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~ Directed by Shan Thulasidharan and produced by 23 Feet Productions, Kammattam stars Sudev Nair and is inspired by a real-life incident that shook Thrissur and the state of Kerala. The series premieres on September 5th, only on ZEE5 ~

Global, 22nd, August 2025 – On the auspicious day of Onam, witness history as ZEE5 Global, the world’s leading streaming platform for South Asian content, available in 190+ countries, makes its entry into the Malayalam market with its first-ever original series, Kammattam. Inspired by one of Thrissur’s most controversial real-life incidents, this gripping six-episode crime thriller dives into a chilling murder mystery rooted in betrayal, silence and moral conflict.

Directed by Shan Thulasidharan and produced by 23 Feet Productions,...

Here’s When & Where You Can Watch Kammatam! ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Kammatam, a Malayalam crime thriller series inspired by true events, will soon be available on streaming. Based on one of Thrissur’s most controversial incidents that shook the state of Kerala and the nation, this six-episode investigative series dives deep into a chilling murder mystery rooted in betrayal, silence, and moral conflict.

Produced by 23 Feet Productions and directed by Shan Thulasidharan, the series features Sudev Nair in the lead role alongside a talented ensemble cast that includes Jins, Jeo Baby, Ajay Vaasudev, Akhil Kavalayoor, Arun Sol, Sreerekha, and Jordy Poonjaa.

Kammatam: Release Date & Plot

The series will premiere on August 29, 2025, exclusively on ZEE5. This is the Ott platform’s first foray into original Malayalam series.

Trending Nadikar Ott Release Date Update: When & Where To Watch Tovino Thomas’ Mollywood Drama

Kingdom Expected Ott Release Date Update: When & Where To Watch...

Busan International Film Festival (Biff) has revealed 30 titles selected for the 2025 Asian Project Market (Apm), including upcoming features produced by Indian star Alia Bhatt, All We Imagine As Light director Payal Kapadia and Twilight Of The Warriors filmmaker Soi Cheang.

The co-production and financing market, which runs as part of Biff’s Asian Contents and Film Market (Acfm), is set to take place from September 20-23 in Busan, South Korea. This year’s Apm received a record-breaking 455 submissions from 44 countries.

Scroll down for full list of projects

The selection spans a broad range of themes, including social inequality, family love,...

The 2025 Asian Project Market (Apm) has announced its official lineup of 30 film projects, featuring notable producers including Bollywood star Alia Bhatt and “All We Imagine as Light” filmmaker Payal Kapadia among its diverse slate.

Set to run from Sept. 20-23 during the 20th edition of the Asian Contents & Film Market at Bexco, this year’s Apm received a record-breaking 455 submissions from 44 countries. The platform continues its role as Asia’s largest co-production and financing hub, connecting emerging talent with global investors and distributors.

Bhatt serves as producer on “Difficult Daughters,” directed by actor-director Soni Razdan – who starred in 2028 Busan selection “Yours Truly” – alongside fellow producers Shaheen Bhatt, Alan McAlex, and Grishma Shah. Meanwhile, Kapadia is attached as producer to “The Last of Them Plagues,” directed by emerging Indian filmmaker Kunjila Mascillamani and also produced by Jeo Baby and actress Kani Kusruti, who served as a 2024 Biff New Currents juror.

The...

Busan International Film Festival (Biff) has announced the 30 projects selected for this year’s Asian Project Market, including two projects produced by high-profile Indian actresses.

The line-up includes Difficult Daughters, directed by Soni Razdan, which is being produced by Alia Bhatt and her sister Shaheen Bhatt, along with veteran Indian indie producer Alan McAlex (Santosh).

Kani Kusruti, who starred in Cannes Palme d’Or winning film All We Imagine As Light, is teaming with the director of that film, Payal Kapadia, to produce The Last Of Them Plagues, directed by Kunjila Mascillamani. Kusruti attended Biff last year as a jury member for the New Currents competition.

Elsewhere, the line-up includes several other filmmakers with ties to Biff, including Indian director Pradip Kurbah, recipient of the 2019 Jiseok Award, with new project Moon; Bangladeshi filmmaker Biplob Sarkar, previously invited to Biff New Currents and returning with LGBTQ+-themed The Magical Men; and...

Kerala Crime Files Season 2: Indrans-Led Crime Saga(Photo Credit –Jio Hotstar)

The highly popular Malayalam web series Kerala Crime Files is finally getting a second season. Jio Hotstar has confirmed that the series will begin streaming from June 20, 2025. The first season aired on June 23, 2023, so the second season will arrive nearly two years later, precisely 1 year, 11 months, and 28 days after the original release. So, what can we expect from this season?

Plot of Kerala Crime Files Season 2

Season 2 of Kerala Crime Files, titled The Hunt for Cpo Ambili, follows a tense police investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Civil Police Officer Ambili Raju, played by veteran actor Indrans. When a blood-stained phone is found in a drainage ditch, suspicion quickly points toward Ambili, who has vanished without a trace.

