasan) is an Assistant Town planning officer and is steeped in corruption. He never feels qualms of any kind in receiving bribes; in fact he won’t ever do his work without being bribed. But he manages to make his naïve and loyal wife Rajalakshmi (Devayani) believe that he is not corrupt at all. (Well, does that seem a bit over-exaggerated?). 
Gopi Krishnan gets apt assistance from his driver Girijan (Suraaj Venjaramoodu), who haggles with people and facilitates the giving and taking of bribes and all. Enter Sukumaran Kulapully (Mohanlal), who has to get Gopi Krishnan’s sanction for beginning the construction of his house. Gopi has an earlier grudge against Sukumaran and moreover he won’t ever budge without being bribed. Sukumaran has his own share of problems, personal ones. His estranged wife Meera (Sameera Reddy) wants him to hand over their daughter to her, whom she had left in the custody of Sukumaran as she had no job or money to take care of the child. Well, it’s into all this that another aspect of the same story is woven in. Sukumaran has an altogether different identity too. And there begins a new track.
Well, what is the film all about? Is it about the corrupt government official and what all happens to him and his family? Or is it about Sukumaran and his problems? Well, it’s mainly about the corrupt Gopi Krishnan and corruption and related issues. The other things simply prop it all up. There are of course places where it seems to go all wrong. There are times where things seem to be blown out of proportion. There are bits of fantasy it seems, in contrast to the rather unpleasant realities that the film attempts to discuss. There are minuses and minuses if you set out to point out. But ‘Oru Naal Varum’ has got its share of pluses too. The film’s major highlight is that it’s a good intentioned one, one that has a message to convey. And that’s done in a commendable way too. There are things that would appeal to you. In total, there is no point in saying that the film is not at all worth watching; on the contrary I’d like to say that go, watch the film, at least for goodness’ sake.
Performances
There is no denying the fact that Mohanlal has done justice to his role and that Sreenivasan has played his role in his characteristic style, with ease. All the same, it has to be noted that the kind of chemistry that worked out with the Mohanlal-Sreenivasan combo earlier doesn’t seem to work out now. And Sreenivasan seems to be still caught up in his mannerisms and a stereotyped kind of acting style and dialogue delivery, which of course we still love to watch. Sameera Reddy is good as Meera, but she has not got much to do, performance-wise. She does justice to whatever she gets to do in the film. Devayani is her usual self while Suraaj Venjaramoodu performs in his typical style and elicits quite a laugh. Nedumudi Venu delivers a real good performance, as the retired hawildar who refuses to bribe Gopi Krishnan and is hence forced to undergo all kinds of hardships.
Technical aspects
Technical aspects are all in sync with the mood of the film.
Music
M.G.Sreekumar has done a rather good work of the music direction. The songs have come off much better than what he had done earlier in ‘Thandavam’ and ‘Chathurangam’.
Script
Sreenivasan has done a fairly good work of the script, with his usual kind of wit and humour being there all through. He has dealt some of the sequences with a stroke of satire, which makes it good. But on the whole, it has to be said that the script is nowhere near the best of what has been penned by Sreenivasan. There are some scenes that even seem illogical and improbable. Sreenivasan definitely could have delivered a much better script.
Direction
There may not be too many negatives to be mentioned against T.K.Rajeev Kumar and his direction, but there aren’t too many positives either. It’s good, much better than some of the director’s earlier films, but not as good as his ‘Chanakyan’ or ‘Pavithram’. There is nothing too unusual or out of the ordinary about the movie, but it definitely is a feel-good one, which would go down well with the family audience.
Overall verdict- Good, but not outstanding! Feel good stuff!!
Rating: 2.5/5
Music director M.G.Radhakrishnan passes away
Thiruvananthapuram: M.G.Radhakrishnan, famous music director of Kerala took his final breathe today at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram , family sources said .
Radhakrishnan (70) was admitted to Cosmopolitan Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram following severe liver ailment on Monday.
Born on 8 August 1937 at Haripad, in Alapuzha Radhakrishnan was a disciple of Sree Vidyadhiraja Hridayanjali. He also composed music based on lyrics by his guru.
He bagged Kerala State Film Award for best music director for the film Achaneyanenikkishtam in 2001 and Ananthabhadram in 2005.
Radhakrishnan’s brother is noted playback singer M.G.Sreekumar. His sister Dr. K Omanakutty is a Carnatic vocalist.
The first film he composed music for is Thambu released in 1978. Some of his popular songs are Varuvaanillarum innorunaalum ee vazhi’ in Manichithrathaazhu, ‘Shalabam vazhimaruma mizhi randilum’ (Achaneyanenikkishtam), ‘Naadha nee varum kalocha kelkuvan’ (Chaamaram) and ‘Pinakkamano’ (Ananthabhadram). He is the brother of playback singer MG Sreekumar. He had introduced ‘Nightingale of South India’ KS Chitra to playback singing in Cinema in the movie Attahaasam.
Late Director Lohithadas – Smrithi Sandhya on June 27
The town of Chalakudy is getting ready to host the ‘Smrithi Sandhya’ of late scriptwriter -director Lohithadas, on this Sunday.
Organised by ”The Legends” on which Lohi too was a member, the function to be held at Mendos International will be inaugurated by Megastar Mammootty.He would present the first Lohithadas award instituted by `legends’ to Ranjit Sanker, director of the film ‘Passenger’ on the occasion.. The function will also witness Nedumudi Venu, Innocent, Jayaram, Jayasuriya, Bhama, Kamal, and Sathyan Anthikkad, sharing their remembrances about Lohithadas.
