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Director M C Jithin’s Sookshmadarshini , now streaming on Disney + Hotstar, is sufficient evidence of Malayalam cinema’s inability to deliver a sixer each time. This mortifying misfire is offputting enough to make us wonder if Basil Joseph who once directed the clever if a tad overrated super-hero film Minnal Murali , has been spending too much time in front of the camera.

Some of Joseph’s recent forays into acting like Jan. E. Man (2021), Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey (2022), Palthu Janwar (2022), Kadina Kadoramee Andakadaham (2023) and especially Falimy (2023) were appreciable. But now a certain staleness and smugness has seeped into Basil Joseph’s performance.

Sookshmadarshini is worse than a bad film. It is a bad film posing as a good one. The characters behave like amateur criminals and detectives. The aura of jejuneness never leaves the proceedings as Priya(Nazriya Nazim) resolves to spy on her new neighbour Manuel(Basis...

“Baahubali” star Rana Daggubati’s Spirit Media has teamed with Tinkle Comics to launch a graphic novel featuring Indian superhero Minnal Murali at the Mumbai Comic-Con.

“Minnal Murali” is a 2021 Malayalam-language film directed by Basil Joseph, produced by Sophia Paul’s Weekend Blockbusters and starring Tovino Thomas as the eponymous superhero. Set in a village in Kerala, the film follows a tailor with dreams of emigrating to the U.S. and a social outcast who simultaneously get superpowers when struck by lightning (minnal means lightning in Malayalam) with the former using them for good and the latter for evil. It was acquired by Netflix and had a direct-to-digital release on the service during the pandemic and remains one of its most popular films.

The graphic novel will delve into the superhero’s origins and unveil a new story that takes his adventures further.

Spirit Media unveiled film, TV and comic-book...

Koimoi Audience Poll 2023: From Rajinikanth To Mammootty & Two Others, Choose The Best Actor (South) ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Koimoi Audience Poll 2023: We are almost at the end of our audience poll, and it’s time to crown the Best Actor (South). That power is vested in you. We have selected four exceptional actors, from Rajinikanth to Mammootty and two others. The South industry receives much praise for its fantastic storylines and acting.

We have attached the Twitter poll post at the end of this article, where you can vote for your favorite actor from the South industry. There are four people nominated in this category. Keep scrolling for more.

The cinema-goers love the action and the swag of the South actors. Even at this age, Rajinikanth is ruling the big screens with his movies. His movie Jailer was one of the most-anticipated films in 2023, and it did not disappoint the fans.

HanuMan Box Office 92-Year-Old History Rewritten! Prasanth Varma Delivers Biggest Sankranthi Hit For Tollywood (Photo Credit – Tips Telugu / YouTube)

HanuMan box office is on an unbeatable streak of achieving records not even big films have managed to. From cruising past the 250 crore mark in India, it has surpassed the $5 million mark overseas as well. As far as its Hindi version is concerned, it’s just five crores away from clocking 50 crores, which would be outstanding for the film.

Do you know what the crazy thing is? Prasanth Varma’s film, budgeted at 45-50 crores, would be able to recoup the cost from the collection of just a single language. The film has taken an unpredictable route to finish its successful box office journey.

After becoming the Highest-grossing Sankranthi film of 2024, beating Mahesh Babu’s Guntur Kaaram, it surpassed Yash’s Kgf: Chapter 1 (Hindi) at the box office. Now, it has...

HanuMan Box Office (Hindi): Beats Yash’s Kgf: Chapter 1! (Picture Credit: IMDb)

HanuMan has completed 18 days at the box office, and the film is steadily moving towards the 300 crore club at the worldwide box office. Crossing the 250 crore mark in just a little over two weeks, Prasanth Varma’s film is rewriting history across the globe. The wonders it has done with the minimal budget it had only prove how the right amount of vision could do anything for a film.

This vision has helped the team of HanuMan not only rise and shine at the ticket windows but also surpass one of the much-talked-about films of 2018. By the title, you already know we’re talking about Superstar Yash’s Kgf: Chapter 1.

Released amidst heavy competition of Pongal releases, especially from Mahesh Babu’s Guntur Kaaram, the impeccable word of mouth helped Prasanth Varma’s film to have long legs at the box office.

Fifth standard student Awan Pookot is excited at his home in Kozhikode, eagerly awaiting the premier of Manoj Bajpayee’s film ‘The Fable’, directed by Raam Reddy, at the upcoming 74th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival in the competitive category of ‘Encounters’.

The film becomes just the second Indian film in the past three decades to make its debut at this festival.

