ENTERTAINMENT
Malayalam Entertainment roundup: Mammootty's Bramayugam collects Rs 15 crore; Kerala theatres go on strike; Manjummel Boys enter Rs 100 crore club; Premalu to hit a ton; Poacher global franchise expansion
The month of February saw a whirl of news from the South Indian film industry, and saw a slate of back-to-back blockbuster releases from Malayalam cinema. Stay tuned for more roundups from the world of the shimmer and glimmer entertainment.
ENTERTAINMENT
Women's Day 2024: Women surrendering to the might of the male in Malayalam cinema
On this women’s day, we bring you a few instances from Malayalam films, when the women who started as a liberating force of nature eventually succumbed to patriarchy.
ENTERTAINMENT
Mammootty’s Bramayugam surpasses Abraham Ozler at the box office
Bramayugam is said to have collected Rs 29.27 crore from Kerala and Rs 25.82 crore from the rest of India.
ENTERTAINMENT
Premalu might hit a ton soon at the box office
This is Girish AD’s third film after the success of Thanneer Mathan Dinangal (2019) and Super Sharanya (2022). His films centre around young love.
ENTERTAINMENT
Manjummel Boys hits a century at the box office, joins 100 crore club
Soubin Shahir-produced Manjummel Boys, which released on February 22, has collected Rs 56 crore (India) and Rs 40 crore (overseas). It's the fastest Malayalam film to achieve this feat. Malayalam cinema is having a terrific run at the box office.
ENTERTAINMENT
Manjummel Boys Review: Of male friendships and Soubin Shahir in a moving, engaging survival drama
The bonding between the characters, in the Malayalam drama based on a real incident, looks very lived-in and Soubin Shahir stands out with his subtlety.
TRENDS
Alia Bhatt & Richie Mehta screen Poacher in London, hint at global franchise expansion
The series Poacher will stream on Amazon Prime Video from February 23 in English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Tamil.
TRENDS
Strike call: Why Kerala theatre owners will stop screening Malayalam films from February 22?
The Kerala Film Producer’s Association has released a statement that Manjummel Boys will release on Feb 22 as scheduled, and films currently running in theatres won't be affected by the ban.
TRENDS
Box Office: Mammootty’s Bramayugam collects Rs 15 crore worldwide
Rahul Sadasivan's directorial raked in Rs 3.1 crore on Opening Day and, over the weekend, the Malayalam film has grossed Rs 8.5 crore from Kerala alone.
TRENDS
What Tovino Thomas said at the Anweshippin Kandethum promotion
Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas has no qualms calling a spade a spade.
ENTERTAINMENT
5 reasons to watch Mammootty’s horror film Bramayugam, releasing this week
Malayalam cinema's first big hit last year, the comedy horror Romancham showed a loyal audience for the horror genre. Will Bhoothakaalam director's second film Bramayugam, releasing on February 15, prove to be this year's first mega hit?
TRENDS
Malaikottai Vaaliban review: Even Mohanlal can’t lift Lijo Jose Pellissery’s unoriginal narrative that feels like an Amar Chitra Katha retelling
The fantasy world of Vaaliban is neither a spectacle nor is immersive. Mohanlal is smooth as butter in action sequences but almost embarrassing in romance scenes.
TRENDS
Megastar Mohanlal in action is sheer poetry
Flexibility in dancing might not be Mohanlal’s skill but when it comes to his nimbleness with stunts, it is a no-contest. His forthcoming film, directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, Malaikottai Vaaliban, releasing on January 25 in theatres, will hold proof.
ENTERTAINMENT
‘In Mumbai, I was only allowed to audition for south Indian roles’: The Family Man & Aattam actor Zarin Shihab
Actor Zarin Shihab talks about what was the most challenging bit for her in her latest, much-talked-about Malayalam film Anand Ekarshi's Aattam, moving to Kerala from Mumbai, and how theatre has helped the actor evolve.
TRENDS
New avatars of Mohanlal, Mammootty & 6 more exciting Malayalam film releases in first half of 2024
There are surprises by Prithviraj Sukumaran, Tovino Thomas, Fahadh Faasil, among others, too.
TRENDS
Year Ender 2023: Malayalam film industry reflects on the impact of Artificial Intelligence on cinema
Cinematographers are already using AI. While the industry agrees it lacks credible AI experts, but threat looms large: ChatGPT written stories, concept art will put graphic/visual artists out of job, AI not having any copyright laws.
TRENDS
Year Ender 2023: 11 best celluloid moments of Malayalam cinema this year
With around 250 Malayalam films released this year, mostly OTT rejects, or planned for OTT but were forced to release in theatres, only a handful stayed on in our memory. Here's a list of some of the most stirring frames from 11 films
TRENDS
Jeethu Joseph: ‘Mohanlal’s fans are used to larger-than-life characters of the actor’
Drishyam director Jeethu Joseph, who reunites with Mohanlal for their- fifth film together, the Malayalam movie Neru, releasing in theatres on December 21, talks about film trends, making thrillers and what SS Rajamouli told him.
ENTERTAINMENT
Between Mosses, Akbar & Mathew: Popular queer representations in Malayalam cinema
Kaathal is revolutionary in casting Mammootty as Mathew, a megastar known for his hyper-masculine projections on celluloid in a gay role. Here's a look at some popular Malayalam actors who have played queer characters on screen — some refined, others lacked nuance.
ENTERTAINMENT
Jeo Baby: ‘Mammootty understood the relevance of the story, keen on polishing the screenplay’
'The Great Indian Kitchen' director, whose Jyothika and Mammootty-starrer film, 'Kaathal — The Core', on a revolutionary subject, released in theatres today, talks about working with the actor he grew up watching, launching new faces, and remakes of his film.
ENTERTAINMENT
Tamannaah joins the list of non-Malayalee heroines in Malayalam cinema with Bandra
Tamannaah Bhatia made her Malayalam film debut this week. From the black-and-white era to now, who's truly blurred the language barrier in Malayalam cinema? A walk down memory lane.
ENTERTAINMENT
Before Kannur Squad, 9 iconic Mammootty roles as a cop or investigative officer
As 'Kannur Squad' released in theatres this week, here is a guide to some of his most feted police and investigative officer roles in Malayalam cinema in four decades of his career and where to watch these.
ENTERTAINMENT
Watch these 6 best Malayalam action films, after SRK’s Jawan’s south Indian-style action thriller
Atlee's 'Jawan' is old wine in new bottle, i.e. SRK’s towering presence. Mass action set-pieces are commonplace in the south, but Malayalam cinema has only seen the concept introduced in the recent past. Here are six, plus one, such films.
ENTERTAINMENT
Obituary: The legacy of Malayalam director Siddique and his top 5 films
If Priyadarshan introduced screwball comedy, Sreenivasan mainstreamed satire, Siddique-Lal revolutionised situational comedy in Malayalam cinema. Siddique (1960-2023), one half of the popular Malayalam film director duo Siddique-Lal, passed away after a heart attack on August 7.
