Kurukkan
| Kurukkan | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jayalal Divakaran |
| Written by | Manoj Ramsingh |
| Produced by | Maha Subair |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jibu Jacob |
| Edited by | Ranjan Abraham |
| Music by | Unni Elayaraja |
Production company | Varnachithra Productions |
| Distributed by | Varnachitra Big Screen |
Release date |
|
Running time | 123 minutes[a][2] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
Kurukkan (transl. Fox) is a 2023 Indian Malayalam-language crime comedy drama film directed by Jayalal Divakaran in his directorial debut and produced by Maha Subair. The film stars Vineeth Sreenivasan, Sreenivasan, and Shine Tom Chacko in the lead roles. In the film, Inspector Dinesh investigates the death of a social media celebrity and implicates a suspect in the case, which eventually leads to the disclosure of reality.
Principal photography began in November 2022 in Kochi and was wrapped up in December 2022.[3] Unni Elayaraja composed the music, while the cinematography and editing were handled by Jibu Jacob and Ranjan Abraham.
Kurukkan was released in theatre's on 27 July 2023. This movie underperformed at the box office.[4]
Plot
[edit]Circle inspector Dinesh K. T. of the Gandhi Nagar police station is in charge of the investigation into the death of Neenu, a celebrity model and social media influencer. As part of the investigation, he questions Anjitha, Neenu's roommate, and Bhagat, Neenu's manager. Meanwhile, Commissioner Balachandran K. informs Dinesh that the case investigation must be concluded soon, or it will be handed over to the Crime Branch.
Dinesh instructs his subordinates, SI Sajad Hassan and SI Reena Mathew, to call Hari, who delivers the newspaper to Neenu's house every morning, to the police station. Through Hari's interrogation, Dinesh learns that he was a cyber security analyst for an IT company and is currently preparing to launch his own start-up. After interrogation, Hari is allowed to go. But Dinesh suspects Hari of murdering Neenu. He informs Sajad and Reena that Hari was fired for assaulting the CEO of the company for which he worked and that he was the only one in the area when Neenu died. However, Sajad and Reena suggest Hari should be detained only once adequate proof is obtained.
Meanwhile, Dinesh's friend Manoj from Yellow News informs him that two people are in a hotel bearing drugs. Dinesh, looking for an opportunity to boost his image, arrests a lady and a young man from the hotel room the following day. However, upon examination at the police station, it was found that their bag contained gypsum powder. Dinesh, ashamed in front of everyone, makes some decisions in his mind. Dinesh talks with a defense lawyer to consider implicating Hari in the case. The lawyer supports him and instructs him to proceed with the arrest. Dinesh convinces Commissioner Balachandran as well. A police team led by Dinesh arrests Hari, who was preparing to take the PSC exam.
The police present Krishnan Rajasekharan, a documentator who frequently appears in court to falsely testify, as a witness. In the presence of the commissioner, Krishnan makes a false statement. Though Hari emotionally responded to it, he was taken to jail. At jail, Hari is beaten up by a group of accused, and the police take him to the hospital. During the commissioner's visit, Hari escapes from the hospital in an ambulance. Dinesh scares Krishnan by telling him about Hari's anger toward him for falsely testifying. Arya, Hari's lover, helps him hide in a warehouse owned by Ahammad. While staying there, he organizes the numbers of Dinesh, Krishnan, and other inspectors. Hari then threatens Krishnan over the phone, telling him that he must file an affidavit in court.
With the help of Arya and Ahammad, Hari gets Krishnan's mobile from a truck, retrieves its deleted call history, and locates him. Hari and Arya arrive at the Cochin Tower hotel after learning that Krishan is staying there. Krishnan, however, manages to escape after seeing them in front of his room. Hari chases Krishnan to the Palarivattom metro station but fails to catch him. On Krishnan's information, a police team led by Dinesh arrives at the metro station, but Hari smartly escapes.
While traveling, Hari's vehicle was involved in a minor accident. This information was passed by the traffic police to the control room, where Sajad and Krishnan were present. Hari and Ahammad grab an autorickshaw and escape the scene of the accident. The traffic SI tells Sajad the name of the autorickshaw by checking the CCTV visuals. Knowing Hari is traveling in his friend Manaf's autorickshaw, Krishnan calls him and tells him of the situation. Manaf then turns his autorickshaw onto a narrow road, where police arrest Hari. But Dinesh arrives and takes credit for catching Hari.
