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ReviewThe film has an interesting premise, but the loud and at times problematic treatment significantly lessens its impact.CrisCourtesy - Facebook/ Prajesh Sen GOn the surface, Jayasurya looks unremarkable, wearing a trimmed beard with cropped hair and regular clothes, the way he appears in interviews. Once you go into the film though, he looks and sounds unfamiliar. There is none of the casual humour he is known for, only a few scattered laughs. In Meri Awas Suno, he is a serious man balancing work and life, believing his voice to be his identity with a job in the radio, a difficult man in the face of calamity, a very regular human being. The film – the latest by director Prajesh Sen – has a bundle of problems, but you can’t go into it without appreciating Jayasurya who has grown into an actor who can seamlessly turn into unexpected personas on screen.

Mollywood'Eesho' is directed by Nadhirshah, who has also composed the songs for the film.Tnm StaffThe makers of the upcoming Malayalam movie Eesho, starring actors Jayasurya and Namitha Pramod in the lead, released the first-look motion poster from the movie on Friday. Sporting a mysterious look with a beard and hoodie, Jayasurya is seen in an intriguing avatar in the motion poster. With a stormy backdrop, the first-look motion poster sets the tone right for a thriller. The tagline reads ‘Not From the Bible’. The motion poster was unveiled by Mollywood star Mammootty. Sharing it on Friday, May 14 he wrote, “Unveiling the motion poster of Eesho ! Best wishes to Nadhirshah , Jayasurya , Arun Narayan & the entire team.” The thriller is spearheaded by filmmaker Nadirshah, who is also on board as the composer for the movie. Actor Jafer Idduki will be seen in an important role in the film. Sujesh Hari has...

MollywoodManju Warrier and Sunny Wayne play business partners in the film, directed by Ranjeet Kamala Sankar and Salil V.Digital NativeThe first look motion poster of Manju Warrier's upcoming film Chathur Mukham was presented by Dulquer Salmaan on Sunday. Directed by Ranjeet Kamala Sankar and Salil V, Chathur Mukham also has Sunny Wayne in an important role. Manju Warrier and Sunny Wayne play business partners in the film. With an intriguing music, the teaser shows Manju Warrier holding an hour glass. Touted to be a techno-horror thriller, which is the first of its kind in Malayalam, the shooting of Chathur Mukham was in Thiruvananthapuram. The film is currently in the post-production stage. In an interview to the Times of India, one of its directors, Salil V, said that Manju Warrier’s character in the film believes that a woman has to complete education and achieve financial stability before marriage.

MollywoodThe film titled ‘Meri Awaaz Suno’ tells the story of a radio jockey.Digital NativeActor Jayasurya and director G Prajesh Sen have become a formidable duo in the Malayalam film industry with two consecutive hits – Captain and Vellam. Following the success of these films, the two are teaming up again for a fresh project titled Meri Awaaz Suno which also stars Manju Warrier. It is the first time fans will get to see Jayasurya and Manju Warrier share the screen space. The film tells the story of a radio jockey and the poster of the film was also released on World Radio Day, which fell on February 13. The film also features Sshivada, Johny Antony and Sudheer Karamana. Music is by M Jayachandran and lyrics are by Bk Harinarayanan. The film will be bankrolled by B Rakesh under his banner. Jayasurya – Prajesh Sen’s film Vellam hit the marquee on January...

Mollywood The film is directed by Prajesh Sen, who made his directorial debut with the Jayasurya film 'Captain'.Digital NativeDigital NativeThe Jayasurya starrer Vellam was released on January 22, much to the excitement of film buffs, as theatres are reopening after several months. The film is directed by Prajesh Sen, who made his directorial debut with the Jayasurya starrer Captain. This time too, he has chosen the same actor as his lead star. Roby Varghese Raj is handling the camera for this film, with Bijibal composing the tunes and Bijith Bala roped in for editing. Samyuktha Menon plays the female lead in the film. The first look poster of Vellam was released a few months ago creating a buzz online. Speaking about Jayasurya’s role in the film, director Prajesh Sen told Times of India that his character is inspired by a person who is alive. Jayasurya plays an alcoholic in Vellam,...