Pookot plays the son of Bajpayee’s character in the film and is delighted that his wait is going to end as it would be screened at the famed festival that begins on February 15.

“Yes, my wait is over and am waiting to see after it has released in Berlin. The shooting was a delightful experience as Bajpayee uncle and Deepak uncle and others was fun to be with,” said Pookot.

The 5th standard student shot into fame when he played the childhood role of hugely...

HanuMan Movie Review Rating:

Star Cast: Teja Sajja, Amritha Aiyer, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Vinay Rai, Vennela Kishore, Satya, Getup Srinu, Raj Deepak Shetty

Director: Prasanth Varma

Hanu Man Movie Review Is Out! (Picture Credit: Rkd Studios/Youtube)

What’s Good: If a 60-crore film starts to feel better than a 600-crore film (ahem… Adipurush… ahem…), you know what would be good!

What’s Bad: Some unnecessary subplots, a weak villain & the film industry’s unfair trait of supporting big stars

Loo Break: Just the interval, as the film is close to 2 hours 45 minutes

Watch or Not?: If you can digest the weaknesses over the strengths above

Available On: Theatrical release

Runtime: 2 hours 38 minutes

User Rating:

Set in the fictional village of Anjanadri, this is a story about how an ordinary pick-pocket from the village Hanumanta (Teja Sajja) gets the superpower of Lord Hanuman to fight against the injustice done by the dictatorship of the classists.

Hilarious, heartfelt, thoughtful, evocative, and dramatic, actor Basil Joseph’s film ‘Falimy’ has all of these elements and more in its new trailer. Much like it was with his film ‘Minnal Murali’, ‘Falimy’ is a freshly creative and unique take on the average family-drama.

While it has everything that one would expect from standard movies, and indeed it does share many of those tropes, most predominantly being its ‘masala’ style, the trailer is also ingenious as it looks mainstream and yet feels somewhatdifferent.

The trailer starts off with a grandson talking to his grandfather who is narrating his own story of when he and his friends went on a trip to Goa. Already bored of this, the trailer then cuts to the desire of Basil Joseph’s whole family wanting to go to Kaashi for vacation.

A family with its ups and downs, it would seem that none of its members look eye to eye,...

Hilarious, heartfelt, thoughtful, evocative, and dramatic, actor Basil Joseph’s film ‘Falimy’ has all of these elements and more in its new trailer. Much like it was with his film ‘Minnal Murali’, ‘Falimy’ is a freshly creative and unique take on the average family-drama.

While it has everything that one would expect from standard movies, and indeed it does share many of those tropes, most predominantly being its ‘masala’ style, the trailer is also ingenious as it looks mainstream and yet feels somewhatdifferent.

The trailer starts off with a grandson talking to his grandfather who is narrating his own story of when he and his friends went on a trip to Goa. Already bored of this, the trailer then cuts to the desire of Basil Joseph’s whole family wanting to go to Kaashi for vacation.

A family with its ups and downs, it would seem that none of its members look eye to eye,...

The fans of Tovino Thomas are in for a treat as the first glimpse of his upcoming movie ‘Anweshippin Kandethum’ will be released tomorrow at 6:00 Pm. The actor himself announced the news on his social media handle with a poster that shows him in a cop avatar. The movie is directed by debutant Darwin Kuriakose and written by Jinu V Abraham, who has penned films like ‘Adam Joan’ and ‘Kaapa’. The movie is touted to be an investigation thriller that revolves around a mysterious case that Tovino’s character has to solve.

The movie also features Siddique, Indrans, Shammi Thilakan, Alencier Ley Lopez, Harisree Ashokan, Jaffer Idukki, Baburaj, Vineeth Thattil, David Nandu, Rahul Rajagopal, Sreejith Ravi, Parangodan Aadya Prasad and Ramya Suvi in pivotal roles. The music is composed by Santhosh Narayanan and the cinematography is done by Dolwin Kuriakose. The editing is handled by Parare and the costume design is by Sameera Saneesh.

Basil Joseph, the talented filmmaker who has delivered three blockbuster Malayalam films, is all set to make his Bollywood debut with a superhero project. The film will feature none other than Ranveer Singh, the versatile and flamboyant star of Hindi cinema, in the lead role. The budget of the film is said to be a whopping 450 crores, making it one of the most expensive Indian films ever made.

According to sources, Basil Joseph has been working on the script of the superhero film for a long time and has finally got the green signal from Ranveer Singh, who was impressed by the director’s vision and creativity. The film will be produced by Yash Raj Films, the banner that launched Ranveer Singh in Band Baaja Baaraat (2010) 1. The film will also mark the reunion of Ranveer Singh and Yash Raj Films after a gap of six years.