At court, the defense lawyer portrays Hari as a suspect based on circumstantial evidence. Hari defends himself without a lawyer. With clear evidence, he proves that the statements given by Anjitha and Krishnan against him were fake. Hari then questions Dinesh and proves his relationship with Neenu. Their WhatsApp chats, CCTV footage, and personal videos are produced as proof. Dinesh's wife Bincy George, also testifies against him. But Dinesh screams and says that he had nothing to do with Neenu's death. Dinesh is arrested for accusing Hari, along with Krishnan, who falsely testified in court.
Cast
[edit]- Shine Tom Chacko as Hariprasad
- Vineeth Sreenivasan as CI Dinesh K.T.[5]
- Sreenivasan as Krishnan Rajasekharan alias Vendor Krishnan
- Srikant Murali as Judge Kurup [7]
- Gowri Nandha as Bincy George
- Malavika Menon as Arya
- Dileep Menon as Public prosecutor
- Sudheer Karamana as Defense lawyer Stephen Thomas
- Aswath Lal as SI Sajad Hassan
- Sruthy Jayan as SI Reena Mathew
- Joji John as Commissioner Balachandran K IPS
- Mareena Michael Kurisingal as Neenu
- Ansiba Hassan as Anjitha
- Balaji Sharma as Vishwambharan
- Krishnan Balakrishnan as Sathyanathan
- Azees Nedumangad as Driver Manaf
- Nandan Unni as Manager Bhagat
- Anjali Sathyanath as Bangalore lady
- Arjun as Bangalore boy
- Sohan Seenulal as Neenu's neighbour
- Nissar as Benjamin
- Shaji Marad as Inspector Prasanth
- Tajuddin as Ahammad
- Manoj Ramsingh as Manoj Yellow News
- Sujaya Parvathy as Reporter Sujaya
Production
[edit]Filming
[edit]The film marks the reunion of Vineeth Sreenivasan and Sreenivasan following Aravindante Athidhikal (2018).[8] Principal photography commenced in Kochi on 6 November 2022 with a pooja ceremony and switch-on delivered by Lokanath Behera at St. Albert's HSS, Ernakulam.[9][10] Tamima Nasrin lit the Nilavilakku, while M. Mohanan gave the first clap.[9] The filming wrapped on 20 December 2022.[11][12]
Marketing
[edit]On 1 April 2023, the makers unveiled a first-look poster featuring Vineeth Sreenivasan, Sreenivasan, and Shine Tom Chacko.[13] A second-look poster was released on 16 June 2023.[14]
Soundtrack
[edit]| Kurukkan | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Unni Elayaraja | |||||
| Released | 2023 | ||||
| Venue | Kochi | ||||
| Studio | My Studio | ||||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | ||||
| Length | 12:09 | ||||
| Language | Malayalam | ||||
| Label | Satyam Audios | ||||
| Producer | Unni Elayaraja | ||||
| |||||
Unni Elayaraja composed the film's music,[15] with lyrics written by Manu Manjith and Shafi Kollam.[16]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Eeswaran Lunchinu" | Manu Manjith | Athul Narukara | 3:45 |
| 2. | "Ayn Thudir Ya" (Arabic Song) | Shafi Kollam | Girish Thiruvali | 2:11 |
| 3. | "Thee Kathana Kannalivan" | Manu Manjith | Vineeth Sreenivasan | 2:33 |
| 4. | "Subha Vibhathamayi" | Manu Manjith | K. S. Harisankar | 3:40 |
Release
[edit]Theatrical
[edit]The film was given a U certificate by the Censor Board prior to its release.[15] It was released in theatres on 27 July 2023 by Varnachitra Big Screen.[17][18]
Home media
[edit]ManoramaMAX acquired the digital distribution rights and began streaming it on 25 August 2023.[19][20] The satellite rights of the film was obtained by Mazhavil Manorama.[21][22]
Reception
[edit]Critical response
[edit]Gopika ls of The Times of India gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Kurukkan by Jayalal Divakaran is a mixture of comedy, murder mystery, and investigation, at a time when genre lines are being breached in the most unconventional ways."[23] S. R. Praveen of The Hindu wrote "Keeping you on the edge of the seat is not one of the stated purposes of Jayalal Divakaran's 'Kurukkan', scripted by Manoj Ramsingh."[24] Cris of The News Minute gave 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Kurukkan is not poorly made. The scenes are straightforward, and at a little more than two hours, the script is not boring at all. But the writing fails in stretching out the idea."[25]
Princy Alexander of Onmanorama wrote "Kurukkan aims to find the fox, and there's an element of surprise when the true nature of one of the characters is unravelled."[26] Vignesh Madhu of The New Indian Express wrote "What promised to be an intriguing character study of three like-minded men ends up as a lacklustre crime-comedy... with only a handful of comedies worth remembering."[27]
Notes
[edit]- ^ According to the British Board of Film Classification, the duration is 123 minutes and 11 seconds. According to the Central Board of Film Certification, the duration is 124 minutes and 51 seconds.
