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Gulf News
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf News
With 'Thudarum', Mohanlal has found his groove just like Mammootty: Dubai producer Sophia Paul and fans rejoice
Dubai-based producer Sophia Paul, known for backing films like Minnal Murali and Bangalore Days, captured what many fans and industry insiders are feeling right now after watching Mohanlal shine in Thudarum. 'I had goosebumps. I felt a surge of emotions. It was such a pleasure to finally see Mohanlal in his element again," said Sophie in an interview with Gulf News. She praised director Tharun Moorthy for understanding how to use the star wattage of a superstar like Mohanlal — something that, in recent years, even seasoned filmmakers struggled to do. "It felt like a moment of validation and empowerment," she added. Sophia Paul is not alone in her sentiment. With Thudarum, Mohanlal has delivered the kind of performance that reminds us exactly why he is considered a titan of Malayalam cinema. The film is storming both the Indian and UAE box offices, earning strong collections and universal praise from fans, critics, and his colleagues. In UAE alone, the movie has clocked a whopping 207, 767 admissions in just three days of its release. Thudarum is a slow-burn thriller that plays perfectly to Mohanlal's enduring strengths. The scenes where he quietly unravels while coming to terms with an unimaginable tragedy are a masterclass in restrained, powerful acting. Without histrionics, he conveys profound grief — a testament to his unparalleled control and emotional intelligence as a performer. For longtime fans, Thudarum feels like a potent reminder of the Mohanlal who once captured the pulse of Kerala's youth in films like Nadodikattu with Shobana — that boyish, relatable figure who could turn everyday struggles into unforgettable cinema. Now, seasoned with experience and gravitas, Lalettan taps into something even deeper, proving that true screen magic never fades; it simply evolves. It's also worth noting how timely this resurgence feels, especially when compared to the stellar trajectory of Mammootty, his peer and contemporary. At 73, Mammootty has been on an extraordinary run, delivering career-best performances in films like Kaathal – The Core and Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam. His choices reflect an actor fully embracing his age, leaning into textured, meaningful roles that add to his already legendary legacy. Mammootty's recent work shows a man in perfect sync with his artistic instincts — courageous, authentic, and effortless. In contrast, Mohanlal, at 64, seemed for a time to be searching for that same sweet spot. Some recent projects, like L2: Empuraan, with their designer trench coats, leather pants, and stylised avatars, didn't feel like a natural fit. It was as though he was being squeezed into a template that didn't quite honor the magic that made him beloved in the first place. But Thudarum changes that narrative completely. Here, there are no gimmicks. No forced reinventions. Just a great actor and a compelling story — and the result is electric.
New Indian Express
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Glimpse behind the glam: director Anjali Menon on her new short film, Backstage
Often, while watching a dance performance, one may not think beyond the performance of the artistes onstage. What happens beyond and behind the stage is a world known and owned by the artistes and the crew members – filled with memories, stories, efforts, sacrifices, laughter, and tears. Writer and director Anjali Menon's latest work Backstage , a short film in the anthology Yuva Sapno Ka Safar (released on April 11), as the name suggests, takes the viewers on a ride to backstage storytelling. Known for her multi-starrer movie Bangalore Days (2014), Menon's new work dives into the world of Gowri (Padmapriya) and Kanya (Rima Kallingal), two dancers and friends who split up and come back to their alma mater for an event. Shot in six days and edited in about five weeks, the short was released just in time for International Dance Day, today. For Menon, Backstage was all about exploring the nuances of female friendships within the South Indian dance community, a world often underrepresented in mainstream cinema. 'Though classical dance training is com mon among South Indians, we hardly see that world on our screen; this seemed like an exciting opportunity to do so. Friendships between artistes often get wounded when ambition interferes; it becomes a test of the friendship itself,' she explains. Menon puts forward a compelling humanisation of artistes and wants the audience to view the dancers as individuals first. 'I hope the audience sees the very human and vulnerable side of artistes and how their frailties further affect relationships. The idea of seeing them as characters before we see them adorned in makeup and costume is to not mistake the final aura as the person,' she says. According to Menon, the story explores the stages of dressing up for a performance to actually peel away layers from the individuals these dancers are. 'So much of their truest selves emerge when they are completely dressed up. They are inside out,' she explains. Besides the hats of writer and director, Menon is also a dancer. 'I have been fortunate to be trained in Bharatanatyam since I was five and have had exposure to theatre arts at multiple stages. Backstage is a small humble tribute to this world – there is much more to be told, much more to be drawn from that part of my life,' she notes. Padmapriya, actor 'For many, dance communities were the first working space they must have been into. In dance, there is an important ecosystem to explore a universal notion. And, because we knew so much about dance, we didn't have to spend too much time building that world. Somehow, it was there in us,' says Thamassu -actor Padmapriya. Rima Kallingal, actor 'In the two dance sequences we see in the film, dancing together shows bonding and forgiveness in ways that words could never explain. The first time when they dance together as young students, their rhythm and energy flow together. In the end, when Gowri forgives Kanya, she calls her to join her and go back to that time when they flowed together in movement. Dancing together brings out their connection in great detail and depth,' Kallingal says.