Minnal Murali Trailer

The...

Basil Joseph, the director of the recently released Malayalam superhero film Minnal Murali, is reportedly in talks with Bollywood star Ranveer Singh for his next project. According to sources, the film could be a reboot of Shaktimaan, India’s first superhero who was popularised by actor Mukesh Khanna in the 90s12

Ranveer Singh, who is known for his versatility and charisma, has shown a keen interest in playing the role of Shaktimaan, but has not signed the dotted lines yet. The actor is currently busy with Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani, co-starring Alia Bhatt. He has also wrapped up Rohit Shetty’s Cirkus and will soon start shooting for S Shankar’s Anniyan remake34

Minnal Murali Trailer

Basil Joseph made his directorial debut with Kunjiramayanam in 2015, followed by Godha in 2017. Both films were critically and commercially successful. His third film Minnal Murali, starring Tovino Thomas and Guru Somasundaram,...

Weekend Blockbusters, the production house founded by producer Sophia Paul, has been making waves in the Malayalam film industry with its back-to-back announcements of new projects as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations. After revealing Production Number 7 with Antony Varghese and Ajith Mampally, and Production Number 8 with Chidambaram, the production house has now announced its ninth venture, which will be directed by Nahas Hidayath, who made his debut with the blockbuster Rdx: Robert Dony Xavier123

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Production 9

The details of Production Number 9, such as the cast, genre and plot, are yet to be disclosed by the makers. There were reports that Nahas will be with Mohanlal but no confirmation as of now.

Weekend Blockbusters is known for producing quality films that cater to different tastes and genres. Some of their notable films include Bangalore Days (2014), Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol (2017), Padayottam (2018) and Minnal Murali...

Weekend Blockbusters, the production house founded by producer Sophia Paul, has been celebrating its 10th anniversary by announcing four new projects apart from Production Number 7, which stars Antony Varghese and is directed by debutant Ajith Mampally. The production house has already revealed that Production Number 7 is an action-packed revenge drama with music by Sam C. S1

The latest announcement from Weekend Blockbusters is Production Number 8, which will be helmed by the brilliant director Chidambaram, who made his debut with the comedy drama Jan.E.Man in 2021. The film was a surprise hit and received critical acclaim for its performances, humour, emotional depth, story and direction. Chidambaram is also currently working on his second film Manjummel Boys, which stars Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Balu Varghese and Ganapathi in important roles.

'@W_blockbusters #ProductionNumber8 to be directed by Chidambaram

Next Update at 4Pm !!pic.twitter.com/Q8n9JW2sVm

— Mollywood...

Weekend Blockbusters, the production house behind some of the acclaimed Malayalam films such as Rdx and Minnal Murali, has announced its seventh production venture. The film will star Antony Varghese, who played one of the leads in Rdx, and will be directed by debutant Ajith Mampally. The music will be composed by Sam C. S., who also scored Rdx and other popular films like Vikram Vedha and Kaithi. The film is tentatively titled Production No 7 and is said to be an action-packed revenge drama12

Antony Varghese, also known by his screen name Pepe, is one of the rising stars of Malayalam cinema. He made his debut in 2017 with the blockbuster Angamaly Diaries, directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery. He has since acted in films like Swathandriam Ardharathriyil, Jallikattu, Ajagajantharam and Rdx. He is also awaiting the release of Chaaver, directed by Tinu Pappachan, and Aaravam, directed by Nahas Hidayath34

Rdx Trailer...

As we reported earlier, The much-awaited film by director Amal Neerad and actor Kunchacko Boban has finally started shooting yesterday. The film, which is yet to be titled, is said to be a thriller with a strong emotional core. The film also marks the first collaboration between the two, who are known for their distinctive styles and genres.

According to sources, this will be an high voltage action film with suspense elements. Kunchako is one of the best actors in the industry and this is the first time Amal Neerad joining hands with Kunchako Boban, which should be pointed because Amal already worked with multiple actors from Industry which will go on from Mohanlal, Mammootty, Prithviraj, Fahadh Faasil, Dulquer Salman, Asif Ali, Jayasurya, Shine Tom Chacko. There are rumours that Tovino will also be part of the project. We have to wait to see the update.

The film’s cinematographer is Anand C Chandra,...

The 69th National Film Awards will be announced on Thursday during a press conference by the Jury at the National Media Center, New Delhi. The National Film Awards is one of the most prestigious events in the country.

