Pazhassi Raja to be censored

Hariharan-M.T. Vasudevan-Mammootty team's much-awaited biopic magnum opus historical film Pazhassi Raja, being made in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, will go before the Censors on August 31 (Monday) at Thiruvananthapuram Regional Censors. Pazhassi Raja is expected to hit screens on September 18.

Produced by Gokulam Gopalan under the banner of Gokulam Films, the film has Mammootty playing the title role of legendary ruler and warrior Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, who took on the British in the forests of Malabar in the 18th century.

Popular Tamil-Telugu actor Suman plays the villain, Pazhaiveetan Chandu and Tamil actor Sarathkumar plays Edachena Kunkan, the chief lieutenant of Pazhassi Raja. Thilakan dons the role of king Kurubranaad, who revolted and plotted against Pazhassi Raja.

Jagathy Sreekumar dons the role of Kannara Menon, an employee of the British Government. Padmapriya and Kanihaa are the heroines. Manoj K. Jayan, Peter Handley Evans and Harry Key play pivotal roles in the film which has music by maestro Ilayaraja and songs penned by poet O.N.V. Kurup. Pazhassi Raja is made with the biggest-ever budget for a Malayalam movie, rumoured to be more than 25 crores.

Mammootty own the first Toyota Fortuner in south india

Vinoo Anand to direct Mammootty

Director Vinoo Anand of Oruvan and Heartbeats fame will be director of mega star Mammootty's new film to be produced by M.K. Nazar under the banner of Good Line. This yet-to-be-titled movie is scripted by Bipin Chandran of Mammootty's latest movie Daddy Cool. More details are awaited.

Meanwhile, Mammootty is getting ready to play a Karnatak-based Malayalee estate owner in director Shafi's new film Chattambinadu, scheduled to start rolling from September 9 at the locations in and around Pollachi. After the successive hits Mayavi and Thommanum Makkalum, this is the third time that Mammootty and Shafi come together for a film. Lakshmi Rai will be the heroine.

Chattambinadu to start rolling from September 9

Chattambinadu by reputed director Shafi with Mammootty in the lead role is to start rolling from September 9, soon after Onam. After the successive hits Mayavi and Thommanum Makkalum, Mammootty and Shafi are getting back together a third time.

Chattambinadu, a comedy babased thriller will have Mammootty in the role of a Karnataka based Malayalee estate owner, whose Malayalam accent marked with a marked influence of Kannada will ber a highlight of the movie. Lakshmi Rai will be essaying the role of the lead heroine in this movie. The shooting of this movie is to start at the locatins in and around Pollachi. Mammootty is currently busy with Loudspeaker and Pazhassi Raja.

Prithvi As Mammootty's brother

Prithvi might act as Mammootty's brother in Pokkiriraja. The film is directed by Vaishakh under the banner of Mulakupaadom films. Script is by Sibi - Udayan. The film is planned as a Vishu 2010 film. Shoot to start in November.

Nadiya plays Mammootty’s sister

Nadiya Moidu is back in Malayalam and that too with a bang. Though she had made her presence felt earlier as well, but this time she will be seen with none other than superstar Mammootty. The pair has given many hit movies like Shyama, Poovinu Puthiya Poonthennal and so on in the past.

In the forthcoming Malayalam movie Doubles by debutant director Sohan Sinulal, Nadiya will be seen in the role of a twin sister to the character essayed by Mammootty. This is something which the Malayalee audiences have been eagerly looking forward to for years. The movie which also has Salimkumar, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Biju Kuttan and others has its script by the hit team Sachi ad Sethu of Chocolate fame. Nadiya has acted in some Tamil movies also after her comeback to the silverscreen post her marriage.

Mammootty wins Actor of the Decade

The Jai Hind Utsav Film Awards Ceremony, organized by Jai Hind TV at Corporation Stadium, Kozhikode, will be held on Sunday to celebrate its second anniversary. It has announced Mammootty as the winner of the ‘Actor of the decade’ award, according to M.M. Hassan, MD of the channel and K.P Mohanan, CEO of Jai Hind TV.


Some of the other awards go to Ranjith (best director); Jayaram (most popular actor), Jagathy Sree Kumar (overall contribution to Malayalam cinema); Sreenivasan (excellence in different aspects of film-making); Siddique (second best actor); Dileep (producer of Twenty:20 best film); Prithviraj (best actor); Gopika (best actress); Samvruta Sunil (second best actor); G. Venugopal (best singer); Manjari (best female singer); and Lalu Alex (special award).

Blaze and Vasundhara Das are expected to give musical performances at the award ceremony. Actress Sweta Menon will groove to a few dance numbers and a segment of the show will be dedicated to singer Mohammed Rafi and music composer Baburaj.