As questions mount and public pressure builds, a special investigation team is assembled, led by Si Noble, to uncover the truth.

To write about the best Indian movies of the year—another year that echoes the same patterns which seemed to kickstart this decade for us as a nation—is less about what’s merely ‘available to watch’ and more about what truly belongs to this year, and needs to be marked. The state of both theatres and streaming is not just dispiriting but actively disheartening. Single-screen cinemas across the subcontinent are all but extinct.

The State keeps pushing its threadbare narratives in film form faster than China exports its goods. Meanwhile, soulless mediocrity churned out by ‘seasoned’ stars floods the Fridays without pause. The star-kid machinery has turned into a trans-ideological crisis—if the production house doesn’t get its faces, the film won’t get made. Re-releases, once nostalgic novelties, have become the norm, as if there’s simply nothing left to show. The surge of blandness is now bleeding into a deeper,...

The Cinevesture International Film Festival (Ciff) is set to return for its second edition in Chandigarh, India, from March 20-23, 2025. With an extensive lineup of international and regional films, as well as an expanded industry platform, the festival aims to solidify its place on the global cinema calendar.

French director Jacques Audiard’s “Emilia Pérez,” an Oscar-winning film, will be among the headliners of the World Canvas section, alongside Magnus von Horn’s Oscar-nominated Danish drama “The Girl with the Needle.” The festival opens with the Indian premiere of “A Normal Family,” the Korean drama by Hur Jin-ho that made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. The opening night will also include a special screening of the Punjabi short “The Cycle” by Arpita Mukherjee.

Ciff’s World Canvas section will showcase 15 international features, while the India Unveiled category will highlight 17 homegrown titles. Special screenings and student films will complement the festival’s programming.

The second edition of India’s Cinevesture International Film Festival (Ciff) has unveiled its CinéV-chd Market lineup featuring 22 diverse projects from established and emerging filmmakers, with more than half being women-oriented ventures.

The curated selection, which will run alongside the festival from March 20-23, in Chandigarh, spotlights creative forces who have made significant contributions to Indian cinema, spanning languages including Chinese, English, Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Kashmiri, Urdu, Gujarati, Telugu, Bengali, and Kannada.

“Sister Midnight” actor Radhika Apte steps into the director’s chair for “Koyta” (Sickle), produced by acclaimed filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane (“Black Warrant”). The Hindi/Marathi action-fantasy follows a young migrant sugarcane cutter who gains superpowers after a forced medical procedure and uses them to free her family from debt.

Veteran director Hansal Mehta, known for “Shahid” and “Scam 1992,” produces “Hanere De Panchi” (Birds in the Dark), a drama in the Punjabi, Urdu and Kashmiri languages, from emerging director Shashank Walia,...

Arati Kadav’s “Mrs.” (2024), currently streaming on Zee5 Global, is the official remake of Jeo Baby’s heart-winning Malayalam drama, “The Great Indian Kitchen.” Just like a type of food being carried around the country can lead to hints of newness being added to it, “Mrs.” takes this universal tale of women’s unpaid labor and silent subjugation to the hegemonic patriarchy into the Indian heartland, thereby adding some unique elements to it while keeping the flavors of the original film intact and thriving. We at High On Films caught up with Sanya Malhotra, the film’s protagonist, in a candid conversation about her character of Richa, her relationship with food, movies, and the current state of mainstream Bollywood cinema. You can read this detailed conversation below:

Ahendrila Goswami: Congratulations on behalf of the High On Films team. Mrs. is a movie that I’ve looked forward to for a while now.

“Mrs.” (2024), directed by Arati Kadav, is the story of Mrs. Richa Sharma (played by Sanya Malhotra) as she metamorphoses into Richa, a prime number who is unbreakable by the force majeure that life post-marriage in a middle-class house can look like, even in a contemporary Indian setting. Richa is a dancer; she runs her own dance troupe but is quickly married to Diwakar (played by Nishant Dahiya), a gynecologist who runs his own clinic. Soon after, Richa comes to observe the elaborate ordeal that cooking food and serving it to the men of the house looks like.

For example, her mother-in-law uses a sil batta (i.e. a stone mortar and pestle) to prepare green chutney instead of a food processor because her husband is not well disposed towards the use of the latter during cooking. However, it is quickly established that the women of the house only toil and...

Mrs

Starring Sanya Malhotra

Directed by Aarti Kadav

This seems to be the week of honourable but adventurous remakes. While Advait Chandan’s Loveyapa is that slurpy healthy fast food that doesn’t trivialize the palate of the original, Mrs, directed by debutante Aarti Kadav, cracks the adaptive code without any mishap.

Ms Kadav has Sanya Malhotra’s stout support from first to last frame, just as director Jeo Baby had Nimisha Sajan in the original Malayalam film The Great Indian Kitchen.

