Latest news with #Yakshi
New Indian Express
23-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Ever ordered a shot of ‘Yakshi'? Malayalis abroad might get a chance
KOCHI: Riding on the success of the 'Malayali' beer, the Warsaw-based brand is expanding into the production of vodka. Come September, its new offering -- Yakshi -- will debut, joining the brands crafted by Malayali-owned companies, such as Taika, Rooster Vodka, Mandakini, and Maharani Pomelo Vodka. In another happy news for beer connoisseurs, Malayali beer will be touching down at CIAL's Cochin Duty Free. Speaking to TNIE about the new launch and the story behind it, the founders of the company, Hexagon Spirits International SP Zoo, Chandu Nallur and Sargheve Sukumaran, say, 'Much like the story behind Malayali beer -- crafted in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war -- Yakshi too has an interesting back story. This single malt vodka was born from the residual by-products of the distillation process used in 'Malayali Habibi', our 0% alchohol beer. Yakshi is our latest innovation, conceptualised following a discussion with Lulu Group Chairman M A Yusuff Ali.' 'Yusuf Ali told us that if we are able to make a perfect zero per cent alchohol beer, he would make it available in all Lulu malls. But it has to be a perfect zero alchohol beer. Nobody has made such a beer since the cost of production is very high, and it involves multiple distillation processes to ensure that every drop of alcohol is eliminated. Now, even though we got the zero beer, we were left behind with the residual alcohol.' The founders then decided to make use of the byproduct. 'As you know, we Malayalis are known problem solvers and people who never let anything go to waste. So, Yakshi was born,' they added.
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Box office flops, unforgettable characters: When characters won, but the films didn't
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) Ever been in a condition where you really loved a movie character, but not the movie? Then we are on the same line here. Especially in Malayalam cinema, there have been several impressive characters that still rule social media, but the films actually failed to impress the audiences. Performances outshine the film Some directors care a lot for their characters in the movie, even more than the actual script. In some ways, there is a rule that the audience should be able to connect to the character, and then only the script will work, as the viewers will be emotionally invested in a particular character or a group of characters. But this can go wrong in many ways, as even if the character seems to be interesting, the script fails to impress. Take, for example, Suraj Venjaramoodu's character Dasamoolam Daamu from Mammootty's 'Chattambinaadu'. All thanks to Suraj's stunning performance, Dasamoolam Daamu still rules social media in memes, trolls, and others. Coming to the film 'Chattambi Naadu', did it work well? A strong 'NO' would be the answer. (Picture Courtesy: Facebook) 'Sometimes, even a full-length character goes unnoticed' - Actress Amalda Liz Bramayugam - Official Trailer In an exclusive interview with ETimes, the actress Amalda Liz opened up about the same topic. Speaking about her Yakshi role in Mammootty's 'Bramayugam', she says, 'The desire to portray a 'Yakshi' role has always been within me, so when Rahul Sadasivan, the director, reached out, we immediately bonded over this particular character. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 most beautiful women in the world Undo We delved into character sketches and other preparatory measures that aided me in shaping my role. Subsequently, we conducted numerous look tests and trial shoots. Additionally, I had already envisioned the character's essence in post-production, which further facilitated my preparation process.' Amalda further said, 'Watching 'Bramayugam' made it clear to me that it's undoubtedly a classic in the horror genre of Malayalam cinema. Also, sometimes, even with a full-length character, it can go unnoticed, but this kind of response to my short-length character was unexpected.' Meanwhile, 'Bramayugam' is a classic example of how characters and story also go hand in hand and impress the audience. Even Amalda Liz's brief Yakshi character stays with you for long after the end credits roll. 'Playing a character from Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's story really excited me' - Pooja Mohanraj Aashiq Abu's 'Neelavelicham', which is a remake of the Prem Nazir starrer by the same name, unfortunately flopped at the box office. While the original film has several memorable characters, why did the remake, which was filled with the same characters, failed to impress? Here, the issue was with the storyline and execution, for sure. 'Neelavelicham's story would have been definitely impressive decades back, but now? No. In an exclusive interview with ETimes, the actress Pooja Mohanraj who played the role of Latha in 'Neelavelicham' said, 'When I got roped in for the role of Bhargavi's friend character Latha, people were asking me two extreme things. One section among them was actually afraid of whether the remake of such a classic film 'Bhargavi Nilayam' would work well and another section said to me that this film is going to be a magnificent one. Playing a character from Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's story really excited me.' In short, there are several examples ranging from Mohanlal's character Mathew Manjooran in B Unnikrishnan's 'Villain' to Mammootty's Bilal John Kurishingal ('Big B' reportedly didn't do well at the box office). Suvh movies may have flopped, but their characters shine.
