The recent success of films that take a detour from the conventional path and feature youngsters in lead roles, has ignited a debate in Malayalam cinema. Is the era of superstars coming to an end, or is Malayalam cinema witnessing a radical change?
"Some films that are fresh in thought and execution have clicked at the box office," says veteran director Sibi Malayil. "But I am against referring to them as 'new-wave cinema'. Changes were always there in Malayalam films. But most of these so-called new-generation movies revolve around the themes that deal with life in a metro city. These films are getting a good response in tier-I cities only".
If you look at the box office hits this year, they include 'Mayamohini', 'Ordinary', 'Thattathin Marayathu' and 'Ustad Hotel'. Apart from 'Mayamohini', the other three films have non-superstars such as Kunchacko Boban, Biju Menon, Nivin Pauly and Dulquar Salman in the lead roles.
Other notable films like 'Second Show', 'Grandmaster', '22 Female Kottayam', 'Spirit' and 'Diamond Necklace' were sincere attempts made by directors to take a different path. In 'Grandmaster', director B Unnikrishnan offered Mohanlal a role in which the actor played his age. '22 Female Kottayam' was a female-oriented theme, while Spirit dealt with the socially significant issue of alcoholism. As for 'Second Show', it was an action film which banked on its realistic narration to succeed. These are signs that indicate change, but not everybody agrees....
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The condition of renowned Malayalam film actor Thilakan, hospitalized following heart attack, continued to be serious today. Hospital sources said the 76 year-old actor, admitted to a private hospital on August 23, continued to be on ventilator support and his condition was still serious. State Health Minister V S Sivakumar, who visited the actor, said doctors had told him that there was a 'slight progress' in Thilakan's condition. He said...
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Nithya Menen's 'Dil Se', which is touted to be a musical entertainer, is a dubbed film from Malayalam. The audio of the film was released at a function held at CineMax in Hyderabad. Bellamkonda Suresh unveiled the first copy. The function was attended by the directors Sagar, Maruthi and Osho Tulasiram. Music is given by Anand Raj and Bijibal, while Nithya Menen along with Asif Ali are playing the leads...
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