MollywoodLast Wednesday, movie theatres in Kerala reopened after being shut down for 10 months following the outbreak of Covid-19.Tnm StaffThe first Malayalam film to release in theatres of Kerala after it was reopened this year will be Vellam, starring Jayasurya. The film is expected to release on January 22. The trailer of Vellam was released online recently, presenting Jayasurya’s character as an ‘abnormal man’. It is also revealed that the film is based on a real life incident. Last Wednesday, movie theatres in Kerala reopened after being shut down for 10 months following the outbreak of Covid-19. The first film to release was Master, the Tamil movie starring Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi. Vijay has a huge fan following in Kerala and predictably, hundreds flocked to the theatres on release day, and waited for hours to get tickets. Only 50% occupancy has been allowed in theatres as part of the Covid-19 protocol. There...

MollywoodReports are that Jayasurya insisted on doing this scene without opting for a dupe as he wanted to retain originality.Digital NativeThe cast and crew of the Malayalam film Vellam were in for a complete shock when the power tiller operated by Jayasurya, the lead actor, went out of control, dragging him along. The team was shooting a scene for the film which required Jayasurya to handle the power tiller. However, it suddenly lost control and went on high-speed dragging the actor along. The team immediately swung into action and saved Jayasurya from injuries. A video of this incident was released by the Vellam team which is going viral. Reports are that Jayasurya insisted on doing this scene without opting for a dupe as he wanted to retain originality. Watch: Video of Jayasurya with power tiller The shooting of Vellam was completed a few weeks ago and it is currently in post-production stage.

Kollywood'Erida' will deal with women’s struggle at the workplace and the relationship between couples.Digital NativeThe upcoming film Erida will mark the debut of Malayalam director Vk Prakash in the Tamil film industry. The Silence and Shutter fame director has roped in veterans Kishore and Nasser to play the lead roles in this film with Samyuktha Menon playing the title character Erida. The rest of the star cast also includes Dharmajan Bolgatty, Hareesh Perady and Hareesh Raj. Reports are that the title Erida is derived from the name of the Greek goddess of conflict and hatred. Apparently, Samyuktha Menon’s character is heroine-centric in the film. Erida will deal with women’s struggle at the workplace and the relationship between couples. The shooting of this film began in Bengaluru following all the lockdown protocols and the team successfully completed a 25-day schedule. Recently, the filmmakers unveiled the poster of...

MollywoodInterestingly, 'Sunny' is one of the most anticipated films in the Malayalam film industry as it is Jayasurya’s 100th film.Digital NativeA few days ago, there was an announcement that Jayasurya’s next is titled Sunny and that Ranjith Sankar will be directing it. And now, the first look of this film has been revealed creating a hype among the film buffs. Interestingly, Sunny is one of the most anticipated films in the Malayalam film industry as it is Jayasurya’s 100th film. It may be recalled that on the launch of Sunny, Jayasurya wrote on his social media page: “By numbers, my 100th movie. By heart, my first. To all of you, who have been a part of this journey, to all the forces that have been integral, I express my heartfelt gratitude. Thank you seems like too small a word. But Thank you. I hope...

MollywoodDirected by Ranjith Sankar, 'Sunny' is much anticipated as it is Jayasurya's 100th film.Digital NativeA few days ago, there was an announcement that Jayasurya’s next is titled Sunny and that Ranjith Sankar will be directing it. And now, the first look of this film has been revealed creating a hype among the film buffs. Interestingly, Sunny is one of the most anticipated films in the Malayalam film industry as it is Jayasurya’s 100th film. It may be recalled that on the launch of Sunny, Jayasurya wrote on his social media page: “By numbers, my 100th movie. By heart, my first. To all of you, who have been a part of this journey, to all the forces that have been integral, I express my heartfelt gratitude. Thank you seems like too small a word. But Thank you. I hope to continue entertaining you with my work.

MollywoodThe actor came to the movies from television, doing his first lead character in the 2002 film ‘Oomapenninu Uriyadappayyan’, directed by Vinayan.Digital NativeRecently, Malayalam actor Jayasurya announced his new film titled Sunny, which happens to be his hundredth film. On the launch of Sunny, Jayasurya wrote on his social media page: "By numbers, my 100th movie. By heart, my first. To all of you, who have been a part of this journey, to all the forces that have been integral, I express my heartfelt gratitude. Thank you seems like too small a word. But Thank you. I hope to continue entertaining you with my work. (sic)". On the mention that Sunny is his 100th film, actor Prithviraj Sukumaran wrote: "Congratulations Jayetta @actor_jayasurya on your 100th film! Here’s to the next 100! All the best to the entire team of #Sunny (sic)". Actor Dulquer Salmaan also congratulated Jayasurya. He wrote...