India Today
16-07-2025
- General
- India Today
Rethinking Indian sculptural heritage in the modern world
India has always built for the long haul. Temples, forts, paintings, works that travel across centuries, outliving the creators, refusing to be forgotten. Something new has been rising across the subcontinent. Not just temples or memorials, but statues, and not modest ones. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Gujarat to Bhimrao Ambedkar in Maharashtra, India's recent sculpture boom seems less about sculpture, and more about memory at statues are no ordinary. Rising hundreds of feet into the air, the arts have become the symbol of inspiration. The Statue of Unity towers at 597 feet, making it the world's tallest. The Statue of Belief, a massive form of Shiva, sits at 351 feet in Rajasthan. And the Statue of Equality, honouring Ramanuja, stands 216 feet high near of bronze, steel, and alloy cores, they are designed for permanence, but also for beyond the measurements, what do these statues actually say?WHEN STONE WAS A MEDIUMIndia's sculptural history is long, rich, and precise. From the earliest Indus Valley terracotta figurines to the Yaksha and Yakshi statues of Mauryan times, the human form was never just a form, it remained a way to convey the message to the next the time the builders of Ellora and Elephanta chiselled gods out of caves, the idea had already taken root, sculpture wasn't just art, it was a way to shape belief. It taught, warned, inspired, and Chola bronzes, especially the iconic Nataraja, were not only religious icons but also expressions of movement, balance, and cosmic rhythm, ideas frozen into gigantic Gommateshwara Bahubali statue at Shravanabelagola, carved in the 10th century CE, remains a marvel, standing over 57 feet tall, with no structural support, weathering monsoons and centuries Ashoka's stone pillars, scattered across the Gangetic plain, were early uses of sculpture as political broadcast, messages of morality, carved into public tools have changed. Where once hands held chisels, today artists rely on 3D scans, CNC machines, and imported bronze casting is now aided by computer modelling. This isn't a rejection of the old, but a BUILDS, WHO BENEFITS?The questions are not only artistic. They are civic. These statues cost hundreds or thousands of crores. They reshape local economies, land use, and political maps."You don't build a statue five hundred feet tall unless you're trying to shape more than stone, you're trying to shape the story." said Naresh Kumar Kumawat, an Indian builds them? Often, global firms and engineers. Who gains? Politicians claim symbolic victories. Tourists take selfies. Locals get a spike in footfall, for a often missing is the public Statue of Unity drew protests from displaced tribal communities. Others sparked debates about the cost of memory in a country still struggling with healthcare and education PROBLEM WITH SPECTACLEIn earlier times, sculptures were placed inside temples or on town crossroads. People gathered around them. Worshipped. Asked questions. Paid attention."Every monument speaks twice, once through its figure, and again through the silence around why it was built." added attention has a shorter span.A statue is unveiled, drones film it, headlines run, and then, silence. The sheer scale overwhelms the need to the risk with monumental art: it looks impressive, but what does it really mean?Will the next generation stop and feel something in front of these giants?Or just walk past them on the way to something else?India has always carved its values into stone. The question is, what values are we choosing to carve now, and are we ready to live with them?- EndsMust Watch