This may sound shocking to the purists. But I actually “enjoyed” Mrs more than The Great Indian Kitchen, which is not to say that the original was a lesser film. It was probably a much more accomplished work. But heck, Mrs is just so much more immersive. Part of it comes from Malhotra, who captures the horror of a newly married woman trapped in the kitchen with a seamless spontaneity.

Indian actor Kani Kusruti, who recently gained attention for her performances in Cannes winner “All We Imagine as Light” and Sundance winner “Girls Will Be Girls,” is stepping into production with the Malayalam-language drama “Guptam” (aka “The Last of Them Plagues”).

The film marks the directorial debut of Kunjila Mascillamani and is being co-produced by Mankind Cinemas, the banner behind “The Great Indian Kitchen,” with filmmaker Jeo Baby. The project was at the recently concluded Film Bazaar, part of the International Film Festival of India (Iffi).

The film centers on Sethulekshmi, a single mother whose younger daughter disappears during a visit to her husband’s grave. When police investigations prove futile, she relocates to the area with her elder daughter Neela, facing hostility from a conservative community while Neela finds love with a deaf boy at a local school.

Kusruti, who has been following Mascillamani’s shorts for over a decade,...

India’s Film Bazaar market has revealed the 21 feature projects selected for this year’s Co-Production Market.

The invited titles span seven countries including India, UK, Australia and Germany. The projects will be pitched to producers, distributors, festival programmers, financiers and sales agents at Goa’s Marriott Resort from November 20-24.

Titles include The Song Of Flowers from UK-based producer Neeraj Churi whose previous projects include SXSW 2024 audience award winner A Place Of Our Own. The film is directed by Shubham Negi and Sourav Yadav.

Also selected is Payal Sethi’s India-Germany co-production The Disappearing Flower, produced by Thanikachalam Sa...

Héléna Klotz’s “Spirit of Ecstasy” will open the 2024 Kashish LGBTQ+ film festival in Mumbai, while Vuk Lungulov-Klotz’s “Mutt” will close it.

“Spirit of Ecstasy,” which debuted at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, follows a gender-questioning stock-market trader who is determined to make it in the world of finance; not for the glory or

wealth, but because it’s leading them on the path to freedom. Lead Pomme was nominated in the most promising actress category at France’s Lumiere awards.

“Mutt” follows a trans man who goes through an emotional roller-coaster over a 24-hour period in New York City, bumping into their ex-boyfriend, sister and father for the first time after having lost touch with them since his gender transitioning. It debuted at Sundance 2023, where it won the U.S. dramatic special jury award for actor Lio Mehiel. It went on to play at Berlin, where it earned...

Koimoi Audience Poll 2023: Nominees For The Best South Indian Film (Picture Credit: IMDb)

We are back with the final nominations for the last best of the last year for Koimoi Audience Poll 2023. In our annual tradition of honoring the best films of the year, we have made you, the audiences, the unbiased jury, recognize those who truly entertained you throughout the year.

2023 was a year of redemption for Bollywood films while South Indian Films continued to create their magic like always. This year, while biggies like Leo and Jailer worked like a charm at the box office, films like Ponniyin Selvan 2 could not live up to the charm.

Out of the very tough choices and range of Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films, we have picked out the best four as the nominations for the Best South Indian Film of 2023. All you have to do is vote for...

Koimoi Audience Poll 2023: From Rajinikanth To Mammootty & Two Others, Choose The Best Actor (South) ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Koimoi Audience Poll 2023: We are almost at the end of our audience poll, and it’s time to crown the Best Actor (South). That power is vested in you. We have selected four exceptional actors, from Rajinikanth to Mammootty and two others. The South industry receives much praise for its fantastic storylines and acting.

We have attached the Twitter poll post at the end of this article, where you can vote for your favorite actor from the South industry. There are four people nominated in this category. Keep scrolling for more.

The cinema-goers love the action and the swag of the South actors. Even at this age, Rajinikanth is ruling the big screens with his movies. His movie Jailer was one of the most-anticipated films in 2023, and it did not disappoint the fans.

Koimoi Audience Poll 2023: Best Director (South) Nominations; From Karthik Subbaraj For Jigarthanda DoubleX To Nelson Dilipkumar For Jailer – Choose Your Favorite! ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Koimoi Audience Poll 2023: After Bollywood, we are now here with the Best Director (South) category, with Karthik Subbaraj and Nelson Dilipkumar in the race for the honor. The South industry is known for its gripping storylines and fantastic actions. Hence, you can understand how hard it was to narrow it down to just four names.

Like the previous articles, we have added the Twitter poll at the end of this story, and you can choose your favorite director from there. The affection fans have for the South actors is totally different, and the directors have a big part in portraying them beautifully on screen, eventually making people love them and the craft.

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan gave one of his biggest hits of 2023 with South Indian director Atlee,...

