Varane Avashyamund
Varane Avashyamund | |
---|---|
Directed by | Anoop Sathyan |
Written by | Anoop Sathyan |
Produced by | Dulquer Salmaan |
Starring | Dulquer Salmaan Suresh Gopi Shobana Kalyani Priyadarshan |
Cinematography | Mukesh Muraleedharan |
Edited by | Toby John |
Music by | Alphons Joseph |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Play House Release |
Release date |
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Running time | 145 Minutes |
Country | India |
Language | Malayalam |
Varane Avashyamund (transl. Groom wanted) is a 2020 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Anoop Sathyan, in his directorial debut. It was co-produced by Dulquer Salmaan under the banner of Wayfarer Films. The film stars Dulquer Salmaan, Suresh Gopi, Shobana and Kalyani Priyadarshan. It has music by Alphons Joseph.[1] Set in Chennai, It revolves around the people and happenings in an apartment complex in the city. It explores love, life, family and relationships.
On 12 April 2019,It was reported that Suresh Gopi, Shobana and Nazriya Nazim will be starring in a film directed by debutant Anoop Sathyan, son of veteran filmmaker Sathyan Anthikad.[2] Later, Nazriya was replaced by Kalyani Priyadarshan. It was later reported that Dulquer Salmaan will also be starring in the film and producing it. The principal photography took place between October and December 2019 in and around Chennai. The music was composed by Alphons Joseph. The film has cinematography by Mukesh Muraleedharan and editing by V. S. Vinayak.[3]
Varane Avashyamund was marketed as the comeback film of Suresh Gopi after a five-year hiatus from acting; actress Shobana's Malayalam comeback after a 7-year absence since her last Malayalam film, Thira (2013), as well as Kalyani's Malayalam debut.[4] The film was released in theatres worldwide on 7th February 2020 to positive reviews from critics praising the cast performances (particularly of Gopi and Shobana), screenplay and direction. The film emerged as a commercial success grossing over ₹25 crore becoming the 4th highest grossing Malayalam film of the year.[5] Varane Avashyamund made into the FC Gold list of films of Film Companion for the year 2021.[6]
Plot
[edit]Neena is a divorced woman in Chennai trying to get hired as a French tutor and teaching classical dance, and she has a daughter Nikhitha aka Nikki. Her brother Manuel also resides in a flat in Chennai. Their next-door neighbors are Major Unnikrishnan, a retired Indian Army officer who has a pet dog, Jimmy (a brown doberman), and Bibeesh who lives with a serial-actress aunt and his young school-going brother, Kartik.
Nikki is looking for a groom through a matrimonial portal and she is very picky. She keeps on rejecting all the alliances that come to her. She casually tells her friends that she once really liked a guy named Aby but she did not pursue the relationship because his mom joked about her looks. Her friends message him from her phone when she was not around and then the two start seeing each other again. Nikki also gets really close with Aby's mom Dr. Sherly.
Major Unnikrishnan has anger management issues and he starts going to a Dr. Bose to get himself treated. Neena also goes to the same place to teach dance. Slowly they start a liking for each other. Noticing this their flatmates start to gossip and it reaches Nikki's ears as well. Nikki questions Neena and Neena does not deny this. Nikki tells her fiance about this and he immediately breaks up. Nikki starts hating her mother because of this. She tells Neena that more than her fiance, she misses his mom a lot.
Bibeesh is also in love with his colleague, but it does not work out. Turns out that she has a boyfriend. During this time, their flat becomes flooded, and Bibeesh and his brother shift to Nikki's house. Slowly they fall in love. One night Bibeesh and Kartik have a disgusting fight and Nikki stops the quarrel by taking Bibeesh to the top of the terrace.
Bibeesh opens up about his personal life to Nikki, recounting various incidents that have shaped his experiences. He recalls a time when his younger brother was born to their parents while he was in 11th grade, leading to mockery from his friends due to their mother being their class teacher. Tragedy struck a year later when Bibeesh's father passed away in an accident, as he wasn't wearing a helmet. Bibeesh vividly describes the day of his father's death as the worst, remembering how he usually carried an extra set of keys but, unfortunately, had forgotten them that day. This forced him to wait at his neighbor's house, triggering a recollection of a nauseating experience when he vomited after drinking squash at their place. However, when the ambulance turned up at his house he was expecting to see his dad's body in the van. But he saw his mom and dad's dead bodies in the ambulance. Turns out both his parents had taken Kartik for a polio vaccination. They had got into an accident with a truck. But Kartik came home with a fracture only to which Bibeesh felt relieved on seeing his brother alive. Bibeesh reflects on how even the thought of that incident still evokes a sensation of nausea, illustrating the lasting impact it had on him.
