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If Chandu Chekavar, once branded a treacherous villain, can be revamped as a tragic hero in “Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha,” why can’t Kalliyankattu Neeli, the powerful and malevolent bloodthirsty Yakshi from Kerala folklore, be transformed into a superhero? In “Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra,” director Dominic Arun achieves this feat effortlessly, recasting the feared and vilified Neeli as a modern-day vigilante. Under the guise of Chandra, she fights for the voiceless and the oppressed, offering Malayalis a bold, revisionist take on the haunting grandmother’s tales they grew up with.

Backed by Dulquer Salmaan’s Wayfarer Films, “Lokah” is a masterclass in reimagining what the superhero genre can achieve. Opening with the evocative declaration,...

What Happened To Mammootty While Filming Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Mammootty’s 1989 movie Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha was a massive success at the time. The film reimagines the story from the villain’s perspective in the famous Malayalam ballad Vadakkan Pattukal, offering an alternative view of his actions. It explores why he did what he did, the reasons behind his choices, what he didn’t do, the lies told about him, and how his name, Chandu, eventually became synonymous with the term ‘Chathiyan Chandu,’ with chathi meaning ‘cheating’ in Malayalam.

Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, released in 1989, has been re-released decades later. As part of the promotional campaign, Mammootty sat down with Ramesh Pisharody for an interview on the Mammootty Kampany YouTube channel. During the conversation, they revisited the making of the film and the challenges faced by the production team.

As Mammootty recalled, one such challenge was his need to...

Media baron, film producer and politician P V Gangadharan passed at a private hospital here on Friday. He was 80. Pvg, as he was popularly known, had been ailing for the past few days and suffered a cardiac arrest this morning which proved fatal.

He was a full time director of the Mathrubhumi media house, one of the pioneering media organisations in the state.

He was called the “live wire” of Grihalekshmi Film production house that produced stellar Malayalam films which include national award winning ones like ‘Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha’ that fetched the national award for superstar Mammootty.

A true Congressman, Pvg served as a Aicc member for long and at the 2011 Assembly elections, he unsuccessfully contested as the party candidate.

Remembering him as a person with a soft demeanor, Goa Governor and long time friend P S Sreedharan Pillai termed Gangadharan a “human and loveable” character.

“Pvg was a friend...

Media baron, film producer and politician P V Gangadharan passed at a private hospital here on Friday. He was 80. Pvg, as he was popularly known, had been ailing for the past few days and suffered a cardiac arrest this morning which proved fatal.

He was a full time director of the Mathrubhumi media house, one of the pioneering media organisations in the state.

He was called the “live wire” of Grihalekshmi Film production house that produced stellar Malayalam films which include national award winning ones like ‘Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha’ that fetched the national award for superstar Mammootty.

A true Congressman, Pvg served as a Aicc member for long and at the 2011 Assembly elections, he unsuccessfully contested as the party candidate.

Remembering him as a person with a soft demeanor, Goa Governor and long time friend P S Sreedharan Pillai termed Gangadharan a “human and loveable” character.

“Pvg was a friend...

MollywoodAmong those who shared their pictures and memories with Mammootty were Mohanlal and Prithviraj, along with fans. Tnm StaffTwitter/ MohanlalOn August 6, Mollywood star Mammootty completed 50 years in the industry. Social media has been filled with wishes from celebrities and fans alike. Actor Mohanlal, who has teamed up with Mammootty for over 50 films, took to Twitter on Friday to congratulate the latter and celebrate his success. Mohanlal shared a photo which features him hugging his friend Mammootty and kissing him on his cheek. Congratulating his ‘brother’ Mammootty for completing 50 glorious years in the industry, Mohanlal wrote: “Today, my brother completes 50 glorious years in the film industry. I feel so proud to have shared the screen with him in 55 memorable films and looking forward to many more. Congratulations Ichakka! @mammukka.” In response, Mammootty, who is also lovingly known as Mammukka, tweeted, “Thank you dear lal.” Celebrating Mammootty’s success in the film industry,...

ObituarySome of Krishnamoorthy's well-known Tamil films include 'Thenali', 'Naan Kadavul', 'Bharathi' and 'Imsai Arasan 23aam Pulikesi'.Tnm StaffNational award winning art director P Krishnamoorthy, known for his work in Tamil films like Bharathi and Imsai Arasan 23aam Pulikesi, passed away in Chennai on December 13, Sunday, due to age related ailments. The five-time National Award winner was 77. A resident of Madipakkam in Chennai, Krishnamoorthy’s last rites will be held at his house on Monday afternoon. Born in the coastal town of Poompuhar, Krishnamoorthy entered the film industry with Gv Iyer’s Hamsa Geethe in 1975, a Kannada film. This film, based on the life of 18th century Carnatic musician Bhairavi Venkatasubbaiah, received two National Awards post its release. Krishnamoorthy's first National Award was, however, for Madhvacharya, directed by Gv Iyer. The two have worked in films such as Adi Shankaracharya (1983), Madvacharya (1986) and Ramanujacharya (1989). Krishnamoorthy was a passionate artist even as a child.

ReviewThe stunts don't look realistic at all, with the warriors flying in the air as if they were playing a quidditch match on invisible broomsticks.Sowmya RajendranAfter controversy and tugs of war, the ambitious Mamangam is finally here. But though the battle behind the scenes was fairly intriguing - full of alleged betrayals and twists - the film itself is astonishingly dull. Set in the 17th century, the story is about the chavers, or suicide squad warriors, who were determined to challenge the Zamorin who'd caused dishonour to their land, Valluvanad. This should have made for a thrilling setup and one would imagine that the script would have plenty of scope for plotting, strategy and old time cunning. But as it turns out, the strategy of the warriors appears to have been nothing more than flinging themselves on the sword. Or at least, that's what the film will have us believe.

Actor Dulquer Salmaan, who recently won two awards at the AsiaVision Awards, posted on Facebook that he was honoured to be onstage when veteran author, screenplay writer, and director Mt Vasudevan Nair was being felicitated.

Mt Vasudevan Nair or Mt, as he's known, is among Kerala's most distinguished literary faces. He has won the National Award for Best Screenplay four times, including for the classic Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha which stars Dulquer's father, Mammootty in the lead role. This is the most number of times anyone has won a National Award in this category.

Malayalam megastar Mammootty, who had starred in a couple of historical films in his career such as Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha and Pazhassi Raja, is gearing up to do one such film in the near future. The star has been roped in to play the lead role in a period flick that is to be directed by Sajeev Pillai.  ...