Duules Malayalam Movie

All the while I was watching 'Doubles', there was just one single thought that was troubling me. How could one possibly manage to have a casting coup of sorts and still ruin things beyond repair? How could one manage to have two of the best actors in the industry and yet terribly squander away their potentials? The answers are all there in 'Doubles'.

Sohan Seenulal's film talks of twin siblings Giri (Mammootty) and Gouri (Nadiya Moithu) who run an Accident Rescue Service at Pondicherry. The reason why the duo has developed a passion towards the job is because their parents were killed in an accident. They are absolutely inseparable, and for the same reason have remained unmarried as well.

What is appalling is that the film has a basic thread that is quite similar to the not so distant 'Lollypop' that we got to see with Prithviraj and Roma in the lead roles. The film that was scripted by Benny P Nayarambalam also talked about a brother and sister who went their separate ways after Bhavana walks into their lives. In 'Doubles', script writers Sachi and Sethu have done pretty much the same thing, and with Saira Banu (Tapasi) arriving into the picture, things go topsy turvy.

There is nothing even remotely fanciful about Saira Banu's character, that you wish she would have half the sprightliness of her name. She remains behind a purdah for a long time, and the script meanders around the 'face behind' for what feels like eons. The antics that the men around her come up with to take a dekko at her face are more intolerable than enjoyable.

We could let go of the flimsy plot structure, if the development was worth a word. But its here that the film lets us down even further. Pondicherry demands that a few Anglo Indian characters be brought in, and hence we have an array of them in the form of the twin's foster family. They live up to the filmi expectations of being Anglo Indian, and speak and dress in conventional terms.

There would be no prizes for guessing who the villain of the piece is, and very rarely would a villain walk in with a deceiving smile on his face, and yet proclaiming that he is the man behind it all. And with the villain having been identified, you could sketch down the rest of the design in ten seconds sharp.

There are a few other things that deserve a special mention as well in this messy hotchpotch. Something seems to have gone terribly wrong with the lighting of the film, and it looks a dull dark in several scenes. Technically too, 'Doubles' leaves a lot to be desired, and the few gimmicks that have been attempted in the action sequences are better left uncommented.

Mammootty and Nadia look the perfect siblings, but sadly that's the only bit they can do in this film. They are repeatedly caught in one synthetic situation after the other, and very soon look bored beyond their wits. Tapasi looks like a picture, but mouths undecipherable dialogues. There is Anirudh, Bijukuttan and Anoop Chandran as well, frantically trying to bring in some mirth, but to no avail.

A special mention however needs to be made of a few actors who play baddies, who look like lambs in distress. The dubbing make them sound like preachers, and the end results are pretty catastrophic. And the much publicized musical score by James Vasanth turns out to be a dud as well.

'Doubles' offers a desultory tour through streets that you have been through several times before. It's a dreary drama that has been dipped in the mundane. So, the disappointments are double, the predictability double and the corniness even more than double.

Read more »

Kalabhamazha Malayalam Movie

Kalabhamazha Malayalam Movie:

At one particular point in P Suku Menon's 'Kalabhamazha', Madhava Menon (Thilakan) wonders aloud on the deteriorating standards of the stuff being promoted in the form of art these days. Somehow, it sounds ironic, since the film itself belongs to another era altogether, and it's only with a sense of amazement that one would be able to sit through it.

Malavika (Devika) is the eldest daughter of Madhava Menon, who has just retired from the All India Radio. She is betrothed to Unnikrishnan (Krishna). Malu, is more than a sister to her two younger siblings, since their mother had passed away when they were quite young. Menon, is regretful that he hasn't been able to save much money for his children, and the family finds it hard, to make both ends meet, as days pass by.

'Kalabhamazha' is a film that falters big time, when it comes to the story that it's trying to tell. It's a creaky old story; the kind that has made its exit from even television serials. The all suffering daughter, who takes upon herself the entire responsibility of the family, isn't someone that we are unfamiliar with.

As per the tale requirements, the younger siblings need to stand in contrast to the older one. They are hence foolish, unwise and downright pragmatic. The younger girl for instance, falls for a film director, and soon realizes that her decision was wrong. The brother on the other hand, takes up a job at a local bank, and finds himself having transformed into a goon.

There is a Muslim family staying nearby, headed by Kunjali (Mamukkoya). His son-in-law, on a job in the Middle East, had been missing for about six long years. Kunjali's grand daughter, throws open the window and keeps singing heartbreaking songs that she hopes her dad would hear some day.