His heart-wrenching narrative of losing his parents during his school years helps Nikki understand the depth of maternal love and leads to a reconciliation between them. Meanwhile, Major Unnikrishnan humorously remarks that Neena bears a resemblance to the attractive actress Shobana, offering a lighthearted moment.
As the film nears its conclusion, Bibeesh and Nikki arrange to go on a date. However, their plans are disrupted when Nikki's ex-fiancé, a dedicated traffic police officer, unexpectedly shows up. This officer, who was previously rejected by Nikki for asking her to pay traffic fines during a date, unintentionally creates tension during their outing.
Cast
[edit]- Dulquer Salmaan as Bibeesh P a.k.a Fraud[7]
- Naslen K. Gafoor as Young Bibeesh
- Suresh Gopi as Major Unnikrishnan a retired army officer
- Shobhana as Neena, a single mother and French tutor[8]
- Kalyani Priyadarshan as Nikhitha a.k.a. Nikki [9]
- Urvashi as Dr. Sherly, a dentist and Aby's mother[10]
- K. P. A. C. Lalitha as Akashavani, a former radio jockey and serial actress[11]
- Lalu Alex as Manuel / Chachan
- Johny Antony as Dr. Bose[12]
- Major Ravi as Major Athmaram[13]
- Sarvajith Santosh Sivan as Karthik[14]
- Rahul Rajasekharan as Aby, Nikita's ex-fiancee[15]
- Meera Krishnan as Maami[13]
- Sreeja Ravi as Cookeramma[16]
- Wafa Khatheeja Rahman as Wafa, Bibeesh's ex-girlfriend[17]
- Krishnachandran Nair as Ranjan Shankar
- Vidya Menon Ahamed as Dhanya
- Theni Murugan as Gangaiyamaran
- Kimu Gopal as House Owner
- Baby Maheshwari as Young Nikitha
- Eldho as Bibeesh's father
- Nimisha as Bibeesh's mother
- Bibin Perumballikunnel as Serial Actor
- Sidharth Varma as Emil Varghese
- Siju Wilson as Alphonse Antony (Cameo appearance)[18]
- Arvind Venugopal as Guest Appearance in the Song "Nee Vaa En Aarumukha"
- Anoop Sathyan as the man who dates Nikhitha and also appears in the Song "Kuttikurumba" (Cameo Appearance)
- Vineeth Sreenivasan as Adithyan Arun (Photo Appearance)
- Lal Jose as Sivaprasad (cameo appearance)[13]
- Madhav Suresh Gopi as man at window during fight scene (cameo appearance)[19]
Production
[edit]On 12 April 2019, The Times of India reported that Suresh Gopi, Shobana and Nazriya Nazim will be starring in a drama film directed by debutant Anoop Sathyan, son of veteran filmmaker Sathyan Anthikad.[2] It marked the comeback of the superstar Suresh Gopi, after a brief hiatus. Later, Nazriya was replaced by Kalyani Priyadarshan.[20] On 17 September 2019, The New Indian Express reported that Dulquer Salmaan will also be starring in the film and producing it. Urvashi was also confirmed to play an important role.[20] Filming was said to begin by October 2019 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.[21] The film also marked the on-screen collaboration of Suresh Gopi and Shobana after a period of 14 years, after working together in Makalkku (2005).[22]
The principal photography of the film began on 1 October 2019 in Chennai, with both Dulquer and Kalyani shared pictures from sets on their social media accounts. The filming was officially launched by filmmaker Lal Jose.[1] On 4 October 2019, Suresh Gopi began shooting his portions.[23] Dulquer joined the sets for filming on 11 October 2019.[24] On 26 November 2019, Urvashi's shooting for the film commenced.[25] Filming was completed on 21 December 2019, with Dulquer shared a picture expressing thanks on Instagram.[26] Bhagyalakshmi dubbed for Shobhana and Singer Anne Amie for Kalyani Priyadarshan.[9]
Soundtrack
[edit]No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Ne Va En Arumukha..." | Santhosh Varma, Dr. Kritaya | Alphons Joseph | K. S. Chithra, Karthik | 03:32 |
2. | "Kuttikkurumba..." | Santhosh Varma, Anoop Sathyan | Alphons Joseph | K. S. Chithra | |
3. | "Mullapoove ..." | Santhosh varma | Alphons Joseph | Haricharan | 02:50 |
4. | "Muthunne Kannukalil ..." | Santhosh varma | Alphons Joseph | Swetha Mohan, Swetha Somasundaran | |
5. | "Mathi kanna Ullathu Chollan ..." | Santhosh varma | Alphons Joseph | Alphons Joseph, Sherdhin, Shelton Pinheiro, ThirumaLi | |
6. | "Oh En Eesa Song ..." | Dr:Kritaya | Alphons Joseph | Alphons Joseph | |
7. | "Aadyamorillam ..." | Santhosh varma | Alphons Joseph | Ann Amie | |
8. | "Muthunne Kannukalil ..." | Santhosh varma | Alphons Joseph | Swetha Mohan | |
9. | "Oh En Eesa ..." | Dr:Kritaya | Alphons Joseph | Alphons Joseph |
Release
[edit]The film was released on 7 February 2020. The movie was released on Netflix and Sun NXT on 20 April 2020 with English subtitles.[27][28]