References
[edit]- ^ "'Kurukkan' release: Sreenivasan starrer to hit the big screens on THIS date". The Times of India. 23 July 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "Kurukkan". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ "It's a wrap for 'Kurukkan'". The Times of India. 21 December 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "'Kurukkan' Twitter review: Check out what netizens have to say about Sreenivasan's comeback movie". The Times of India. 27 July 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "രസികന്മാരാണ് ഈ 'കുറുക്കന്മാർ'; കുറുക്കൻ റിവ്യൂ". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ "Father-Son Duo Sreenivasan, Vineeth Sreenivasan Return With Comedy-Thriller Kurukkan". News18. 27 July 2023. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ "നീതിക്കായുള്ള പോരാട്ടവും കോടതിമുറിയിലെ രസക്കാഴ്ചകളും; കുറ്റാന്വേഷണം മാത്രമല്ല 'കുറുക്കൻ'". Mathrubhumi. 27 July 2023. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ "Actor Sreenivasan to join sets of 'Kurukkan' next month, says Vineeth". OnManorama. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ a b "Actor Sreenivasan makes comeback to movies, starts shooting of 'Kurukkan'". English.Mathrubhumi. 6 November 2022. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "Vineeth Sreenivasan and Sreenivasan reunite for Kurukkan". The New Indian Express. 8 November 2022. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ R., Chandhini (21 December 2023). "It's a wrap for Vineeth Sreenivasan and Sreenivasan's Kurukkan". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "Shooting For Malayalam Actor Sreenivasan's Kurukkan Wrapped, Check Pics". News18. 21 December 2022. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ Madhu, Vignesh (1 April 2023). "First look of Vineeth Sreenivasan's Kurukkan out". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ Madhu, Vignesh (17 June 2023). "Kurukan gets second look, confirms July release". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 6 October 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ a b "Kurukkan gets a U certificate; release date confirmed". Cinema Express. 22 July 2023. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "'Kurukkan' trailer unveils Sreenivasan's spectacular return to the big screen". The Times of India. 13 July 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ "Sreenivasan, Vineeth play crooked, hilarious characters in 'Kurukkan'. See trailer". OnManorama. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ "Shine Tom Chacko-starrer Malayalam Film Kurukkan's Trailer Out". News18. 14 July 2023. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "'Kurukkan' locks OTT release date: Know where, when to watch Vineeth Sreenivasan's latest film". OnManorama. Archived from the original on 26 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
- ^ "Kurukkan on OTT: Vineeth on why the crime comedy was best for his dad's comeback". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ "വിനീത് ശ്രീനിവാസന്റെ 'കുറുക്കൻ' ൻറെ സാറ്റലൈറ്റ് അവകാശം മഴവിൽ മനോരമ സ്വന്തമാക്കി". MalayalamExpressOnline. 22 July 2023. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ "Kurukkan | കുറുക്കന് - Mallu Release | Watch Malayalam Full Movies". www.mallurelease.com. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ ls, Gopika (27 July 2023). "Kurukkan Movie Review : A hesitant blend of genres". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ Praveen, S. R. (28 July 2023). "'Kurukkan' movie review: A confused mix of genres that ends up in no man's land". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 28 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
- ^ Cris (28 July 2023). "Kurukkan review: Vineeth Sreenivasan uninhibited in a film that tries hard to be funny". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ Alexander, Princy (27 July 2023). "'Kurukkan' movie review: A mixed bag". Onmanorama. Archived from the original on 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ Madhu, Vignesh (28 July 2023). "'Kurukkan' movie review: This film on foxy men misses the trick". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 28 July 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.