If that isn't dramatic enough, there are several other instances in the story that are way over the top. It's a small world, and Malu soon bumps into her sister's absconding lover, and almost meets with the same fate in his hands. And what follows, is even more theatrical.

There are quite a few debutante actors in 'Kalabhamazha', and performances vary from adequate to appalling. There are also seasoned actors like Thilakan and Mamukkoya, who look bewildered at the kind of scenario that they have found themselves in. There is Krishna too, who has found himself a meaty role after a long while.

The music of the film is what has been much publicized. Reportedly, it marked the coming together of three generations. ONV's lyrics are undoubtedly the best thing about the film, and the musical score that has been composed by Rajeev ONV does have a couple of lilting tunes.

Technically, the film leaves a lot to be desired, and the song picturisations would vouchsafe this fact. To cut a along story short, Kalabhamazha tells an obsolete tale, in a manner that is as archaic.

Read more »

Yemen's embattled president agrees to exit, officials say

Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) -- Yemen's embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh has accepted a deal brokered by neighboring Persian Gulf nations to step down, Yemeni officials said Saturday.
Both Saleh and the Yemeni opposition have agreed to the deal in principle. But Saleh has yet to sign the agreement, which stipulates he leave office within 30 days and provides complete immunity for him and those who served in his regime, said a senior foreign ministry official, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
Mohammed Albasha, spokesman for the Yemeni Embassy in Washington, said the opposition has to accept the final deal before Saleh will sign.
The agreement also calls for a unity government to be formed within seven days.
Yemen's state-run media quoted Deputy Minister of Information Abdu al-Janadi as saying that the political crisis will "have a solution which appeases all parties to take the country to a better democracy."
He told the Saba news agency that Saleh "welcomed the initiative presented by foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council and showed readiness to positively deal with it according to the Yemeni constitution."
The bloc of six oil-producing Gulf nations, known as the GCC, has been working to ease tensions between Saleh and an increasingly restive opposition.
Previously, Yemen's largest opposition group, the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) bloc, had objected to the Gulf initiative for failing to state clearly that Saleh must stand down.
Even after agreeing to the deal, Saleh lashed out at the opposition, accusing them of "receiving dirty money to topple the government."
"We are very interested in preventing bloodshed because the Yemeni blood is very precious and the opposition can't drag us to killing each other," Saleh said. "Civil war will not only affect Yemen, but also the whole region and the international security.
He said the JMP was trying to grab power outside the framework of democracy.
"I am ready to quit, but according to the constitution, which stipulated change through the ballot boxes and free elections," he said.
The JMP agreed to a unity government that included Saleh's ruling General People's Congress on the condition that protests be allowed to continue on the streets, said spokesman Muhammad Qahtan.
Violent anti-government demonstrations have erupted for many weeks across Yemen and the chorus calling for Saleh's ouster has grown louder.
U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said he was aware of press reports around Saleh's acceptance of the GCC proposal and called on all sides to refrain from violence.
"There must be genuine participation by all sides including youth in an open and transparent process that addresses the legitimate concerns of the Yemeni people, including their political and economic aspirations and their calls to quickly bring all perpetrators of violence against protesters to justice," he said.
"A solution to Yemen's problems will not be found through security measures, including the recently adopted emergency laws."
Saleh has been in power since 1978 and served as a staunch U.S. ally in the fight against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. He has argued he should stay in power because he is best equipped to fight Islamic militancy.
He has also said he accepts opposition demands for constitutional reforms and holding parliamentary elections by the end of the year. He promised not to run for president in the next round of elections.

But earlier this month, Saleh said he would not offer any more concessions to those demanding reforms.

Read more »

Doubles Malayalam Movie

Doubles Malayalam Movie:

Debutante directors usually have new stories to tell. The Megastar of Mollywood, Mammootty has always depended on this aspect of  freshers from whom unconventional ideas are in and predictability is passe And in some cases ideas translate into interesting, 2-hour films, and some ideas though  translated on screen, make you feel that they were never suited for the big screen. Doubles coming from the debutante director Sohan Seenulal is such a case where an interesting idea got terribly awry due to poor transformation to screen.

The film hardly has any path-breaking story, but its central thread about the dependence and parting of non-identical twins could have worked out as a very better film that may create wonders in the B O.But here in ‘Doubles’ it is really difficult to fathom much of the story that is presented in a so banal, so obsolete, so lifeless way that you break into a big yawn with a half hour into the film.