MollywoodThe film's shooting is underway in Kerala, with measures in place to ensure everyone’s safety.Digital NativeFile PhotoMollywood actor Jayasurya has reportedly signed on for a new film titled Sunny, a musical in which he will be playing the role of a contemporary musician. We hear that he is preparing for the role by growing a beard for a more ‘authentic’ look, among other preparations. The story is set in Kochi, but the team will be shooting some scenes in Dubai as well. Speaking about the film, director Ranjith Sankar said in an interview to the Times of India, “Sunny is a musical and it is a movie following a new concept. It also has a whole new pattern and we would start shooting the film following strict Covid – 19 protocols, at a prominent hotel in Kochi. The whole crew is also staying there as we shoot and we are planning a one-month schedule.

KollywoodThe Malayalam filmmaker, known for films like ‘Punaradhivasam’ and ‘Beautiful’, is reportedly making a female-oriented movie with Samyuktha Menon in the lead.Digital NativeThe upcoming movie Erida will mark the debut of Malayalam filmmaker Vk Prakash in the Tamil film industry. The director of films like Punaradhivasam and Beautiful has roped in veterans Kishore and Nasser to play the lead roles in this film with Samyuktha Menon playing the title character Erida. The rest of the cast includes Dharmajan Bolgatty, Hareesh Perady and Hareesh Raj. Reports are that the title Erida is derived from the name of the Greek goddess of conflict and hatred. Apparently, it is a heroine-centric film. Erida will deal with women’s struggle in the workplace and relationships. The shooting of this film is happening in Bengaluru following all the lockdown protocols and the team has planned a 25-day schedule to wrap it up. Speaking about...

MollywoodThe star’s last release was ‘Sufiyum Sujathayum’, which was also the first Malayalam movie to release on an Ott platform.Digital NativeThe title poster of actor Jayasurya’s upcoming film John Luther has released in shades of sepia. The film is written and directed by Abhijith Joseph, produced by Thomas P Mathew and co-produced by Christeena Thomas under the banner Alonsa Films. The technical crew of John Luther will comprise Roby Varghese Raj to handle the camera, Praveen Prabhakar for editing, Shaan Rahmaan to compose music and Bgm, Vishnu Govind and Sree Sankar for sound designing, and Biju Chandran for art work. Jayasurya’s costumes will be designed by his wife Saritha while Aravind Kr is in charge of the costumes for the rest of the cast. Jayasurya’s last film to hit the silver screen was Anveshanam. The film had Shruti Ramachandran playing the female lead. It was...

MollywoodThe film is directed by Prajesh Sen, who made his directorial debut with another Jayasurya starrer 'Captain'.Digital NativeThe shooting of Jayasurya’s Vellam has been completed and its post production work is about to start. The film’s first look poster was released a couple of months ago and at the time, Jayasurya said that it is one of the most challenging roles that he has played in his career. Helming the project is director Prajesh Sen, who made his directorial debut with another Jayasurya starrer Captain. Samyuktha Menon has been roped in to play the female lead in Vellam. Reports are that it is based on the life of a drunkard based in Kannur. On playing the role, the actor said earlier that the viewers will be able to relate to this character as many would’ve seen such a character in their real life. Roby Varghese Raj...

MollywoodThe film is directed by Prashob Vijayan, who also made Jayasurya’s ‘Captain’.Digital NativeThe Jayasurya starrer Anveshanam, directed by Prashob Vijayan, was originally scheduled to hit the marquee on November 1 last year but had to be postponed for various reasons. The film is now all set to release on January 31. The latest update is that Anveshanam has been censored and has come out with a clean U certificate. Shruti Ramachandran plays the female lead in Anveshanam. The film is bankrolled jointly by Mukesh R Mehta, Av Anoop and CV Sarathi under the banner of E4 Entertainment and Ava Productions. The technical crew of this film includes Francis Thomas for scripting, Ratheesh Ravi for dialogues, Appu Bhattathiri for editing, Jakes Bejoy for music and Vishnu Govind and Sree Sankar of Sound Factory for sound designing. Anveshanam will be a complete family thriller, according to its makers. While Anveshanam is ready...