Daddy Cool

Malayalam film Daddy Cool directed by newcomer Aashiq Abu is one more substandard film of Mammootty to hit the theatres in the recent times after Ee Pattanathil Bhootham.

Most of these films with big stars piggyback on the star's image to score at the box office, and, they are all made to showcase the star the way he is loved by his fans. Still, we wish the filmmaker used a thread to weave a cohesive story. This is where Aashiq Abu fails miserably.

The story (if we can call this a story) is about Antony Simon (Mammootty), a cricket crazy police officer, who will do anything to be with his school going son. His easy going attitude makes him an object of ridicule among his co-workers and drives his wife Annie (Richa Pallod) crazy. As expected the father-son duo do not change till the end even when things go terribly wrong.

You may argue that this film is kiddie stuff like the other Mammootty film, Ee Pattanathil Bhootham released a few weeks back. But, parents are warned that the dialogues credited to Bipin Chandran are somewhat crass with street lingo and innuendoes.

We have seen Mammootty playing the cool cop numerous times but he is not cool either as a cop or a daddy. We cannot imagine Sreenivasan doing the same.

Of the rest of the cast Master Dhananjay playing Aadi, Antony's son is a typical over smart cinematic kid. Richa Pallod as the working mother passes muster but has nothing substantial to do. The supporting actors consisting of Biju Menon, Sai Kumar and Vijayaraghavan, Baburaj act as Mammootty's colleagues.

Samir Thahir's camerawork is the only good thing about the movie.

So, to the question whether you should spend money to watch this film, the answer is this: listening to the classic Boney M song (Daddy Cool) on a loop will be a better idea.

Anwar Rasheed planning two Mammootty films

Anwar Rasheed, the young director who delivered a real big blockbuster with his debut film 'Rajamanickam' and then went on to do two more hits - 'Chotta Mumbai' and 'Annan Thampi' - is now reportedly planning two new films with Mammootty in the lead. It was Mammootty who played the lead roles in both the earlier films that Anwar did.

It's rumored that Anwar has already completed the script work of one of these. He himself is doing the script this time, it appears. It's also heard that Dileep would be teaming up with Mammootty in this film, playing younger brother to the mega-star. Details about the other Anwar-Mammootty project are yet to be divulged. Let's stay tuned for more on these projects.

Malayalam actor Murali passed away

Perhaps, you can term it as a deplorable period for film industry as we have been witnessing the demise of eminent personalities in a short time. On June 28, ace filmmaker Lohithadas, aged 54, breathed his last due to cardiac arrest. Then, after a month on July 29, actor Rajan P Dev died after prolonged illness of high sugar level. Now, it’s actor Murali (55) who passed away last night at a private hospital. Closer sources revealed that the actor had suffered from high diabetes over a long time.


Born in 1954, the actor started-off his career as a Government clerk and later gave it up for the sake of acting. His debut film ‘Njattadi’ directed by Bharath Gopi didn’t witness success, but won him laurels for the best performance. He was honored five times with State Government awards and 2002-National award.

Apart from Malayalam films, Murali made great waves in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films. Some of his Tamil flicks, ‘Gemini’, ‘Dum Dum Dum’, ‘Ram’, ‘Ae’ ‘Polladhavan’ gained him appreciations. He has also donned prominent role in Surya’s ‘Aadhavan’ directed by K.S. Ravikumar.

We convey our heartfelt condolence to the grieving family members and close friends.

Mammootty and Dileep as brothers

After Rakshasa Rajavu in 2001, super star Mammootty and Dileep are coming together once again for a movie, enacting the roles of brothers. The script is getting ready, but the heroine's identity is not yet revealed.

Dileep will reportedly enact the role of Mammootty's younger brother in this untitled movie to be directed by Anwar Rasheed. This will be third film by Anwar Rasheed featuring Mammootty; the earlier two were Rajamanikyam and Annan Thampi.

SON OF ALEXANDER NEW PICTURE

Kutty Sranku to be premiered in Montreal

Finally Mammootty's prestigious Kutty Sranku, directed by the internationaly reputed Malayalam director Shaji.N Karun is being premierd at the 2009 - Montreal International Film Festival to be held between August 27 to September 7.

Kutty Sranku will have its first offical screening at the "Great Film Section" of the festival, where Woody Allen and noted Iranian director Majidi Majidi's new films are also going to be shown. The film is produced by Anil Ambani's Reliance Big Pictures.

The film is set in the late 50's and Mammootty plays a boat driver who runs a cargo service and during the course of his journey meets three women in three different islands in the backwaters of Kerala- Kamaleene Mukerjee, Meena Kumari and Padmapriya and his relationship with them.

The film has a camerawoman in Anjali Shukla, a former Santosh Sivan assisstant who is debuting as a cinematographer with the film.