Reception
[edit]Critical reception
[edit]Writing for Film Companion, Baradwaj Rangan wrote, "Its hardest to play heavy scenes in a light mannar, and these actors do it marvellously. The director chooses to discard the microscopic detailin favour of broad arcs and happy-making vingettes."[29]
Gautham Sundar of The Hindu wrote, "Varane Avishyamund succeeds in capturing the city’s (Chennai) essence and vibe like no other movie, not even Tamil ones, in recent times. Granted, it’s set in a largely urbane environment, but it’s depiction of many Chennai staples — that we have forgone over the course of the lockdown — is so spot-on, that it’s easy to look past its minor flaws." He further wrote, "Then, we have Shobana and Suresh Gopi of course, two veteran stars at the peak of their prowess, effortlessly adding dignity and empathy to their nuanced characters. Watching their blossoming (romance?) relationship is a delight to witness, though it is hampered by the other story arcs cutting in and the constraints of a feature film’s length." He concludes calling the film a "winsome love-letter to Chennai."[30]
A critic from The Times of India rated 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Anoop makes a fine debut and the script has enough cute and endearing moments throughout its 145-minute duration to always keep a smile on the audience's faces. But that's not where the film's strength lies, it's in the moving moments when each of the four characters talk about their past."[31] The critic praised Suresh Gopi and Shobhana, writing "Shobana hardly seems to have missed a beat, despite being away from Mollywood for seven years. As the confident Neena, she owns every frame she is in. Suresh Gopi does the same that you almost wonder why he has stayed away so long. The veterans show that be it humour or touching moments, they know how to ace the game."[31] They conclude writing "Varane Avashyamund is a feel-good movie for all audience and probably all seasons, because it is all heart."[31]
Box office
[edit]In the overseas opening weekend, it grossed US$93,932 (₹67.06 lakhs) from 44 screens in the United States, US$13,215 (₹9.44 lakhs) from 8 screens in the Canada, NZ$16,353 (₹7.52 lakhs) from 6 screens in New Zealand[32] and S$7,920 (₹4.07 lakhs) from 2 screens in the Singapore.[33] It grossed US$174,538 (₹1.3 crore) in United States in five weeks,[34] US$22,537 (₹16.27 lakhs) in Canada in two weeks, £62,690 (₹58.25 lakhs) in United Kingdom in two weeks, A$4,016 (₹1.91 lakhs) in Australia in three weeks, NZ$22,849 (₹10.39 lakhs) in New Zealand in two weeks,[33] €3,240 (₹2.59 lakhs) in Germany in three weeks[35] and S$12,450 (₹6.67 lakhs) in Singapore in three weeks.[36]
Awards
[edit]At 10th South Indian International Movie Awards, Shobana won Best Actress, Anoop won Best Debut Director, Kalyani won Best Debut Actress, and Antony won Best Actor in a Comedy Role.[37]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Onmanorama Staff (3 October 2019). "Dulquer Salmaan back to Mollywood, launches his next with Kalyani Priyadarshan". Malayalam Manorama. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
- ^ a b Anjana George (12 April 2019). "Nazriya, Shobana and Suresh Gopi to team up for Anoop Sathyan's debut directorial". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
- ^ "Dulquer starts shooting for Anoop Sathyan's directorial". The Times of India. 11 October 2019. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "Varane Avashyamund: Five reasons why you should not miss Suresh Gopi, Shobana, Kalyani Priyadarshan and Dulquer Salmaan-starrer". The Times of India. 6 February 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
- ^ "Dulquer Salmaan's first production venture 'Varane Avashyamund' crosses Rs 25 crore". The Times of India. 25 February 2020. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ FC, Team (18 January 2021). "Introducing, FC Gold: The Best in Entertainment". www.filmcompanion.in. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ "'വരനെ ആവശ്യമുണ്ട്' പോസ്റ്റുമായി ദുൽഖർ സൽമാൻ; ആർക്കെന്നല്ലേ?". News18 Malayalam. 1 January 2020. Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