The winners of the 69th National Film Awards will be announced today, August 24. This is one of the highly anticipated days for the Indian film fraternity as one will get to know who has bagged the prestigious title.

The event is set to take place from 5 pm onwards and one can watch it live online. According to reports, In the race for the Best Actress accolade, the competition heats up as Alia Bhatt and Kangana Ranaut vie for the title.

Alia Bhatt’s remarkable portrayal in “Gangubai Kathiawadi” has positioned her as a top contender, while Kangana Ranaut’s performance in “Thalaivi” adds to her chances. Several Malayalam films are strong contenders for the coveted awards,...

Rana Daggubati, the founder of Spirit Media, has announced a slate of new films, series and comics at San Diego Comic Con (Sdcc) 2023 in USA. The actor-producer is known for his roles in Baahubali, The Ghazi Attack and Haathi Mere Saathi.

Some of Rana Daggubati’s upcoming projects under Spirit Media include:

Hiranyakashyap: A film inspired by Amar Chitra Katha’s comics, it will feature Rana Daggubati in the titular role of the demon king who challenges Lord Vishnu. The story is written by noted director Trivikram, who is known for his films like Athadu, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo and Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava. The film is expected to be a visual spectacle with high-end VFX and production design. Minnal Murali Comics Minnal Murali: In partnership with Weekend Blockbusters, the producers of the Malayalam superhero film Minnal Murali, a new comic character of Minnal Murali will be unveiled in the popular Indian comic magazine Tinkle.

Rana Daggubati, the founder of Spirit Media, has announced a slate of new films, series and comics at San Diego Comic Con (Sdcc) 2023 in USA. The actor-producer is known for his roles in Baahubali, The Ghazi Attack and Haathi Mere Saathi.

Some of Rana Daggubati’s upcoming projects under Spirit Media include:

Hiranyakashyap: A film inspired by Amar Chitra Katha’s comics, it will feature Rana Daggubati in the titular role of the demon king who challenges Lord Vishnu. The story is written by noted director Trivikram, who is known for his films like Athadu, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo and Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava. The film is expected to be a visual spectacle with high-end VFX and production design. Minnal Murali Comics Minnal Murali: In partnership with Weekend Blockbusters, the producers of the Malayalam superhero film Minnal Murali, a new comic character of Minnal Murali will be unveiled in the popular Indian comic magazine Tinkle.

Rana Daggubati, the South Indian star of global hit film “Baahubali” and Netflix series “Rana Naidu,” is poised to make a superhero-sized impact at San Diego Comic-Con. His Spirit Media company will unveil film, TV and comic-book projects with a variety of partners.

Hiranyakashyap from Spirit Media

Prime among these is movie project “Hiranyakashyap,” being developed by Spirit Media and set to be directed by Trivikram, who is scripting currently. The picture is inspired by Amar Chitra Katha’s comics of the mythological figure, the powerful demon Hiranyakashyap, and his plan to achieve vengeance by destroying Lord Indira’s kingdom.

In the series space, Spirit Media has pacted with streamer SonyLIV on historical epic action-drama “Lords of the Deccan.” Based on the novel of the same title, the show takes audiences back in time to witness the birth of the Chalukyas, a dynasty that shaped southern India for centuries.

In the comics arena,...

Basil Joseph, the director of the recently released superhero film Minnal Murali, has opened up about his filmmaking journey in an exclusive interview with Club FM 94.3. The young filmmaker, who made his debut with the comedy film Kunjiramayanam, has also directed the sports drama Godha and acted in several films like Joji, Jan.E.Man and Thanneermathan Dinangal.

Club FM Interview ( Malayalam)

In the interview, Basil was asked which was the hardest shot he ever shot as a director. To everyone’s surprise, he chose the opening shot of Godha, where there were around 500 people and it was like a Freeze Frame shot, where around 500 people couldn’t move and the cameraman started the camera with the crane and then he unhooks and then he walks by leg and after that he moves and uses the jib and then again legs.

He said it was one of the hardest shots he ever shot.

The first half of 2023 has been a dismal period for Malayalam cinema, as only two out of 56 releases have made profits from theatres. The rest of the films either failed to recover their costs or depended on other sources of revenue such as digital, satellite and overseas rights. The only exception was 2018 Movie, a disaster film based on the Kerala floods, which became a huge hit and the most profitable Malayalam film ever.

The main reason for the poor performance of Malayalam films was the lack of quality content and effective promotions. Most of the films that released in theatres were poorly made and did not have anything to attract the audiences. The Ott platforms also forced a theatrical release for their acquisitions, which resulted in cluttering the screens with mediocre films.