MollywoodShruti Ramachandran plays the female lead in the film, directed by Prashob Vijayan.Digital NativeThe Jayasurya starrer Anveshanam, directed by Prashob Vijayan, was originally scheduled to hit the marquee on November 1 but it was postponed for various reasons. Now it is understood that the film will be out at the theatres on January 31. The announcement came from the production house, E4 Entertainment. The film is bankrolled jointly by Mukesh R Mehta, Av Anoop and CV Sarathi under the banner of E4 Entertainment and Ava Productions. Anveshanam has Shruti Ramachandran playing the female lead. The technical crew of this film includes Francis Thomas for scripting, Ratheesh Ravi for dialogues, Appu Bhattathiri for editing, Jakes Bejoy for music and Vishnu Govind and Sree Sankar of Sound Factory for sound designing. Jayasurya has earlier revealed that the film is a family thriller. His character is called Aravind. The actor is working on his next film Vellam,...

MollywoodThe film is directed by Prajesh Sen who has earlier made the Jayasurya starrer ‘Captain’, that won the actor a state award.Digital NativeHis role in the upcoming film Vellam is the most challenging he has ever done, wrote actor Jayasurya on Facebook, after sharing the first look poster. It shows him standing among bricks, perhaps playing the role of a construction worker. “After the film Captain, I am joining director Prajesh Sen for the film Water - The Essential Drink. A unique past of a man who lives among us, that’s what Vellam is. One thing is for sure – a person with his character would be there among our friends or family or acquaintances,” the rest of his post said. Vellam went on the floors with the official pooja held last month and is progressing well. The pooja of the film happened at the Anjumana Devi Temple in Ernakulam.

MollywoodJayasurya plays Mullu Giri, a man to be wary of, and Swathy Reddy plays the female lead in the film.Digital NativeThe trailer of the Jayasurya starrer Thrissur Pooram is out online and it appears to be an action-packed film. Jayasurya plays the character Mullu Giri, who sends men flying, a man to be wary of. The trailer is full of stunts, apart from a small sequence of actor Swathy Reddy weeping on a bed. She is playing the female lead in the film. Though the title of the movie is Thrissur Pooram, you don’t see in the trailer, shots of the popular festival held annually in Thrissur. The others in the cast include Senthil Krishna, Sabumon Abdusamad, Vijay Babu, Gayathri Arun, Mallika Sukumaran and Sreejith Ravi. The film is directed by Rajesh Mohanan and the story and screenplay are by music composer Ratheesh Vegha. He is also composing the songs.

MollywoodThe director of the film is Prajesh Sen, who made his debut with another Jayasurya starrer, 'Captain'.Digital NativeThe pooja of the upcoming Malayalam film Vellam happened at the Anjumana Devi Temple in Ernakulam recently. Helming the project is Prajesh Sen, who made his directorial debut with the Jayasurya starrer Captain. For Vellam again, he has chosen Jayasurya as his lead actor. Samyuktha Menon has been roped in to play the female lead in Vellam. Reports are that it is based on the life of a drunkard based in Kannur. Roby Varghese Raj will be cranking the camera for this entertainer that is produced by Friendly Productions. Acting in Prajesh’s Captain has won Jayasurya the Kerala state award for best actor. The film is a biopic of former Indian football team captain VP Sathyan. Jayasurya’s next film release will be Thrissur Pooram. Wielding the megaphone for this venture...

MollywoodThe film is directed by Prajesh Sen who also made the film ‘Captain’ that won Jayasurya the State Award for Best Actor. Digital NativeIt was announced that Jayasurya will be teaming up again with the Captain director Prajesh Sen for the film Vellam. The groundwork for this film is on and the shooting is all set to begin on November 3 in Kannur. Nimisha Sajayan has been signed up to play the female lead in this film which is based on the life of a drunkard. It may be noted here that Jayasurya and Prajesh Sen worked together in Capatain, a biopic on the legendary footballer VP Sathyan. The film had Anu Sithara as the female lead with Renji Panicker, Siddique, Deepak Parambol, Saiju Kurup, Kamal Varadoor and Lakshmi Sharma in supporting roles. Jayasurya won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Captain. Besides Vellam, Jayasurya...