The movie is all about twin siblings Giri (Mammootty) and Gouri (Nadiya Moithu), whose parents were killed in their childhood, in a road accident. They now runs an Accident Rescue Service at Pondicherry to make it sure that no one else dies on road due to lack of timely care and needed help.The siblings are told to be  absolutely inseparable, and  remains unmarried, though we don’t get the intensity of their relationship in any of the scenes portrayed on screen.Things takes a different path as a new girl, Saira bhanu rescued from an accident start to live in their house as she has got no where to go. Add to that is the subplot of Gouri’s liking for Michel(Suresh), their foster father Pieere’s son,  as well as Giri's rejection of such a relation due to reputation of  Michel as a spoiled brat.

Though the things look to get normal in the first half, everything go downhill in the second hour. The plot looks ridiculous, monotonous   and confusing for the viewer who by the reach of the finale, is already bored and has lost all interest in the enterprise.

The biggest problem with the movie is the awfully poor writing by Sachi-sethu whose screenplay is much listless than the concept. The debutant director faces a major roadblock in the form of the written material which lacks the power to keep you hooked. .At the same time, the direction is also absurd and confusing with very few enjoyable moments that come up as an oasis in a desert.

Frankly, nothing works in this fare, except, to an extent, Mammootty. Though he looks a perfect sibling to Nadhiya, this chemistry is not worked well with the scripts. The sequences look chemical and Nadhiya is too wasted in a role that hardly demands her finesse. The new girl Thapasse is a pretty face but wooden with no lines to perform and appears a terrible mismatch with Mammootty.

The technical sides of the movie are also poor. In the initial reels till the interval, pitiable knowledge about grading or a grave technical error seems to have made it a darkly lighted film.And a few gimmicks attempted by editor V Saajan, don’t work out well, as the preceding scenes itself don’t interests us.The much hyped music department by James Vasanthan, fails to give enjoyable songs.The rerecording is inconsistent throughout, and are often irritating and annoying, taking out the charms of the scenes, if any.

On the whole, ‘Doubles’ is a poor show all the way. The script and the direction disappoints to such a level that it may not even sound   a good looking  film for the hard core fans of the megastar.

Read more »

China Town Malayalam Movie

China Town Malayalam Movie:

China Town - Jassie back with dance tracks.

IndiaGlitz  [Saturday, March 26, 2011]

After getting another big break with the songs for the movie 'Pokiriraja', young musician Jassie Gift is back with the new movie 'China town'.The fun filled movie from Rafi-Mecartin, the  filmmakers who has been consistent in delivering out frothy slapstick entertainers, will feature four songs from Jassie, which reminds much of the tracks of the previous movie 'Balram Vs Tharadas'.Jasssie has used himself and M G Sreekumar, Chithra, Afzal, Renjith, Manjari, Pradeep Palluruthy,Rajalekshmy and Kavalam Sreekumar   to fill the voices in various songs.Instead of jassie' regular 'Kaithapram', this time he has opted for Santhosh Verma and Anil Panachooran in the lyrics department. 1.'Arikil Ninnalum'- This is the best song of the album, a perfect duet filled with light melody. Senior singer Chithra's voice in this song has lifted it to magical proportions. Though it reminds of 'Neelathadakangalo' from Balram Vs Tharadas, the accompaniments and music arrangements are top class and gives a fresh look. M G Sreekumar's male voice is not effective as is demanded. But the song is sure to remain in the charts for some time and is one of the best from Jassie. 2. Innu Penninu Sindoora Naal - Sung by Jassie, Manjari, Afsal, this is a dance number which is a typical jassie song.Clad with heavy beats, electronic fillers and techno synthesisers, the song is just like a rewamp of 'Mathaappove', which was another jassie hit. 3. 'Mohapattam' is an interesting composition. An enthusiastic dancing feast, with a it's formulaic massy feel and whistles, this peppy number has an interesting mix of folkish-Caribbean and rap interludes. The energetic vocals works perfectly again and so do its cheerful lyrics, it will really be enterprising to see it works on big screen.Effectively sung by Jassie, Afsal, Ranjith and Rijiya,do expect this number to be next big thing on the musical charts that will be instantly taken on by the young generation audiences. 4. 'Aarannu Koottu'- Another dance number, the highlight of the song is its interesting and philosophical lyrics which tell about friendship. One shorter version is sung by Kavalam Sreekumar, in folk style accompanied by reggae beats, that is really a winner. The other version sung by Pradeep Palluruthy, Jassie, and Afsal have heavy electric guitar interludes and gives the air of another dance number. Altogether, 'Chinatown' is a reasonably enjoyable massy album that entertains and enthralls. At least a couple of songs from the album will get into the list of the good songs from the musician.Just have a  hear at Raaga.com and pen your opinion about the tracks.

