State Film Awards function held on July 25

State film awards for 2009 and 17th J.C Daniel award were presented by Chief Minister V.S. Achudanandan at a function held at senate hall on Sunday in Thiruvanathapuram. 

Veteran director Sethu Madhavan was given J.C Daniel award. The award includes a cash prize of Rs.one lakh, statuette and a citation. V.S. Achuthanandan exhorted film community to face the issues unitedly and open heart to resolve the issues, which can be settled through dialogue.

Mammootty received the best actor award for the film Paleri Manikyam: Oru Paathira kolapathakathinte katha. Swetha Menon received best actress award and Renjith received best film award for the same film. M.P Sukumaran Nair received second best film award. Best supporting actor award was given to Manoj K. Jayan and Suraj Venjaramoodu received best comedian award.

Roshan Andrews received best entertainment film award for Ividam swargamanu. Baby Niveditha (best child artiste), Sasi Paravur (best story) K.G. Jayan (best cinematographer), Rafeeq Ahmed (best lyricist), Mohan Sithara (best music), Rahulraj (best back ground music), Sarat (best classical music), Sreekar Prasad (best editor), Muthuraj (art director), Natarajan (dress designer), P. Sukumar (best debutant director), Sivan (best children's film), Shobhi Thilakan (best dubbibg artiste) and Ranjith Ambadi and George (Make up man) also received awards in the function.

Culture and Education minister M.A.Baby was among those present at the function. However, awards winners M.T. Vasudevan Nair (screenplay), T. Hariharan (best director) and Jagathy Sreekumar (special jury) didn't make it to the event.

Priyamani joins Pranchiyettan and the Saint

Priyamani who was holidaying in US has now joined the sets of Renjith directed Pranchiyettan and the Saint (PAS). She drove down from her home in Bangalore to the location of the film in Thrissur.

For Priyamani, doing a Malayalam film is coming home of sorts. Remember the actress had won many awards for her outstanding performance as Malavika in Renjith directed Thirakatha.

Says Priyamani: “As an actress it is always a challenge to do a Renjith film. In PAS for the first time I’m doing a film with one of the finest actors in the country, Mammootty sir.”

And her first scene itself was a combo scene with the megastar and another fine actress, the lovely Khushboo. Priya is essaying the role of a modern girl, an interior designer in the film. 

The King & Commissioner

Shaji Kailas and Renji Panikkar were one time the biggest hit director-writer pair in Malayalam commercial cinema.

They have made some of the finest action packed commercial hits like Sthalathe Pradhana Payyan, Thalasthanam, Ekalayavan, Commissioner, The King etc.

Their trademark was their heroes Mammootty or Suresh Gopi always spoke fiery punch line dialogues, and characterization was manly and based on coalition politics of Kerala. The duo split, after Ranji Panikkar turned director and moved on.

Now after 15 years, they are joining hands again with The King & Commissioner . They are actually joining two of their earlier hitsThe King and Commissioner together.

Mammootty who played the firebrand IAS officer Thevalliparambil Joseph Alex in The King will clash with the IPS officer Prithviraj. Suresh Gopi who played the original Commissioner due to commercial reasons has been dropped.

Says Ranji Panikkar: “After 15 long years I’ am doing a film with Shaji Kailas, so it has to be something really big. At the moment, I’m working on the script of the film. Mammootty’s right hand man and leading producer Anto Joseph has brought them together. The shoot of the film will start in January 2011, and it will be a Vishu release through Mammootty’s Play House. 

Kutty Srank audio released

Renowned filmmaker Shaji N Karun's much awaited project Kutty Srank had its audio release at Hotel Joyce Palace in Thrissur. The film is set to release on July 23 in Kerala.

Manorama Music who is distributing the audio made it a grand affair. Megastar Mammootty handed over the first copy of the audio to Father Joseph Valiyaveetil.

Please note after a few years Mamooty has rendered a song for the film under the baton of award winning music director Isaac Thomas Kottukapally. The others present on the occasion were actor Suresh Krishna and Utpal Acharya of Reliance Big Pictures who have produced the film.

Kutty Srank is about a boat driver and the three women in his life played by Padmapriya, Kamalini Mukherji and Meena Kumari. Screenplay and direction is by Shaji N Karun, P.F. Mathews and Harikrishnan. Anjali Shukla is the cinematographer.

Speaking at the function Shaji N Karun said "There is no truth in saying that the entry of corporates into filmmaking is not good for the industry. On the contrary, I could do Kutty Srank only because of the funding and the faith that Reliance Big Pictures had placed on me.”

Vande Mataram to be released in 350 centres

Megastar Mammootty’s film Vande Mataram, also staring Arjun and Sneha in the lead roles will be released in 350 centres in Kerala and Tamil Nadu on July 15.


The action-packed patriotic movie was made over last three years. It took 100 days of shooting and ten schedules to complete the movie. The film is being produced by Pankaj Pictures Henry, who had already given two hit movies Yavanika andMarumalrchi with Mammootty. T. Aravind has directed the movie.


The supporting roles in the movie are played by Malayalam actors Kalabhavan Mani, Jagadish, late Rajan P Dev, Jai Akash and Atul Kulkarni. The music of the film has been composed by D. Immam and Rajesh Yadav has done the camerawork.


The shot taken inside Chennai central jail is the highlight of the movie along with a patriotic song ‘Vande Matharam’, crooned by ten playback singers. Time Ads is distributing the film in Kerala, which will be released in 90 screens.