MollywoodThe actor is currently working on ‘Kadamattathu Kathanar’ and ‘Sufiyum Sujathayum’.Digital NativeActor Jayasurya, who recently won a Kerala State Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the legendary footballer VP Sathyan, is all set to collaborate with Prajesh Sen. The new project has been titled Vellam. The new project which is the second collaboration between Jayasurya and Prajesh Sen will be about the life of a drunkard based in Kannur. Captain, the story of VP Sathyan, was Prajesh Sen’s directorial debut and starred Anu Sithara as the female lead with Renji Panicker, Siddique, Deepak Parambol, Saiju Kurup, Kamal Varadoor and Lakshmi Sharma in supporting roles. Nimisha Sajayan has been roped in to pair up with Jayasurya in Vellam and the shooting of the film is expected to begin in November. There are also reports that Jayasurya’s another upcoming film will be a fantasy thriller based on...

MollywoodThe actor’s portrayal of a transperson in ‘Njan Marykutty’ won him an international award – Best Actor at the Cincinnati Film Festival.CV AravindRight from appearing as a deaf person in his debut film as hero, Oomapenninu Uriyadappayyan directed by Vinayan, Jayasurya, the mimicry artist who turned TV host and then made a transition to cinema, showed he was an actor with plenty of potential waiting to be tapped. Vinayan also cast him in En Manavanil, the Tamil remake of Oomapenninu, released in the same year, 2002. Jayasurya, who earned a Special Mention from the National Film Jury for his role as a bank manager with a stammering problem in the Ranjith Sankar directed Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam, has now gone one better by netting an international award for Best Actor at the Cincinnati Film Festival for his outstanding portrayal of a trans person in Njan Marykutty, again directed by Ranjith Sankar.

MollywoodSources in the know say that Nimisha Sajayan has been roped in to play the female lead in the film. Digital NativeJayasurya and director Prajesh Sen are teaming up for a film called Vellam. Sources in the know say that Nimisha Sajayan has been roped in to play the female lead in the film. Jayasurya and Prajesh have earlier teamed up for the latter’s debut directorial Captain, a biopic on the legendary footballer VP Sathyan. The film starred Anu Sithara as the female lead with Renji Panicker, Siddique, Deepak Parambol, Saiju Kurup, Kamal Varadoor and Lakshmi Sharma in supporting roles. Jayasurya won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Captain. Meanwhile, reports have surfaced that another upcoming film of Jayasurya will be a fantasy thriller, which is based on the life of the legendary priest Kadamattathu Kathanar who lived in Kadamottom. The priest was...

MollywoodThe film will have Shruti Ramachandran playing the female lead.Digital NativeJayasurya’s next film in the pipeline will be with director Prasobh Vijayan of Lilli fame. The film will have Shruti Ramachandran playing the female lead and will be bankrolled jointly by Mukesh R Mehta, Av Anoop and CV Sarathi under the banner of E4 Entertainment. The official pooja ceremony has been done and the film is on the floors. The technical crew of this film includes Francis Thomas for scripting, Ratheesh Ravi for dialogues, Anarsha for camera work, Jakes Bejoy for music and Vishnu Govind and Sree Sankar of Sound Factory for sound designing. It may be noted here that Prasobh Vijayan’s Lilli was a revenge thriller, written and directed by him. It was produced by Mukesh R Mehta and CV Sarathi under the banner E4 Experiments and distributed by E4 Entertainment. Incidentally, the same producers are...

KollywoodWhile Shah Rukh will be seen essaying a cameo in the Hindi version of the film, Suriya is believed to have been signed for the Tamil version.Digital NativeDigital NativeActor R Madhavan, last seen on screen in Tamil crime thriller Vikram Vedha, is gearing up to play the controversial Isro scientist Nambi Narayanan, who was framed in an espionage case and was later acquitted. The film will be based on the Isro scientist Nambi Narayanan’s autobiography Ormakalude Brahmanapadam (In the Orbit of Memories) that was released in October 2017. According to reports, Shah Rukh Khan and Suriya have landed cameo roles in the highly anticipated film, which will be released in four languages. While Shah Rukh will be seen essaying a cameo in the Hindi version of the film, Suriya is believed to have been signed for the Tamil version. In order to transform into the septuagenarian scientist, Madhavan sought...