Jeo Baby, a director whose career is only one film old, stirred conversations through The Great Indian Kitchen. It questioned the very core of the Indian patriarchal system, where men essentially pressured women to cater to household chores rather than chasing their dreams. Followed by this film, Jeo Baby has given us an emotionally moving story in Kaathal – The Core, where a couple deals with a secret that could change their lives forever. Starring Mammootty and Jyothika in the lead roles, the film is out in theaters for everyone to watch. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the events of Kaathal – The Core and find out what happens in the end.

Spoilers Ahead

Who were Matthew Devassy and Thankachan?

Matthew Devassy is an aging man with humble political ambitions who is an honest person, and everyone in the town of Pala looks up to him.

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 22 (Ians) Malayalam megastar Mammootty isn’t stopping any time soon, as he is dishing out movies after movies. After the gigantic success of his last film ‘Kannur Squad’, the actor’s new film ‘Kathaal- The Core’ has released a teaser, offering final glimpses of what appears to be a very strong emotional drama.

Narrated by actress Jyotika, Mammootty’s character is someone who is rather distant from his family and is soon estranged from them. A feud erupts which leaves the once happy family with a bitter relationship.

Trying his best to fix the damage, the story of ‘Kathaal’ is yet another example of the experimental projects that are very typical in Malayalam cinema, as it is known to be the most experimental and unconventional film industry in the South.

The score of the teaser is bleak and the tone is haunting, but not in the horror film...

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 22 (Ians) Malayalam megastar Mammootty isn’t stopping any time soon, as he is dishing out movies after movies. After the gigantic success of his last film ‘Kannur Squad’, the actor’s new film ‘Kathaal- The Core’ has released a teaser, offering final glimpses of what appears to be a very strong emotional drama.

Narrated by actress Jyotika, Mammootty’s character is someone who is rather distant from his family and is soon estranged from them. A feud erupts which leaves the once happy family with a bitter relationship.

Trying his best to fix the damage, the story of ‘Kathaal’ is yet another example of the experimental projects that are very typical in Malayalam cinema, as it is known to be the most experimental and unconventional film industry in the South.

The score of the teaser is bleak and the tone is haunting, but not in the horror film...

Veteran actor Mammootty has revealed that he is open to working in the Lokesh Cinematic Universe (Lcu). The actor made the revelation during the promotional events of his upcoming film Kaathal: The Core.

Mammootty was asked by an anchor whether he is part of the Lokesh and Rajnikanth film and the actor replied that he is not part of the project as of now and no call from the team has been made yet. However, he expressed his willingness to be part of the Lcu if given the opportunity.

The Lcu is a series of films set in the same universe, connected by common characters and themes. The franchise was launched with the 2019 film Karthikeyan, and has since been expanded with the films Vikram (2022) and Kaithi (2019).

Mammootty’s revelation has fueled speculation that he may be cast in a future Lcu film. The actor’s fans are eagerly awaiting an...

November is an exciting month for movie lovers, with a number of highly anticipated releases scheduled to hit the theaters. From action thrillers to romantic comedies, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Some of the most anticipated releases include Dhruva Natchathiram, Sapta Sagaradaache ello side b, and Kaathal the core.

8. Shesham mikeil fathima (Nov 17) Starring Kalyani Priyadarshan, the film has a good buzz due to its well-made trailer and woman-centric theme. Kerala is always a strong market for woman-centric films, and Shesham mikeil fathima is expected to do well. Release date: November 17 Genre: Drama 7. Chovazcha (Nov 17) A Pan-Indian film from director Ajay Bhupathi, Chovazcha has an intense trailer and is expected to be a good film in the lines of Kanthara. Release date: November 17 Genre: Action, Drama 6. Falimy (Nov 17) Another Malayalam film with a focus on strong content, Falimy has a well-cut trailer that has already started to generate buzz.

Megastar Mammootty is taking no time to stop as he’s dishing out one film after another. A somber, and haunting film, the actor’s feature ‘Kaathal – The Core’ is a very mellow and grounded legal-family drama.

What the story is about is not entirely clear, though Mammotty’s character, Mathew is a very serious kind of person who doesn’t talk much to anybody, even with his own wife (played by Jyotika) after being married to her for more than 20 years.

There is some hassle going on and Mathew’s entire family has drifted apart, as his wife Onam is focusing on her matters. There is a very bleak atmosphere throughout the whole trailer with very minimal dialogue, indicating a far more rooted and minimalist approach to the whole thing.

Fighting a case pertaining to charges related to ‘cruelty’, there is also some kind of political angle to the...

Megastar Mammootty is taking no time to stop as he’s dishing out one film after another. A somber, and haunting film, the actor’s feature ‘Kaathal – The Core’ is a very mellow and grounded legal-family drama.

What the story is about is not entirely clear, though Mammotty’s character, Mathew is a very serious kind of person who doesn’t talk much to anybody, even with his own wife (played by Jyotika) after being married to her for more than 20 years.