Gulf News
22-04-2025
- Business
- Gulf News
Gold prices touch an all-time high, Indian women ask: Who's rich now with all that 22K jewellery?
Dubai: As gold prices soar to Dh374 per gram for 22k gold, I'm not going to pretend I understand the stock market or the forces of global economics. But here's what I do know: every Malayali, scratch that -- every Indian woman -- who has lovingly hoarded gold over the years is probably laughing her way to the bank right now. Let me tell you a story. My sister and I had arranged marriages. That means we essentially married the equivalent of a blind date—handpicked by our parents. It's a massive gamble, really. But in India, when you go along with your folks' wishes and embrace the traditional route, there's an unspoken reward system: they deck you out in gold. Generously. In contrast, some of my distant cousins and friends who chose to fall in love and elope with partners of their choice were often penalised by their parents. They were sent off to their new homes without a single gram of gold. No trousseau, no ornaments—just love, and a lot of crossed fingers. While I don't condone the culture of over-the-top, ostentatious weddings, I can't deny that the women who leaned into tradition got something undeniably valuable—solid financial security. Because let's be honest, gold is more than jewellery in India. It's insurance. It's independence. It's power. Women, in their own quiet way, are flipping the script. I remember when I was told I'd be given 17 gold chains/traditional ornaments for my wedding. I jokingly said I wouldn't marry unless they gave me 21 chains. It was partly a joke—but also a test. I wanted to see how badly they wanted this marriage to happen. To my surprise, it worked. Sometimes, demanding more gold isn't about the jewellery—it's about leverage. Yes, with all those gold chains, I looked like Bappi Lahiri styled by Rick Ross — pure desi disco meets Miami swagger. I've had long conversations with my sister and parents about why gold holds such deep significance for Indian women. And the conclusion is crystal clear: if the man your parents lovingly—and sometimes naively—choose for you turns out to be a disappointment, your gold remains yours. Nobody can snatch it away. You can pawn it discreetly—no family drama involved. Banks now facilitate gold loans quickly, respectfully, and without shame. Somewhere along the way, I stopped viewing gold as a relic of outdated tradition and started seeing it as a practical, almost crucial/rebel tool of personal security. And as the prices rise, my mother and grandmother's lifelong advice rings louder than ever: 'Don't waste your money on fashion jewellery. Buy solid gold.' Turns out, they weren't just being traditional — they were being strategic. Plus, the anonymity and security that gold offers a woman is unparalleled. It doesn't ask questions, demand paperwork, or judge your circumstances — it simply steps up when you need it most. Take Nazriya's character in Bangalore Days, for instance. When her arranged marriage hits choppy waters, she quietly pawns her gold to fund her MBA. No drama, no explanations. Her husband isn't even in the picture — but her gold is. It's not just ornamentation; it's quiet empowerment wrapped in 22 karats. But I have always wondered how the market price of a company's stock moves up and down every day or even every hour or every minute. The company is the same, the principal owners remain the same, they produce and sell what they did yesterday, the workers remain the same. What has changed? Only the price of its stock. And why? The economists tell me it is value of the public perception of the company, an intangible entity. As regards the gold in my locker, nothing has changed; not the gold, not the owner, not even the perception. I got wealthier, full stop.
