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The audience in Kerala have lost taste for good and intellectually provocative cinema, said producer Manu S Kumaran whose film 'Aakashagopuram' was screened to a full house at IFFI 2008. "Commercial films made in Telugu language and dubbed in Malayalam are box office successes in Kerala. The young audiences are not just interested in serious cinema," Kumaran said. 'Aakashagopuram', starring Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, was released in theatres to a mixed response, he said adding that cine buffs flocked to the theatres to see Mohanlal. "Personality driven cinema was rampant in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Kerala was always balanced but it is no longer so," he said. 'Aakashagopuram' provokes the audience to think about oneself and who you are. Kerala is not a big market in terms of economic conditions of film business like Andhra, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. But, in the last ten years, the exhibition business has transformed substantially, he added. Kumaran said if the film was made in Hindi, it would have been well received at the box office, adding the film is the first in Malayalam to be shot and post produced in UK. Related StoriesAkashagopuram-to-release-in-August-- Akashagopuram, Mohanlal’s off-beat film directed by P. Kumaran, may get released in August, according to industry sources. The film, which was set to release last Easter, had postponed the release date for several reasons and is said to be ready for release on August 22. Apparently, the Onam season starts in Kerala from the first week of September and Kurukshethra, another film with Mohanlal in the lead, is to release at that time. Akashagopuram was in the news for its story is based on the novel, ‘The Master Builder’ by the famous Norwegian playwright Henrik Johan Ibsen. The highlight of the movie, in which Mohanlal plays the character of English architect Albert Samson, will be the music composed by John Altman, an Emmy award w more College-Kumaran-collapses!  In a shocking turn around, Mohanlal's College Kumaran has collapsed at the Kerala box-office! Last week we had written that the film on the opening day, put up a decent show and may hold on. But on the contrary, it started dropping all over and has touched 'hold over' in many places by the end of the first week! Now it is more or less confirmed that College Kumaran is Mohanlal's fifth flop in a row. The collections from Kottayam, Ernakulam, Kozhikode, Kannur, Trichur and Palakkad are pathetic as a more AMMA-versus-MACTA-in-Mollywood  The battle between Dileep and Thulasidas is now likely to lead to an imminent showdown between AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists) and MACTA (Malayalam Cine Technicians Association). A few weeks back director Thulasidas, had complained to MACTA, that nobody from the association should work with Dileep. Thulasidas's grouse was that a few years back Dileep had taken an advance from him and also signed to do a film with him. But the actor took him for a ride and has also refused to pay back the Rs 4 lakhs tak more Mohanlal-plays-waiter  The other day at the canteen of St Xavier’s college in Thumba, a suburb of Thiruvananthapuram, Mohanlal dressed in the uniform of a Indian Coffee House (ICH) waiter was shooting a song for Thulasidas’s College Kumaran. Mohanlal, during the break went down memory lane. Said Mohanlal: “For me ICH brings back good memories of my college days in Thiruvananthapuram in the late 70’s, when all of us (Priyadarsan, Suresh Kumar, M.G Sreekumar and others) used to hang around in ICH, which was at Spencer Junction and have more Mohanlal--Mega-bucks!  Mohanlal has become, Malayalam cinema's highest paid actor with Thulasidas directed College Kumaran, produced by Emil and Eric. He also becomes the first actor to get an eight figure Sambalam (Salary), for a Malayalam film! Mohanlal is reported to have been paid a whopping Rs 1.25 crore to do College Kumaran, by the producers who are real estate dealers from Trichur with NRI connections. Lal ettan was earlier charging in the Rs 60 to Rs 75 Lakhs range. But for College Kumaran, he has given priority Tatkal dates more Mr.-Medhavi-title-wrong  The film Mr. Medhavi directed by Neelakanta hit the screens today. Raja and Genelia is the lead pair. The film is a love story with a slight twist in the presentation. The director gave the title as 'Mr. Medhavi'. So we all assume that the hero is Mr. Medhavi. Medhavi means an intellectual or a genius. But the hero, Raja is not exactly an intellectual or a genius. He is plain street smart. He is actually a cunning fellow who takes advantage if gullible to further his cause. By no account can we term him more Telugu-Films-A-Big-Hit-In-Kerala  The films from Tollywood that have been dubbed into Malayalam are doing very well in Kerala. The dubbed films are given the producers record profits. The craze for dubbed Telugu films can be gaged from the fact that 'Arya' recently completed 100 days there. Allu Arjun's latest flick 'Desamuduru' is also fetching record collections. The film has so far made 40 lakhs business. All this has turned the makers of dubbed films rush here for securing rights. Venkatesh's 'Lakshmi' and Prabhas starrer 'Yogi' are also doing ver more Kuruvi-–-Kerala-goes-for-record-price  Ilayathalapathy Vijay has once again proved that he is the king of Kerala among other language actors in the state. His Dharani directed Kuruvi, produced by Udayanidhi Stalin has gone for a record Kerala theatrical rights! The Kerala theatrical rights has been snapped up by Malayalam cinema's leading hair dresser Mahi, for a rumoured Rs 1.50 crore on royalty basis, which means print cost and publicity will have to be met by the distributor. Mahi has produced and distributed two Malayalam films Dileep's Chess, a hit a more Preview:-College-Kumaran  The shooting of Thulasidas' Mohanlal film titled College Kumaran is fast progressing in the capital city. It has been rumored that for this film, actor Mohanlal has received a whopping sum of Rs 12.5 million, the highest paid amount for an actor in the Malayalam film industry. The film is set in the background of a college and Mohanlal plays Kumaran, whose gang consists of college students. For any function or study tour Kumaraettan (Mohanlal) is a must and is the life and soul of the college. Vimala R more Mohanlal-ready-for-the-Flash  Mohanlal is the unexpected winner this Onam. His film Hallo was released much before Onam but it did well during the festival, as other films failed to impress the film buffs. Now, he is set to take on College Kumaran and Flash. With the shooting of College Kumaran on the verge of completion, Mohanlal is ready to join hands with director Sibi Malayil for Flash. They had earlier worked together in Devadhootan. The makers of the film are looking out for a suitable heroine for Mohanlal. &nbs more |