There is some hassle going on and Mathew’s entire family has drifted apart, as his wife Onam is focusing on her matters. There is a very bleak atmosphere throughout the whole trailer with very minimal dialogue, indicating a far more rooted and minimalist approach to the whole thing.

Fighting a case pertaining to charges related to ‘cruelty’, there is also some kind of political angle to the...

Kaathal – The Core, the upcoming Malayalam drama film starring Mammootty and Jyothika in the lead roles, has completed its censor formalities and received a U/A certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (Cbfc). The film, which is directed by Jeo Baby and produced by Mammootty under his banner Mammootty Kampany, has a runtime of 2 hours and 13 minutes. According to reports, the film is slated to hit the screens in November this year.

Kaathal – The Core marks the third Malayalam film of Jyothika, who is one of the most popular actresses in Tamil cinema. She has previously acted in two Malayalam movies – Priyadarshan’s Raakkilipattu and Tk Rajeevkumar’s Seetha Kalyanam, which had her starring opposite Jayaram. She is making a comeback to Malayalam cinema after a gap of 12 years with Kaathal – The Core, where she plays the wife of Mammootty’s character.

Kaathal The Core

Mammootty,...

Mammootty, the megastar of Malayalam cinema, is all set to join hands with director Vysakh and writer Midhun Manuel Thomas for his next project. The untitled movie, which is said to be a mass action entertainer, will start rolling from the first week of October 2023.

According to the latest reports, the Mammootty-Vysakh-Midhun Manuel Thomas project will be mounted on a large-scale budget and will feature some of the most popular actors of Malayalam cinema in the supporting roles. The makers are yet to finalise the female lead and the rest of the star cast of the movie.

The movie marks the second collaboration of Mammootty and Vysakh, after the blockbuster hit Pokkiri Raja and its spin-off Madhura Raja. Vysakh, who is best known for helming action-packed commercial entertainers, is expected to deliver another mass treat for the fans of the megastar with this project.

Midhun Manuel Thomas, on the other hand,...

GenderSamaBhav, a travelling film festival which was in Kochi on August 1 and 2, sparked compelling and vulnerable conversations themed around gender, masculinity, sexuality, and diversity.A still from Reema Sengupta's Counterfeit Kunkoo“Never have I ever kissed someone … who did not want to kiss me.” In Sonam Nair’s We Need to Talk, a short film presented by Tinder India, a party game triggers uncomfortable yet revelatory conversations between a group of friends, paving way to a compelling exploration of consent and boundaries. Though technically a marketing piece, We Need to Talk manages to exude sincerity with its mature and dignified lens on the group of young adults, subtly dwelling on the importance of communication in relationships, of all kinds. In Reema Sengupta’s Counterfeit Kunkoo, the protagonist is a young Mumbaikar named Smita (a captivating Kani Kusruti), a woman robbed of a space of her own, a roof over her head,...

Film festivalThe festival, themed on gender, masculinity, sexuality, and diversity, will be held at the Sacred Heart College on the first and second of August.Still from the short film We Need to TalkMen Against Violence and Abuse (Mava), a Mumbai-based organisation that works to prevent violence against women, has joined with the Sacred Heart College Film Club in Kerala’s Kochi, to put together a two-day film festival titled SamaBhav. The festival, themed on gender, masculinity, sexuality, and diversity, will be held at the Sacred Heart College on the first and second of August, between 10 am and 5.30 pm. It is open to students, young filmmakers, and film enthusiasts among others, and there is no fee for entry. SamaBhav, a travelling festival that is currently in its fifth year, opened in Mumbai in February this year, and has already covered Bengaluru, Pune, Guwahati, Chennai, Srinagar, and Kohima before coming to Kochi.

ReviewThe story flows in a very straight path, without unexpected turns or strange abstractions that you might expect from someone who made a surrealistic film like ‘Aavasavyuham’.There is something really sad about Sebastian. You almost miss it when you first come to know of him, this policeman who tells tall tales to his coterie, a bunch of subordinates who act like teenage fans. But that’s his fame. Children in the neighbourhood and young people joining the police force know him as Super Sebastian. What a buildup for this oddly interesting character, leading the story of Purusha Pretham, a film made by Krishand who directed the multiple-award winning Aavasayuham last year. Prasanth Alexander, an actor obviously underutilised for years, transforms into Sebastian, exhibiting an unlikeable demeanour. Darshana Rajendran’s character, Susanna, describes him as rude and annoying. Yet, he is not exactly rude as far as stereotypical police behaviour goes.