Read more »

Urumi Malayalam Movie

Urumi  Review:

Urumi - has quality music

IndiaGlitz  [Saturday, March 26, 2011]

After creating an impression in the film world as an architect of techno music, musician Deepak Dev is finally all set to earn a lot of applauds from the audience as well as the music critics for his new work ‘Urumi’, with plenty of traditional looking tracks of a completely different genre. And, this is new for the musician who had mostly given foot tapping songs in the past. The album with lyrics by Engandiyoor Chandrsekharan, Kaithapram and Rafeeq Ahamed is composed as as salute to the 16th century dialects and narratives, that is shown in the movie. The album is packed with eight songs and a theme music, rendered by Yesudas, Shwetha, Manjari, T R renji, Shaan Rahman, Reshmi, Job kurien, Guru kishen, Rita and the lead actor of the movie, Prithviraj. 1.'Aaranne aarenne'. The album opens with this duet, which echoes the playful acts of a harvest festival and shows its colourful display through traditionally delivered lyrics by Engandiyoor Chandrsekharan, in lively soundtrack.The musical mood to acts of joyfulness, giving its male singer Job kurien, a former reality show winner, a right break to show off his talents. Rita’s vocals are not as effective as her male counterpart, though the track with plenty of drum beats is foot tapping and will become a chart topper easily. 2.'Aaro nee aaro' Shwetha excels again in expressing heart warming and sentimentally penetrative expression of beloved who craves for her soul-mate in this emotionally enriched song. A rather slow and supple song in the lines of Deepak dev style, Yesudas complements shwetha with his experience. The musical arrangements and violin interludes are interesting. Kaithapram describes the optimistic state of mind where the thirsty souls crave for eternal love. 3. Appa namam The relatively new singer, Reshmi shows her panache of folk singing with her mesmerising and modulating vocals in this number based on traditional lyrics and tunes. It's indeed a great offering to hear this impressively conceived soundtrack where her harmonious vocals work in tandem with an ambiance of supreme divinity with synchronised musical display 4. Thulu thele The rendition of a traditional looking number coupled with the backing up instruments make for marvellous music. The debutante singer K R renji has given his soul out to perfect the song with preferred soft and instrumental harmony.The lyrics echoes pain, ecstasy and suffering of the characters. Engandiyoor’s maturely rendered lyrics work effectively in echoing the inhibited joyous sentiments and will put him in the cadre of meaningful lyricist. Pure unadulterated music - a winner! 5.Chimmi chimmi The soft and titillating sounds of natural beauties are resonated with brilliant concoction of delightful orchestration in soulfully enchanting soundtrack ‘Chimmi Chimmi’.The lyrics by Kaithapram packs in plenty of  interesting allegories and Manjari’s playful voice is a delight to hear. Deepak Dev makes the fine use of soft pitched instrumentation that shows the soft and subtle natural ambiance, to end up as a notable track in the album. 6. Vadakku vadakku Guru Kishen, a Jassie hear alike with Shan rehman sings this funny and foot tapping number.The lyrics create a blissful aura of playful antics of friendship in folksy lyrics in adequate musical impact. The dance song may well appeal to young audience. The song‘s rock version is sung by actor prithviraj, who had also made a good rendering 7. Chalanam chalanam Towards the end comes the track rendered by Reshmi in altogether different mood than her previous one in the album.  The soundtrack has situational feel and should work as an effective marching song and background score in the film, but even in this, the blending of various instruments is just  mind-blowing. Penned by Rafiq Ahamed, this is an above average number, though. 8. Theme music Depak Dev maintains a low tempo and soft pitched musical mode for the title track that captures the essence of the movie. The music track of 'Urumi' is targeted mostly towards class audiences who demand quality music with soulful experience. A definite collector’s edition with  ensemble music tracks,   it will garner colossal critical acclaim from all sections of the media and the critics. A good job by Deepak Dev, Santhosh Sivan and team

Read more »

Malayalam Classical Songs

Malayalam Classical Songs:

Watch live streaming video from classics at livestream.com

Read more »