Sreedhar Pillai

The only films that worked in the first half of 2023 were those that had “something in...

Ark Saravanan, the writer and director of the Tamil fantasy-action streaming film, ‘Veeran’, has said that the film touches upon the fine line between superstition and faith. ‘Veeran’ stars Hiphop Tamizha Adhi, Chella, Munishkanth, Vinay Rai, Athira Raj, Kaali Venkat, and Sassi Selvaraj in pivotal roles.

It follows the story of Kumara, a young boy from Veeranur village, who on a fateful day, is struck by lightning that puts him in a coma. Seeking better treatment for Kumara, his father decides to send him abroad.

But years later, upon his return, Kumara realises that he has gained superpowers which he must now hone to protect his village from an evil corporation and their menacing technology that could endanger innocent lives. The basic premise of the story looks similar to that of the Tovino Thomas-starrer ‘Minnal Murali’

Talking about the film, Ark Saravanan shared: “A family entertainer, ‘Veeran’ gives Tamil...

ObituaryThe actor was known for his roles in movies like ‘Maheshinte Prathikaram’, ‘Minnal Murali’ and ‘Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey’.Courtesy - Manoj Varghese / FacebookMalayalam actor Harish Pengan passed away at a hospital in Kerala’s Kochi on Tuesday, May 30. He was reportedly suffering from a liver-related illness. The actor, who was known for his roles in movies like Maheshinte Prathikaram, Jan.E.Man, and Minnal Murali, was hospitalised following a stomach ache at the beginning of May. He was then diagnosed with a liver disease and needed a transplant, for which his twin sister Sreeja was willing to donate. At the time, his friends in the film industry shared the news about his treatment and the money required for it. Among them was the director of Maheshinte Prathikaram, Dileesh Pothan, who wrote that he had visited Harish in the ICU. Writing that his friend was infected with pneumonia and fighting for his life,...

Filmmaker Jude Anthany Joseph’s critically and commercially acclaimed Malayalam-language film “2018,” which released on May 5, will bow pan India on May 26 in the Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages.

The Hindi-language version of the film will be released via E4 Entertainment.

“2018” narrates the story of the devastating Kerala floods that occurred in 2018 when people from all walks of life came together to survive the calamity. The film aims to convey the message that humanity can win over adversity. It stars Netflix’s “Minnal Murali” lead Tovino Thomas alongside Indrans, Kunchacko Boban (Netflix’s “Ariyippu”), Aparna Balamurali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Asif Ali, Lal, Narain, Tanvi Ram, Sshivada, Kalaiyarasan, Aju Varghese, Siddique, Joy Mathew and Sudheesh. It released in its home state Kerala and in a few neighbouring states and has earned more than $16 million theatrically so far, including U.S. and U.K. box office.

Joseph said: “We are so delighted...

Kochi, May 19 (Ians) The teaser of Jithin Laal’s ‘Ajayante Randam Moshanam’ (Arm) starring Malayalam star Tovino Thomas was released in Hindi and the South Indian languages across social media on Friday.

Tovino, who became popular across the country with the super hero film ‘Minnal Murali’ and now is in the news for Kerala flood movie, ‘2018’, is all set for his first pan-India outing. The teaser had a grand launch.

Leading film personalities from both sides of the Vindhyas — Hrithik Roshan, Nani, Lokesh Kanagaraj, Arya, Rakshit Shetty and Prithviraj Sukumaran — came together to celebrate this pan-India film emerging from the Malayalam cinema industry.

Hrithik launched the Hindi teaser, the one in Telugu was unveiled by Nani, in Tamil by Lokesh Kanagaraj and Arya, in Kannada by Rakshit Shetty and in Malayalam by the superstar, Prithviraj Sukumaran.

The teaser has taken the Internet by storm. Tovino flaunts a rugged and rustic...

Kochi, May 18 (Ians) Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan will release the teaser of Ajayante Randam Moshanam (Arm), the much-awaited pan-India film, on Friday.

The film stars Tovino Thomas, Krithi Shetty and Aishwarya Rajesh in lead roles. This is going to be Tovino’s first pan India film and will be releasing on a grand note.

Hrithik, for the first time, will be unveiling the teaser of a southern film and the team of Arm is excited about it. The teaser will be out on May 19 at 7 p.m.

Tovino Thomas has become popular across the country with ‘Minnal Murali’, a superhero film.

The actor is grateful to Hrithik for lending his support and agreeing to release the teaser.

Directed by debutant Jithin Laal, Arm spans multiple timelines. Tovino has played three characters in the movie.

–Ians

ms/pgh...