MollywoodThe film revolves around a policeman, played by Prasanth Alexander, and the mystery of a missing corpse.What begins like a ghost story soon turns into a heady mix of dark humour and drama in the trailer of Purusha Pretham (Male Ghost), an upcoming Malayalam film. It is directed by Krishand, who made the critically acclaimed Aavasavyuham, which won the Kerala state award for best film and screenplay in 2021. Darshana Rajendran, Prasanth Alexander, and Devaki Rajendran play the lead roles in Purusha Pretham. The film will release on the Ott platform SonyLIV on March 24. The trailer, which came out on Thursday, March 16, shows a police team led by Prasanth and Jagadish investigating a crime. Darshana walks into the station to talk about a dead body in a river and then a fast song begins to play, during which several characters pass by, and the character Sebastian (Prasanth) is described as peculiar.

ControversyThe veteran filmmaker has been defensive of Shankar Mohan, the former director of the institute, after allegations of caste discrimination were raised against him.Courtesy: Wiki commons/ Hareesh N NampoothiriHeaping praises on Shankar Mohan, who recently resigned as director of the Kr Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts after allegations of caste discrimination, veteran filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan announced his resignation as chairman of the institute on Tuesday, January 31. Listing out the major institutes Shankar had headed over the years, Adoor claimed that there had been no complaints against him in four decades, but that in Kerala “we invited him, raised baseless allegations against him and sent him away in humiliation”. Taking on a defensive tone, Adoor released a five-page statement accusing certain people of “instigating” students to go on a strike against Shankar, and belittling the enquiry commission that found fault with Shankar. "There is no other individual...

ProtestThe institute’s director Shankar Mohan, against whom the students were protesting, resigned on Saturday.Tnm StaffProminent film actor Fahadh Faasil has expressed his support for the students of the Kr Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts who have been protesting against alleged caste discrimination at the institute. “I am with the students. Everyone has started to actively discuss (the problem) and a solution has started taking form. The director has resigned. Let it all settle and let the students be able to continue their studies,” Fahadh said while answering questions at a press meet that was held for the promotion of the film Thangam that he has produced. Two days ago, the director of the institute Shankar Mohan resigned, saying that he had completed three years in the post. Students have been protesting for nearly seven weeks over alleged instances of caste discrimination by Shankar Mohan. However,...

ProtestVeteran filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan courted controversy by defending Shankar Mohan, the director of Kr Narayanan Film Institute, who has been accused of caste discrimination by students and staff.Tnm StaffJeo Baby / FacebookMalayalam filmmaker Jeo Baby announced that he is withdrawing his film Freedom Fight from the Happiness International Film Festival in Kannur, conducted by the Government of Kerala from December 19-21. He said that the withdrawal is in protest against the organisers’ decision to have the festival inaugurated by filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, who had defended the caste discrimination at the Kr Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts, Kottayam, in the recent weeks. "We are withdrawing the film in protest against the decision to have the festival inaugurated by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, who has been running a dictatorial rule at the Kr Narayanan Institute and ruining the future of so many students. We are strongly opposing this decision by the...

EntertainmentThe film is titled ‘Kathal - The Core’, as was announced by director Jeo Baby on the occasion of Jyothika’s birthday.Tnm StaffIt looks like an old family picture, the kind that people have on their bedside table. A couple posing for a camera, most likely the old fashioned film camera, to get a photo together. Only, these are two very familiar faces, of two big stars coming together. Mammootty, who is among the top actors and biggest stars of south India, is joined by Jyothika, another prominent actor from the Tamil film industry, in a new movie’s poster. The film is titled Kathal - The Core, and Jeo Baby, who churns out critically acclaimed films year after year, is directing it. On the evening of Tuesday, October 18, Jeo Baby put out a post saying, “Our next film, Kathal - The Core. Today, it is the birthday of our heroine.

GenderFrom young brides, women who are fighting for their choices to certain kinds of mothers rarely seen on celluloid, Tnm takes stock of some of the most intriguing female characters who visited Malayalam cinema in the past five years.Neelima MenonMalayalam cinema is consistently breaking boundaries, engaging audiences across India with its solid content and performances, while simultaneously offering up some of the most fascinating women of our times, and their riveting stories. From young brides, women who are fighting for their choices to mothers who are rarely seen on celluloid, we take stock of some of the most intriguing female characters who visited Malayalam cinema in the last five years. Here are our picks. The woman in The Great Indian Kitchen It is a bleak irony that one of the most realistic female characters on celluloid in the past 10 years had to be created by a man. And it...

ReviewThe film, centred on a booze party and a few men cooking biriyani together, is so inviting that it feels like it is happening around you.CrisIt is like you have just been to a booze party and spent a carefree night before morning came and struck you right across your face. Jeo Baby’s new film Sree Dhanya Catering Service, centred on a booze party and a few men cooking biriyani together, is so inviting that it feels like it is happening around you. The director, known for his realistic treatment of stories and feministic filmmaking, has tried his hand at comedy and pulls off a decent job. Only, it seems a little clueless in its telling, and the camera takes time to settle. For the first few minutes, you get a little dizzy with a jumpy camera moving between faces and places. There is the long-haired, bearded Mahonnathan...

