Latest news with #ManjilVirinjaPookkal
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
'Manjil Virinja Pookkal' @ 45: Flashback to a bloom that endures
45 years have passed. The world has changed. Kerala has changed. Seasons have changed. And, of course, Malayalam cinema has changed. Yet, amid all that, an old bloom still retains its unique, intoxicating fragrance — Manjil Virinja Pookkal. Released in 1980 with no stars or fanfare, it was a film of young dreams. It, however, emerged as a milestone. In a way, a new-gen trendsetter of that era. At the helm was a young postgraduate making his debut as a director: Fazil. The film also saw the launch of several fresh faces Mohanlal, Shankar (in lead role), Poornima Jayaram, Sibi Malayil (as assistant director). Even the evergreen music, top on playlists even after nearly five decades, came from a debutant — Jerry Amaldev. The only seasoned name involved was Navodaya Appachan, who produced the film. The rest, as the cliche goes, is history.
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW I 'Gabbar Singh character inspired me to cast Mohanlal in Manjil Virinja Pookkal,' recalls Fazil
On Christmas Day in 1980, Manjil Virinja Pookkal was released in theatres without big names or any fanfare. But that small film by a debut director named Fazil went on to become a pathbreaking hit. The vision of a young filmmaker changed the course of Malayalam cinema. The film also launched to stardom the likes of Mohanlal, Shankar, Poornima Jayaram and Jerry Amaldev. Now, as Manjil Virinja Pookkal turns 45, TNIE catches up with Fazil to revisit the making of the landmark film. Excerpts: Could you share how the core idea of Manjil Virinja Pookkal came about? I was involved in the script discussions of Thacholi Ambu as part of its creative team. After its success, I asked Navodaya Appachan if we could try making a small-budget film with newcomers. Though hesitant at first, he approved the idea later. But we still didn't have a story for the film. Around that time, [Appachan's son] Jijo Punnoese handed me a book on people's ghost experiences. A piece in that collection caught our attention. It told the story of two strangers who meet on a flight, fall in love, but after reaching their destination, the woman is mysteriously murdered by her ex-lover. Oddly, her friends claim to have seen her alive after the murder, leading to the eerie question of who they saw. That sparked the idea of what if someone from a lover's past returns and disrupts a new relationship. From that thread, Manjil Virinja Pookkal was born. I never imagined it would become such a landmark film. If it had failed, perhaps no one would have even known my name today! Many people consider it a 'new generation' film that broke several conventions. Looking back, how do you see it now? I don't see Manjil Virinja Pookkal as a 'new generation' film. To me, however, it was a lesson. It was only after making that film that I began to approach projects like Noketha Doorathu Kannum Nattu, films that are now considered timeless, with attention to detail. Looking back, I actually wonder if we had gone overboard with the style trends of that era — the haircuts, the bell-bottoms… That said, when filmmakers like Sathyan Anthikad say the film changed the course of Malayalam cinema, I agree. It marked a clear turning point after the Prem Nazir–Madhu–Sukumaran era, paving the way for the rise of Mammootty and Mohanlal.
Pink Villa
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Box Office: Revisiting Mohanlal's 2025 blockbusters Empuraan and Thudarum on his birthday
Malayalam Superstar Mohanlal has turned 65 years old today, Wednesday. The actor is synonymous with versatility in cinema. Debuted with Manjil Virinja Pookkal in 1980, the actor has completed almost 45 years in the film industry. He has delivered several memorable characters and cult movies in his entire career spanning over 4 decades. The latest two releases, L2 Empuraan and Thudarum, proved once again why he is termed as the biggest crowd puller in Malayalam cinema. Here's diving into the box office performance of both movies, which took the small regional film industry to new heights. L2 Empuraan, directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran and starring Mohanlal as Stephen Nedumpally aka Abram Khureshi, has emerged as the biggest box office hit at the worldwide box office. The movie opened with a record start of Rs 67 crore globally and went on to smash over Rs 265 crore gross by the end of its theatrical run. It smashed all the previous records and emerged as the first ever Mollywood movie to register a distribution share of Rs 100 crore from overseas. This is an unimaginable feat for a Mollywood movie. Moreover, it became the first ever Malayalam movie to collect from USD 9 million to USD 16 million at the international box office. If you think this is it, then keep scrolling further! Soon after L2 Empuraan wrapped its box office journey, Lalettan struck back with Thudarum. The family entertainer, twisted with thrill and crime, impressed the audience and won all the love. The movie kickstarted its box office journey on a solid note and emerged as the first ever Malayalam movie to score over Rs 100 crore in Kerala alone. The worldwide gross