Thiruvananthapuram, May 14 (Ians) The Malayalam Tovino Thomas-starrer ‘2018 Everyone Is A Hero’, directed by the award-winning popular director, Jude Anthany Joseph, is having a dream run and moving toward the Rs 100-crore club, a rare feat for a Mollywood movie.

And coming as it does at a time when ‘The Kerala Story’ is attracting nationwide attention, people close to the Malayalam film industry are saying that ‘2018’ is “the real Kerala Story” and not the one that claims to be one.

The film is centred around stories of humanity triumphing over adversity in the backdrop of the 2018 floods that devastated parts of Kerala. It is the second Tovino project to attract national attention and draw an adulatory audience response after the 2021 superhero movie ‘Minnal Murali’. And it also brings back memories of his performance in ‘Virus’, the 2019 film about the Nipah outbreak in Kerala.

Tovino, incidentally, volunteered his services for flood...

MollywoodThe veteran actor is known for both the comical and serious characters he could pull off with equal ease, and his Malabar dialect.Mamukkoya on April 24 / Courtesy - Manorama NewsVeteran Malayalam actor Mamukkoya suffered a heart attack on Monday, April 24. He was taken to the Nims Hospital in Wandoor of Malappuram district from where he was referred to the Meitra Hospital in Kozhikode. He is in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital where his condition is said to be stable. "He is in sedation and has not regained consciousness since yesterday. But the doctors say that his condition is stable. This is the second time he has had an attack," his son-in-law Zakeer Hussain said. Mamukkoya was in Malappuram to inaugurate a Sevens Football tournament when he collapsed. An employee of Nims Hospital said that his condition had become stable before he was shifted to Meitra, where he was...

The cream of the southern Indian film industry was present in force at the just concluded Dakshin South India Media and Entertainment Summit in Chennai.

Organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (Cii), southern region, the event kicked off with recent south Indian Oscar winners, Kartiki Gonsalves, director of winning documentary short “The Elephant Whisperers” and Prem Rakshit, choreographer of winning original song “Naatu Naatu” from “Rrr” being felicitated.

The stage was then set for a heavyweight filmmakers panel moderated by former Variety correspondent Anupama Chopra, with Mani Ratnam, director of Tamil-language blockbuster “Ponniyin Selvan: 1”; Vetrimaaran, whose acclaimed Tamil-language “Viduthalai Part 1” is currently on release; Rishab Shetty, star and director of Kannada-language smash hit “Kantara”; and Basil Joseph, director of Malayalam-language Netflix superhero film “Minnal Murali” participating.

Films made in the four southern Indian languages – Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam – together account for more than 50% of production and revenues in India.

EntertainmentTovino, who is currently on an adventure trip in Zimbabwe, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share his bungee jumping experience with his followers.Tovino Thomas / InstagramMalayalam actor Tovino Thomas is mastering the art of handling a fall, so he can fly someday. Or at least that’s what he wrote as he shared a video of him exhilaratingly swinging upside down over the Zambezi river, across the border crossing point between Zimbabwe and Zambia, after taking a wild jump off the Victoria Falls Bungee bridge. Tovino, who is currently on an adventure trip in Zimbabwe, took to Instagram on Wednesday, April 12, to share his bungee jumping experience with his followers. In the video, Tovino can be seen standing alongside a jumpmaster on the edge of the bridge, ankle and body harnesses attached, before plummeting into the famed Batoka Gorge. “A fall from the largest water that falls, the Victoria falls.

MollywoodThe film is directed by debutant Muhashin, based on a script written by Harshad.In a month, Kadin Kadorame Andakadaham, Basil Joseph’s new film, will be in theatres. The Malayalam actor-director says in a small promo video that the movie will release for Eid 2023. Eid may fall on April 20 or 21. The film is made by debutant Muhashin, from a script written by Harshad. Along with Basil, Johny Antony and Indrans play important roles. Also in the cast are Swathi Das Prabhu, Jaffer Idukki, Binu Pappu, Shibla, Sudheesh and others. The film is produced by Naisam Salam. No one-liners about the plot have been given out so far. But a few posters have come out showing Basil in various poses. In one, he is by the sea, holding money in both hands and smiling widely. In another, he is sitting with Swathi Das outside a wall, both of them looking glum.