KollywoodTo get the look of the role right, the actor grew long locks of hair and a beard, apart from getting his weight up to 96 kg.Digital NativeActor Madhavan’s upcoming film is Rocketry: The Nambi Effect. Besides playing the titular character of Isro scientist Nambi Narayanan in the film, Madhavan will be co-directing it as well. To get the look of the role right, Maddy grew long locks of hair and a beard, apart from getting his weight up to 96 kg. He had also revealed that it took 14 hours of make-up to transform himself into the character. Now, the actor has released a video on Instagram that shows his stunning transformation from his weight gain for the role to becoming his fit self again. And he did it in 12 days! Saying he achieved it with just sunlight and fresh air, he advises people not to opt for abnormal fasting or surgery to get results.

MollywoodDirected by Ranjith Shankar, the film also stars Jewel Mary, Innocent, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Aju Varghese and Joju George in supporting roles.Digital NativeDigital NativeThe most awaited film starring Jayasurya happens to be Njan Marykutty. Expectations on this film are way too high as Jayasurya will be seen in a different getup in it. For the first time in his career, the star will be seen playing a transgender person and his makeover for the role has awed his fans in a big way. Speculations are also rife that Njan Marykutty will address the issues faced by transgender persons. The film, bankrolled by Jayasurya under his banner Dreams N Beyond, is all set for release on June 15 and the actor himself confirmed it recently via a Facebook post in Malayalam. Directed by Ranjith Shankar, the film also stars Jewel Mary, Innocent, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Aju Varghese and Joju George in supporting roles. This is not the first time director Ranjith Shankar and Jayasurya are teaming up, as they have worked together on hit movies such as Punyalan Agarbathis, Susu Sudhi Vathmeekam, Pretham and Punyalan Private Limited. With both of them sharing a good rapport and coming out with hits in the past, movie buffs anticipate that they will come up with something different and awesome this time too. The technical crew of Njan Marykutty comprises Anand Madhusoodanan for music, Vishnu Narayanan for cinematography, Liju Prabhakar for digital intermediate and Sajan V for editing. The shooting of Njan Marykutty began a couple of months ago at Muvattupuzha in Kerala and is progressing in full swing. The first look teaser was released on March 10. With the release date now revealed to be June 15, the team is racing against time to wrap up the shooting and start the post-production. Jayasurya’s last film release was Captain, a biopic on the Indian national football captain VP Sathyan. Directed by Prajesh Sen, Captain hit the silver screens on February 16 this year. Also read: ‘Iruttu Araiyil Murattu Kuththu’ review: The joke’s on you in this sleazy horror comedy (Content provided by Digital Native)...

MollywoodThe film is a biopic on the acclaimed football player, who led Kerala to victory in the Santosh Trophy. Digital NativeDigital NativeJayasurya played VP Sathyan in his latest film Captain, a biopic on the acclaimed football player who led Kerala to victory in the Santosh Trophy. In an interview to Manoramaonline, the star opened up about the role he got to play in Captain and admitted that he never knew Sathyan personally but was told on a number of occasions that he did resemble the footballer. He had admitted, “Sathyan was a talented footballer who loved the game unconditionally and earned the Santosh Trophy for Kerala. That was his persona on the ground. We had to present him as an individual too. I knew neither of those Sathyans. Yet, I felt his presence during my preparations to essay the role.” However, Jayasurya being a talented actor soon got into the skin of the character so much so that he transformed into VP Sathyan while shooting some scenes. Recalling one such incident, Jayasurya told in the interview that when he had to slap his co-star Anu Sithara, who was playing VP Sathyan’s wife Anitha in the movie, he hit her hard on the face. On this, he said, "I told you I was going through a lot of emotion. The acting was so intense that I actually slapped co-actor Anu Sithara during the shoot. That was an unrehearsed shot. I had warned the cameraman that I was not sure of what I was going to do. Just shoot whatever I do. I realized that I hit Anu Sithara only after the shoot was finished. I was worried about facing her after the incident, but she was sporty.” Captain was directed by Prajesh Sen, a debutant. (Content provided by Digital Native) p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 15.0px; font: 12.8px Arial; color: #222222; -webkit-text-stroke: #222222; background-color: #ffffff} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 15.0px; font: 12.8px Arial; color: #222222; -webkit-text-stroke: #222222; background-color: #ffffff; min-height: 15.0px} p.p3 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 15.0px; font: 12.8px Arial; color: #1155cc; -webkit-text-stroke: #1155cc; background-color: #ffffff} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} span.s2 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none}...