collection of Thudarum is currently standing at Rs 222 crore. It is still running in cinemas and is expected to collect over Rs 250 crore by the end of its theatrical run at the worldwide box office. While the political action drama is the No.1 Malayalam movie at the worldwide box office, the family entertainer holds the top spot in India. Both movies turned out to be massive blockbusters at the box office. L2 Empuraan was a heavy-budget movie, other than being a sequel to a blockbuster movie, Thudarum neither has any massive production cost nor a sequel factor. It worked solely on its content and the superstardom of Mohanlal. L2 Empuraan and Thudarum collectively grossed over Rs 487 crore globally as of now. It is expected to go over the Rs 500 crore mark as Thudarum is still gaining good traction at the ticket window. This is a massive feat, to say the least. The blockbuster success of both movies proved why Mohanlal is called the mini-film industry in himself. The actor holds almost all the major box office records under his name. Interestingly, Mohanlal is the only Indian actor who has given all-time-blockbuster movies in every decade- the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. No other actor was able to achieve this mammoth record. He was the No. 1 Superstar in Malayalam cinema and still holds the top place. For many outside Kerala audiences, Mohanlal is the face of Malayalam cinema. The actor will be next seen in the Pan-India movie Kannappa, which is slated to release on June 27, 2025. It will be his cameo appearance in the film. He is playing the character of Kirata, a warrior inspired by Indian mythology. The next release for Mohanlal is Hridayapoorvam, scheduled to release on August 28, 2025. Directed by Sathyan Anthikad, the family drama also stars Malavika Mohanan and Sangeeth Prathap. Further, the actor will be seen headlining a Pan-India period drama titled Vrusshabha, produced by Ekta Kapoor. Helmed by Nanda Kishore, the movie will hit the screens on October 16, 2025. It features an ensemble star cast and marks the theatrical debut of Sanjay Kapoor's daughter, Shanaya Kapoor. It will be interesting to see how these movies perform at the box office. Let's see if these titles can continue the blockbuster streak of Mohanlal this year. With two back-to-back all-time-blockbuster movies, Mohanlal should eye a hat-trick. Besides these scheduled releases, the actor has numerous projects in his kitty, including Rajinikanth starrer, Jailer 2. For the unversed, Lalettan's Thudarum is still playing in cinemas nearby. If you have not yet watched the movie, you can book your tickets from the online ticket-booking websites or grab them from the counter itself. His cult movie Chhota Mumbai is ready to re-release in cinemas in 4K restored quality. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates.
Indian Express
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
When Mohanlal jumped from sixth floor without stunt double for a villain role: ‘He also performed a mid-air somersault before landing'
With the release of director Tharun Moorthy's Thudarum, Malayalam superstar Mohanlal's physical agility has once again become the hot topic, with many heaping praise on him for acing difficult stunts with precision. While a younger Mohanlal frequently received and took on roles that allowed him to push the boundaries of his flexibility, such opportunities have been rare in his recent films, leading many to assume that age has diminished his ability to perform complex moves. Nonetheless, the 64-year-old actor has emphatically proven that age is just a number with Thudarum, particularly with the shot featuring him jumping through a picture window and breaking its glass, underscoring that he is still capable of pulling off the unimaginable. Regardless, this is not the first time he has courageously done such risky action sequences. In fact, actor Shankar once shared a story about how Mohanlal fearlessly jumped off the top of a six-storey building without using a stunt double for a scene in one of their earlier films. 'In cinematographer-turned-director J Williams' Hello Madras Girl (1983), Mohanlal was the villain and I was the hero. There is an action scene involving me and Mohanlal where our fight leads us to the top of a building,' Shankar said during a chat with Silly Monks Mollywood. He added, 'As we were fighting, Williams asked us to stop. He told us to jump from the top of the six-storey building. I objected to this, but the director insisted and told us that all security arrangements had been made. Despite everything I heard, I started to feel scared because I had never done it before. But then Mohanlal agreed to jump. That's when I also said ok. Not only did Mohanlal jump, but he also performed a mid-air somersault before landing. I just leapt straight across. From that, one can understand his dedication towards cinema.' Both Mohanlal and Shankar made their on-screen debuts together in director Fazil's romantic tragedy Manjil Virinja Pookkal (1980), with the former playing the main antagonist in the movie headlined by the latter and Poornima Bhagyaraj. Interestingly, they appeared in as many as 30 films together. Their last on-screen collaboration was in Rosshan Andrrews' Casanovva (2012).