CinemaAward-winning director of Minnal Murali Basil Joseph and educationalist Elizabeth Samuel announced the birth of their child and also shared her name on social media.BasilJoseph/TwitterMalayalam filmmaker and actor Basil Joseph, and his wife and educationalist Elizabeth Samuel announced that they have become parents on February 15. They have named the baby Hope Elizabeth Basil. Sharing the news on social media, Basil wrote: “Thrilled to announce the arrival of our little bundle of joy, Hope Elizabeth Basil! She has already stolen our hearts and we are over the moon with love for our precious daughter. We can't wait to watch her grow and learn from her every day.” Basil married Elizabeth in 2017. Basil, who started his career making short films, is known for directing the films Kunjiramayanam, Godha and the 2021 superhero film Minnal Murali. He has also acted in supporting roles in films such as Virus and Joji, and played...

ReviewDirected by Ayan Mukerji, the film constantly tries to make your jaw drop to the floor with the visual effects, but since we never empathise with the characters on screen, it remains a distant spectacle.Sowmya RajendranYouTubeBrahmastra: Part One – Shiva, directed by Ayan Mukerji, was announced eight years ago and is one of the most expensive Indian films made till date with a whopping budget of Rs 410 crore. Considering the time and money put into the project – planned as a trilogy – one expects nothing less than a marvellous spectacle unfolding on screen. And if your reading list has never included fantasy series such as The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, this ‘astraverse’ extravaganza that marries Hollywood style superhero films with Hindu mythology may leave you impressed. Almost. The cinematic universe of Brahmastra is built around a secret society of rishis – known as the Brahmansh – who possess the powers to control different astras.

Director Sukumar’s explosive blockbuster ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, featuring actors Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead, led the list of nominations in the Telugu section of the 10th Edition of the South Indian International Movie Awards (Siima) that is scheduled to be held in Bengaluru on September 10-11.

While ‘Pushpa’ got nominated in a whopping 12 categories, Boyapati Srinu’s ‘Akhanda’, featuring Balakrishna in the lead, has got nominated in 10. Anudeep Kv’s ‘Jathi Ratnalu’ and Buchi Babu Sana’s ‘Uppena’ were close behind with eight nominations each.

In the Tamil section, director Mari Selvaraj’s critically acclaimed blockbuster ‘Karnan’, featuring Dhanush in the lead, led the pack with 10 nominations.

Director Nelson Dilipkumar’s action-comedy entertainer ‘Doctor’, featuring Sivakarthikeyan in the lead, got nine nominations while Lokesh Kanakaraj’s ‘Master’ and director Al Vijay’s ‘Thalaivi’, the biopic of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, got seven nominations each.

‘Minnal Murali’ star Tovino Thomas and Nimisha Sajayan, whose ‘Great Indian Kitchen’ was a big hit on Ott, are reuniting for National Award-winning director Biju Damodaran’s movie ‘Adrishya Jalakangal’. Thomas and Sajayan had earlier worked in the movie ‘Oru Kuprasidha Payyan’. ‘Adrishya Jalakangal’ is produced by Ellanar films, Tovino Thomas Productions, and Mythri Movie Makers, […]...

Festivals

The Cannes Film Market has added to its previously announced Ukraine in Focus program, which will provide Ukrainian filmmakers and producers with networking, pitching and co-financing opportunities over two days during the Cannes Film Festival, on May 21 and 22. A panel discussion titled “Ukrainian Cinema: From Surviving to Thriving Again: How the Global Film Community Can Come Together to Support the Country’s War-Torn Industry” will take place on May 21.

In addition the market has confirmed the full endorsement and patronage of Ukrainian Films Now, an initiative promoted by Eave, First Cut Lab, and When East Meets West, which aims at gathering a pool of European regional and national film funds to support Ukrainian films at a late post-production stage to complete the final financial gap.

“We hope that these initiatives will allow Ukraine’s cinema and audiovisual industry to not only survive in the challenging context, but to thrive...

The Malayalam film industry, which was confined to the audience speaking the mother tongue, is now having a global touch with movies like ‘Minnal Murali’, ‘Marikkar: Lion of Arabian Sea’ getting international acclaim and films like ‘Churuli’ and ‘Jallikattu’ by young director Lijo Jose Pallisery being invited to the Cannes film festival. The other movies […]...

Netflix India’s director, films and licensing, Pratiksha Rao, has welcomed the competition in the country’s crowded streaming space.

Speaking at the Asia Video Industry Association’s Future of Video India conference on Friday, Rao was asked about competition, especially with rival Amazon Prime Video India announcing a massive 40-strong slate on Thursday and other players catering to the country’s heartlands.

“Competition is always great, it pushes us to do better. It also widens the market, widens the supply. It’s great for the creative community,” said Rao. “If you look at our slate right now, there is something for everyone. There are more and more films and series that we’re doing, which actually focus on lives across India. Not just the urban centers, but also the heartlands. And even on the regional language front, specifically the South Indian language front, we’ve already started some of our original slate.