MollywoodThis film, based on the real life of VP Sathyan, trails the internal journey of a football player from Kerala.Neelima MenonJust before the interval, there is a scene where Sathyan’s wife Anitha, concerned over his lack of sleep, forgets to wake him up to watch a football World Cup match. Bedraggled, hollow-eyed, running a fever, and with a sprain in his leg, Sathyan gets up in the middle of the night, bursts out against the world, his injuries and his inability to play, tosses the TV and walks out. The next day he is back with a larger LCD TV, gifts his daughter a football and manages to placate his wife, who smiles through her tears. In another scene he tries to blow air into that football, telling the daughter his “breath” (life) is inside that ball. Though it encapsulates a fallen hero, that in a way defines VP Sathyan and his unquenchable passion for the game of football, Captain is a sports biopic that trails the internal journey of a sportsman—beyond triumphs, records, milestones and failures. It’s more a human story that helps us understand the complex inner battles of a man who struggled to stay afloat, despite being the longest serving captain of the Indian national football team. Debut director Prajesh Sen is clear that this biopic isn’t just about the sport; such is the unflinching focus on Sathyan’s physical and psychological downward spiral. Maybe that’s why we aren’t fed with many nail-biting matches or his on-field rivalries or his equations with the team. In fact, the film is meticulous in bringing forward the man behind the sportsman—but then, it is also true that one cannot exist without the other. The film goes back and forth between various events in Sathyan’s life. The stretch from childhood to adulthood seems hurried, it was as if they assumed we already knew that part and needed no further explanation. His silent love story with Anitha (Anu Sithara) and their life after marriage was nicely done and it’s also one of the core threads of the film. There is a cute little bit where he talks about his first love on their first night and she breaks down. There was a tenderness in their moments together. And Sathyan, for all his honesty, dedication and passion is shown as someone who only lived to play football, to the point of insanity. Everything else in his life, including Anitha is secondary. Take, for instance, his refusal to get surgery because he doesn’t want to take a break and Anitha wondering at his sadness despite all that he has achieved. In that moment, that is the same thought that enters our mind. But somewhere I thought Prajesh, in his quest to capture Sathyan’s battle with injuries, mind-numbing pain and disappointments, doesn’t really allow us to savour his victories. So, they end up as mere figures. When the emotional bits really get to us, it is largely because of the actor, Jayasurya. It’s a terrifically nuanced act. Not only does he maintain the Kannur dialect (after Mammootty, he is one actor who manages to retain it even during emotional scenes), the actor internalises Sathyan. The grief, the pain, the joy, the gait and even the passion. Two scenes stand out: one, as a coach he is instructing the boys to kick the ball through a rubber tyre but when he's challenged, he fails after several attempts and walks away; the second, when the captain’s band is removed from his arms - we know he is shattered inside but he maintains his poise. Terrific. There aren’t many memorable secondary characters, but Siddique’s character was a nice touch. He walks in at crucial stages in Sathyan’s life and feeds us exquisite trivia—Malappuram went for football not as a game but as a searing dissent against the colonial masters. Renji Panicker as a coach is now a cinematic cliché, including his dialogue delivery. Saiju Kurup, who plays the supposed antagonist was also a badly written character. Anitha is the other compelling character—the woman who stood by his side like the Rock of Gibraltar. Smiling and without complaints. When he does his usual disappearing act, a frantic Anitha calls his friend who puts the phone on speaker and lets her hear his speech after having received an award. Instead of being angry, you see her listening enraptured, gently caressing his medals and trophies. Anu Sithara is a treasure for sure. I had a grouse with the totally inoperable background score(Gopi Sundar), which was more celebratory and didn’t gel with the mood of the film - though he made amends with the lovely songs. Kolkata with its sprawling green maidans, huge decadent museums and lakes looked lovely (Roby Raj). The Santosh Trophy final match, despite its shoddy VFX, manages to capture the football frenzy in our state in all its fervour. As the end credits roll and stills of the real VP Sathyan appear on screen, he suddenly seems very familiar to us. Yet, for some reason, it’s difficult to shake off a sense of sadness that envelops us when we leave the theatre. Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither Tnm nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film's producers or any other members of its cast and crew.