Poonam Kaur is Prithvi’s costar
Model turned actress Poonam Kaur will start her acting in Mollywood with the new movie titled ‘Thriller’.She will play the heroine of the movie opposite Prithviraj.She was throned Miss Andhra in the year 2005, was largely in the south cinema appearing in some important movies in the last few years. She had been the heroine of movies like ‘Nenjirkkum Varai’ in Tamil, ‘Souryam’ and ‘Vinayakadu’ in Telugu.
Directed by B Unnikrishnan, the movie is reported to be based on the famous Paul Muthoot murder case, which was in the headlines of the newspapers for quite some time.
The movie also stars Lalu Alex, Jagathy, Saikumar and Riyaz Khan in major roles apart from Prithvi, who plays the role of an young commissioner who is assigned with the investigation.
Vivek gets ready for Mollywood
Ace comedy actor in Tamil cinema, Vivek is all set to enter Malayalam movie which titled as ‘Oru Nunakkadha’.A hilarious affair as expected, this movie will feature Vivek as a sub inspector of state police who is crazy about films. To be directed by Johnson Thankachan, ‘Oru Nunakkadha’ will be produced by Mathew Abraham in the banner of Ben arts.
‘Casanova’ is finally going to start its shoot by August
‘Casanova’, the big budget movie from Roshan Andrews- and Mohanlal is finally going to start its shoot by August. Featuring big names of the industry from Mohanlal to Sameera Reddy and Lakshmi Rai, the movie will be shot entirely in foreign locations including Dubai, Bangkok and Malaysia. Scripted by Sanjay – Bobby, Casanova will be an ‘Ashirvad Release’.In fact, the movie which was announced at least three years ago, has shifted its first schedule of shoot three times, each shift arriving just before its planned start.
And if another shift doesn’t happen, the movie may get into theatres as a Christmas release from the superstar.
24 Hours Trailer
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24 Hours Video Song
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Preview on monsoon movies
‘Neelambari’
After ‘Nanthuni’, director Harinarayanan deals with the rare friendship between Parvathy and Lakshmi in ‘Neelambari’. Produced under the banner of Sri Lakshmi Theatres, the film has Bhama as Parvathy and Vidhya as Sree Lakshmi.
The story revolves around their friendship, a triangular love story and the trauma the friends go through. The musical is set in the mystic background of an agrahaaram where Parvathy and Lakshmi were brought up together like twin sisters. Both of them joined the same music college for higher studies where Parvathy falls in love with her music teacher, Devanand. But she hides the tale of love from Lakshmi. There begins the problem between them.
Vineeth plays Devanand. Anoop Menon, Harishree Ashokan, Suraj Venjaramood, Ambika, Ponnama Babu, Baby Malavika and Master Kannan are also part of the cast. Kaithapram Vishwanath has composed the songs penned by Kaithapram Damodaran Namboodiri.
The script and dialogues are by Haripad Harilal and the cinematography by Sashi Ramakrishna.
‘Ramaravanan’
Ramaravanan’ is a visual adaptation of Madhavi Kutty’s ‘Manomi.’ Directed and scripted by Biju Vattapara, the film explores a saga of love between Thirushelvam (a terrorist) and a girl called Manomi from the country he’s fighting against.
Sri Lanka and the issue of racism is highlighted in the film. When the fight between the Tamilians and Sinhalese breaks out, Annadurai flees to India with his family. Manomi, who loses her father in the attack of Tamil tigers, seeks asylum in Annadurai’s home. The whole family except Annadurai hates the Sinhalese Manomi.
A Tamil tiger called Thirushelvam reaches Annadurai’s house asking for shelter and he falls in love with Manomi. Though he is aware of her origin and the mission he has in life, the terrorist can’t move away from her.
Produced under the banner of Effar International, the film has Suresh Gopi, Mithra Kurian, Nedumudi Venu and Biju Menon playing prominent roles.
’24 Hours’
Directed and scripted by debutant Aditya Sam Abraham, the film has new faces Kuldeep and Komal. Manoj K Jayan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Anil Murali, Irshad, Shammi Thilakan, Sudheer, Anil, Devan, Vinaya Prasad and Jain Khan play important roles in the film.
The movie narrates the adventurous times in the life of the youngster called Jagan. He is an outstanding car racer who is deserted by his family in a particular situation. To get away from his problems he moves to another city where he goes to a bar and gets involved in a conflict which results in the death of Hazari.
The news shocked the city as Hasari is the brother of the criminal called Ithar. Jagan runs for his life. A girl enters his life at this point and Jagan is forced to protect her. The crucial moments in Jagan’s life forms the crux of ‘24 Hours.’ Aditya has tried out a new theme and style of presentation in the film. Manoj K Jayan (Ithar), Kuldeep (Jagan), Irshad (Hasari) and Gouri (Komal) pare part of the cast. Reji V Kumar is the cinematographer.
The lyrics by Vayalar Sarath Chandra Varma has been composed by Adwaith.
Pazhassi Raja to come out in the Blu-Ray format.
‘Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja’ will become the first ever Malayalam movie to come out in the Blu-Ray format.
The market leader of DVD and CDs, Moser Baer, has brought out the Malayalm movie in Blue-Ray format. On June 17, a function was organized for this at Gokulam Park in Cochin. It was attended by the Kerala Film Producers Association’s president Sabu Cherian, Actor Mammootty and G Dhananjayan of Moserbaer.Moser Baer has bought the home video rights in all formats of the movie in a whooping price, which is not yet disclosed.