MollywoodA political thriller that revolves around Malayalam broadcast journalism, ‘Naradan’ is helmed by filmmaker Aashiq Abu.IANSScreengrab/ YouTubeDirector Aashiq Abu’s eagerly awaited Malayalam film Naradan featuring Tovino Thomas and Anna Ben in the lead will now hit screens worldwide on March 3. The director took to Instagram to make the announcement. A political thriller that revolves around Malayalam broadcast journalism, the film has music by Sekhar Menon and cinematography by Jaffer Zadique. Originally scheduled to be released in April 2021, the film was postponed due to the second Covid-19 wave. The team then decided to release the film this year on January 27. However, that too did not happen due to the surge in Covid-19 infections and complications caused by the Omicron variant. Now the makers have announced that the film will release on March 3. Aashiq Abu and Tovino have earlier teamed up for films like Mayaanadhi and Virus, which received positive responses from audiences.

For engineer-turned-actor Tovino Thomas, star of the superhit Malayalam movie, ‘Minnal Murali’, it must have been most gratifying to learn that a test paper for second-year students of Mechanical Engineering at a leading Kerala college carried a question based on the superhero film. The ‘Minnal Murali’ director, Basil Joseph, incidentally, is a graduate of the […]...

Apart from the pricing, packages and deals, understanding cultural differences and preferences is key to attracting new audiences. Sowmya RajendranMeenakshi Sundareshwar/Netflix IndiaA few days ago, Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix, expressed his “frustration” at the company’s lack of success in the Indian market in an investor call. According to reports, Netflix added 2.6 million paying subscribers in the Asia Pacific region in the last quarter, showing good growth in Japan and India. However, the Over-the-Top platform said that it only expects to add 2.5 million subscribers in the current quarter. There are various numbers put forth on the market share of Ott platforms in India but they all agree that Disney+Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, and Netflix lead the pack followed by platforms like Zee5 and SonyLiv. There are also smaller players like Aha, Neestream and others which are jostling for space in the crowded market. There are...

Actor Tovino Thomas, who has received a positive response for his superhero movie ‘Minnal Murali’, opened up about the reason behind not beefing up for his part in the film. The actor wanted to show the natural progression of his character into a superhero. Hence, he decided to portray the character in the most natural […]...

Ace film director S S Rajamouli has lavished praise on ‘Minnal Murali’ and congratulated its lead actor Tovino Thomas for scoring a hit with the film. Rajamouli, who has crafted blockbuster hits like ‘Eega’ and the ‘Baahubali’ series, is preparing for the release of his latest directorial venture ‘Rrr’. Rajamouli also thanked Tovino Thomas for […]...

Malayalam superhero film ‘Minnal Murali’, which was released recently on Ott to a positive response, is a special film not just for the audience but also for the film fraternity across industries. It proves how one can make an ambitious superhero film on a limited budget without compromising on the elements of the story or […]...

Mumbai, Dec 25 (Ians) The audio-visual montage from Tovino Thomas-starrer ‘Minnal Murali’ was recently displayed at the Ain Dubai observation wheel. Ain Dubai, which is located on Bluewaters Island, is known as the world’s largest observation wheel. Tovino, who plays the titular superhero in the film, took to his Instagram and shared a video of […]...

Chennai, Dec 25 (Ians) Actor Tovino Thomas, whose just-released superhero film ‘Minnal Murali’ has been getting rave reviews, says he has not just found a friend in Tamil actor Guru Somasundaram but also a mentor as well. Posting pictures of himself with his co-star Guru Somasundaram on social media, Tovino said, “For obvious reasons, I […]...

Tovino Thomas, who will be seen as superhero ‘Minnal Murali’, has termed the film as the biggest movie of his career, so far. For him, it was also a difficult part to pull off because it involved four different looks along the film’s course. The actor shared, “‘Minnal Murali’ will be the biggest movie of […]...

Basil Joseph, the director of the upcoming Tovino Thomas-starrer ‘Minnal Murali’, had always wanted to explore the superhero genre but the ambitious film came with its own set of challenges. And that’s where the director found the motivation to work harder and put together a brilliant origin story of the indigenous superhero. Talking about the […]...

The Tovino Thomas-starrer Malayalam superhero film ‘Minnal Murali’ had its world premiere here at the Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival, a week before it is scheduled to be streamed on Netflix from December 24. The VFX-heavy film, whose release was delayed because of the extended shutdown of cinema theatres across Kerala as a result of […]...