ControversyFilmmakers question selection criteria for films in International Women’s Film Festival.Tnm StaffAfter Malayalam director Kunjila Mascillamani, who protested the exclusion of her film from the third International Women’s Film Festival being held at Kozhikode, was detained by the police, many film personalities have expressed their solidarity with her. They also raised questions regarding transparency of the selection process. Film director Vidhu Vincent, who won the Best Film award in 2017 for the film Manhole, announced that she is withdrawing the film Viral Sebi, which was part of Wiff, in solidarity with Kunjila. Kunjila had staged a protest against the exclusion of her film Asanghatithar (part of anthology Freedom Fight) from the film festival by occupying a chair on the dais and raising slogans against the Cpi(M) and the Chief Minister on Saturday, the opening day of the event. She was forcibly taken away from the venue by the police,...

Mollywood‘Sree Dhanya Catering Service’ is helmed by ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’ fame Jeo Baby and bankrolled by Mankind Cinemas and Symmetry Cinemas. Tnm StaffFacebook/ Jeo BabyActor Mammootty took to social media on Tuesday, May 31 to unveil the first look poster of The Great Indian Kitchen fame director Jeo Baby’s next. The film has been titled Sree Dhanya Catering Service. It is bankrolled by Mankind Cinemas and Symmetry Cinemas.“Presenting the First Look Poster of Sree Dhanya Catering Service directed by Jeo Baby and produced by Mankind Cinemas and Symmetry Cinemas. Best wishes to the entire team,” Mammootty wrote in his post. Director Jeo Baby also revealed that the shooting for the film has been completed. Prior to Sree Dhanya Catering Service, Jeo Baby presented the anthology Freedom Fight. He directed the segment Old Age Home, while segments from other directors such as Akhil Anilkumar, Kunjila Mascillamani, Francies Louis...

Film FestivalHalf of the competition films are by women this year, a few old classics are restored and Anurag Kashyap and Lisa Calen will be among those coming.CrisMPhil student delegates at IFFKMaker of The Great Indian Kitchen, Jeo Baby, once took an oath that he would attend the International Film Festival of Kerala (Iffk) only when it screened one of his own movies. It took 10 years, but Jeo's Kitchen has found a place in the Iffk's Malayalam Cinema Today category this time, and it is bringing the cheerful director back to the space that he says had changed the way he watched movies. Quite a few filmmakers have credited the annual December fest for shaping the way they viewed, learned and created their art. It is, however, not held in December any more, with Covid-19 pushing it to February last year and to March this time. The 26th edition of the Iffk begins Friday,...

‘Cargo’ filmmaker Arati Kadav who is gearing up for the remake of the film ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’ explains why it would be challenging to remake a Malayalam film in Hindi for a pan-Indian audience. The original film in Malayalam was directed by Jeo Baby and featured Nimisha Sajayan and Suraj Venjaramoodu. Arati explains, “It […]...

CinemaHelmed by Jeo Baby, critically acclaimed Malayalam movie ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’ starred actor Nimisha Sajayan in the lead. IANSInstagram/Sanya MalhotraActor Sanya Malhotra has teamed up with actor and producer Harman Baweja, for the Hindi remake of the critically acclaimed Malayalam movie The Great Indian Kitchen. Written and directed by Jeo Baby, the original film resonated with many for its detailed take on misogyny, everyday sexism and the gendered nature of domestic labour in Indian households. From toiling in the kitchen of her husband’s house to being confined within the patriarchal conventions of society, the film traces how a newly wed woman finds her voice. The movie released on Over-the-top (Ott) platform Neestream in the year 2021 and subsequently streamed on Amazon Prime Video. Sanya Malhotra will be reprising Nimisha Sajayan’s role from the original. Sanya Malhotra made her debut with the 2016 Hindi sports-drama Dangal, which co-starred actors Aamir Khan,...

Actress Sanya Malhotra has teamed up with creator-producer, Harman Baweja, for the Hindi remake of ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’. ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’, is a Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by Jeo Baby. The film tells the story of a newly wed woman, who struggles to be the submissive wife that her husband and […]...

InterviewIn the anthology 'Freedom Fight', Kabani plays herself in 'Asanghadithar' and is cast opposite Jeo Baby in ‘Ration’, where she plays a woman in a lower-middle-class household.CrisKabani in 'Ration', 'Freedom Fight'In Asanghadithar, meaning the unorganised, a segment in the anthology Freedom Fight, actor Kabani H plays herself. She introduces herself as Kabani, an active member of Penkootu, a group that was formed in a street of Kozhikode to win toilet access for women workers there. Two short films later, in Ration, part of the same anthology, Kabani is cast as a woman in a lower-middle-class home, running hither and thither to replace a fish she accidentally cooked. In both the films, you can’t fail to notice her character, presented with a quiet perfection that neither calls attention to herself nor lets you forget her. "I don't know if you can call me an activist but I...