- ^ "Shobana talks about her comeback film 'Varane Avashyamund'". The Times of India. 1 May 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ a b "Singer Anne Amie: I was offered the opportunity to dub for Kalyani in 'Varane Avashyamud, while I was in Chennai for Filmfare Awards". The Times of India. 16 February 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ George, Anjana (1 June 2020). "When Urvashi was asked to improvise a scene for Varane Avashyamund". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ "Did you know KPAC Lalitha's real name is Maheshwari Amma?". The Times of India. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ Changanassery, Santhosh (25 April 2020). "After acting in Dulquer Salmaan's movie, Johny Antony is waiting for Mammootty's opinion". On Manorama. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ a b c "It's a heart-warming film, Dulquer on 'Varane Avashyamund'". Mathrubhumi. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ "Santhosh Sivan's son to essay a part in Anoop Sathyan directorial 'Varane Avashyamund'". Times of India. 9 January 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ George, Nina C (13 February 2020). "'Had to unlearn many things when I decided to act'". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ MP, Abin (8 February 2020). "മാധവന്റേയോ ദിവ്യ ഉണ്ണിയുടെയോ, അതോ...; പ്രേക്ഷകരെ കണ്ഫ്യൂഷനാക്കിയ 'കുക്കറമ്മ' ആര്?". Samayam Malayalam. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ Soman, Deepa (2 March 2020). "Wafa Khatheeja Rahman: Anoop used to brief me the scenes and I'd form my own lines in Beary for them". Times of India. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ Mathews, Anna (17 March 2020). "Siju Wilson: I have been able to do a wide range of roles this year". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ "ഒറ്റ രംഗത്തില് മിന്നി മാധവ് സുരേഷ്, അച്ഛന്റെ അനുഗ്രഹം തേടി സെറ്റില്; വീഡിയോ". Mathrubhumi. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ a b Express News Service (17 September 2019). "Suresh Gopi-Shobana film to go on floors next month". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
- ^ Sanjith Sidhardhan (1 September 2019). "Anoop Sathyan ropes in Dulquer and Kalyani for a family-drama". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
- ^ Timesofindia.com (7 October 2019). "Suresh Gopi and Shobana reunite after 14 years for Anoop Sathyan's directorial debut". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
- ^ Timesofindia.com (4 October 2019). "Suresh Gopi joins Anoop Sathyan's directorial debut!". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
- ^ Sanjith Sidhardhan (11 October 2019). "Dulquerstarts shooting for Anoop Sathyan directorial". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
- ^ Express News Service (26 November 2019). "Urvashi joins Suresh Gopi-Shobana film". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
- ^ Samayam Malayalam (22 December 2019). മനസ് നിറഞ്ഞ് ദുൽഖര് സൽമാൻ; ഏവര്ക്കും നന്ദി പറഞ്ഞ് താരം: ഇൻസ്റ്റാഗ്രാം കുറിപ്പ് വൈറൽ! [Dulquer Salmaan feels overjoyed; Expresses thanks to everyone; Instagram post goes viral!]. The Times of India (in Malayalam). Retrieved 1 January 2020.
- ^ "Varane Avashyamund | Netflix". www.netflix.com. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- ^ "Varane Avashyamund | Sunnxt". www.sunnxt.com. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- ^ Rangan, Baradwaj (21 April 2020). "Varane Avashyamund, With Dulquer Salmaan, Shobana, Suresh Gopi And Kalyani Priyadarshan, is on Netflix: A Rewind Of This Charmer, From Anoop Sathyan". www.filmcompanion.in. Archived from the original on 28 May 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ Sunder, Gautam (27 April 2020). "Why 'Varane Avashyamund' needs to be celebrated, not berated - The Hindu". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 27 April 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
- ^ a b c "Varane Avashyamund Movie Review {3.0/5}: Critic Review of Varane Avashyamund". The Times of India. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
- ^ "Love Aaj Kal collects 1.1 mil. USD [Rs. 7.85 cr.] in overseas". Bollywood Hungama. 18 February 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan collects approx. 900k USD [Rs. 6.48 cr.] in overseas". Bollywood Hungama. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ "Baaghi 3 collects approx. 3.30 mil USD [Rs. 24.39 cr.] in overseas". Bollywood Hungama. 17 March 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ "Thappad collects approx. 600k USD [Rs. 4.37 cr.] in overseas". Bollywood Hungama. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
- ^ "Baaghi 3 collects approx. 2.32 mil USD [Rs. 17.23 cr.] in overseas". Bollywood Hungama. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
- ^ "SIIMA awards: Check out Malayalam winners of 2020". Onmanorama. Retrieved 20 September 2021.