Interview'Asanghadithar', the film directed by Kunjila Mascillamani in Jeo Baby’s anthology, 'Freedom Fight', fictionalises a real fight for rights.CrisStill from 'Asanghadithar'When she received a call from Jeo Baby, director of The Great Indian Kitchen, Kunjila Mascillamani had a half shot documentary with her. Jeo was putting together an anthology of short films and asked Kunjila if she’d like to join. She would, she said. The documentary was stuck midway, being crowdfunded. If she could fictionalise it, reshoot it and make it part of a film anthology, it’d get a wider reach. The story of Penkootu, which she had begun to tell, would reach many more. Kunjila called her film Asanghadithar (The Unroganised), and made it a part of Jeo’s anthology Freedom Fight, which released on February 11 on streaming platform SonyLIV. “There was a long interview of Viji chechi in the documentary, which I recreated and...

InterviewJeo Baby brought together five filmmakers (including himself) to make films with good content; and coincidentally, they all had the underlying message of freedom.CrisContent matters a lot to Jeo Baby, the man who directed The Great Indian Kitchen, a film that got people talking about women’s labour in the house. In the few minutes of an interview that he could spare on a Wednesday, Jeo mentions “content” half a dozen times. When, during the pandemic, it was too hard to make a full-length film, and he thought of an anthology for which he looked for “content”. The anthology that’s come out is Freedom Fight, but Jeo had not asked filmmakers to make their content about freedom per se. It’s just a happy coincidence that all of them, including Jeo, wrote scripts which had the underlying message of freedom and the fight for it. “That’s what...

ReviewIn ‘Freedom Fight’, Akhil Anilkumar, Kunjila Mascillamani, Francies Louis, Jeo Baby and Jithin Issac Thomas make short films that broadly fall under the theme of freedom.CrisAfter a series of anthologies were made during the pandemic, and not all of them turned out well, you tend to look at a new one skeptically. Will just some of the short films work, or will all of them, you wonder. In the case of Freedom Fight, a Malayalam anthology put together by Jeo Baby, all of them do. Five films, each unique, tell straightforward stories, sprinkled with a little humour and a lot of emotion. They are enjoyable and they make you think. One woman realises what a big mistake it will be if she went ahead and married her boyfriend of two years and backs out of it. Another woman gathers around females working in shops on a street in Kozhikode...

Mollywood Presented by Jeo Baby, the anthology also features shorts from directors Akhil Anilkumar, Kunjila Mascillamani, Francies Louis and Jithin Issac Thomas. Tnm StaffFacebook/ Jeo Baby The makers of upcoming Malayalam movie Freedom Fight unveiled its power-packed trailer on January 26, marking the occasion of Republic Day. The anthology film is presented by The Great Indian Kitchen director Jeo Baby. The trailer depicts the women leads from different segments, each trying to tackle different problems that are connected to gender-based discrimination and patriarchy. Presenting a range of emotions, Freedom Fight hints at an intense anthology. Jeo Baby is directing a segment in the anthology. Apart from him, it also features shorts from directors Akhil Anilkumar, Kunjila Mascillamani, Francies Louis and Jithin Issac Thomas. The cast of the anthology includes actors Srinda, Kabani, Rohini, Joju George and Rajisha Vijayan, among others. Freedom Fight is set to premiere on streaming platform SonyLIV. Sharing...

ReviewVasanth’s anthology of three shorts, spanning from the ‘80s to the 2000s, takes a close look at women’s lives and labour. Sowmya RajendranScreenshot from Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila PengalumSivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum begins with an image of the unchanging sea. Vasanth’s anthology of three shorts — based on stories written by Ashoka Mithran, Adhavan and Jeyamohan — suggests that the lives of women too, across decades and social classes, remain the same. And just as the waves crash against the shore ceaselessly, their labour never stops. The first film is set in the ‘80s, and revolves around a lower middle class couple, Chandran (Karunakaran) and Saraswati (Kalieswari Srinivasan). After attending a function, the two of them return home with their baby. Chandran walks ahead while Saraswati lags behind, struggling to keep up. She holds the baby in one arm and carries bags in the other. It’s a familiar sight on the streets,...

ControversyThe film, which premiered during the Iffk in Kerala earlier this year, was released on SonyLIV on November 19.Tnm StaffStill from 'Churuli'After Lijo Jose Pellissery's newest film Churuli came out on a streaming platform, there has been a lot of talk around the language of the film. Churuli, derived from a story written by Vinoy Thomas - Kaligeminarile Kuttavalikal, was adapted into a screenplay by S Hareesh for Lijo. The film, which premiered in Kerala during the International Film Festival of Kerala in February this year, got released on SonyLIV on November 19. Since then, viewers have been commenting about the amount of curse words used in Churuli, some taking offence at it while others defended the freedom of art. Even prime time channel discussions were held to debate about Churuli's choice of dialogue. The film, dark and fantastical and humorous as most Lijo films are, shows the journey of two...