Munnariyippu

Munnariyippu, means 'caution' or 'warning', but the warning is not about some shocking or nerve jangling event or occurrence. Cameraman-director Venu has a different agenda in this film that stars Mammootty in the lead.

Anjali Arakkal (Aparna Gopinath), a freelance journalist, earns her living by ghost writing autobiographies of the rich and famous. Her latest client is the jail superintendent Krishnamoorthy (Nedumudi Venu) who is to retire from service shortly.

When she goes to meet him in the jail, she meets Raghavan (Mammootty), a prisoner accused of a double homicide. He has served his sentence but continues to stay in the jail as he has nowhere to go.

Anjali interviews him as part of the research for Krishnamoorthy's book. She finds that he is an interesting person and has jotted down his thoughts in a diary. She uses this material to write an article on him for a leading English magazine.

The article wins her a book deal from a publisher in Mumbai to translate Raghavan's autobiographical writings.

Anjali gets Raghavan released and finds him a place to stay. She provides him with pen and paper, telling him to write whatever he feels like. But days go by and the paper remains blank. Anjali gets increasingly angry, annoyed and agitated as time goes by.

The equation of their relationship does not change much as they come to know each other better. Anjali had found Raghavan an interesting subject to write about. Raghavan does not open up to her any more than one would to a casual acquaintance, even though he entrusts her with his life's earnings.

The screenplay and dialogues by Unni R give us clues to where we are heading, but much still remains a mystery.

Renji Panicker and Joy Mathew play senior journalists who guide Anjali, who can be quite ambitious and ruthless. They say things that mentors are supposed to say. They underline the changes taking place in the profession.

Prithviraj appears in a cameo as the prospective groom for Anjali.

The star cast is in top form with every character etched perfectly so that every character is memorable no matter how fleeting an appearance he/she makes.

Munnariyippu is one of the most intriguing films made in recent times.

Munnariyippu will be treated as a movie for those who have high evaluation skills.Or it can be said as a perfect movie for movie lovers.Veteran director Venu has proved his exceptional directional skills again.The script by Unni.R. is engaging throughout.Mammootty and Aparna Gopinath are seen throughout the movie with their combination scenes and they compete with each other in emoting their characters.

The suspense element is unpredictable, but definitely it will disappoint some viewers who expect a little more explanation.But there comes the importance of the movie name Munnariyippu' meaning "Warning", so 'Expect the Unexpected'.

The movie is a cult one and a perfect treat for all who love to see a good cinema.

Munnariyippu is an investigation thriller directed by Cinematographer turned director Venu. Venu is turning into direction after a long interval of 15 years.Munnariyippu stars Mammootty and Aparna Gopinath in the lead roles. Munnariyippu is penned by director Venu and scripted by new wave script-writer R Unni. Venu also handled cinematography for the movie and is edited by Bina. Music for the movie is composed by Bijibal. Director Ranjith Produced the movie under the banner of Gold Coin Motion Pictures.

First of all let's just say there are no obvious good guys or bad guys in this movie – just people. Well rounded, interesting characters who are all involved in one way or the other to the main storyline of the film. The story follows a freelance writer/journalist named Anjali Arakkal (Aparna), who is ambitious and intelligent. She makes her living being a ghost writer for people who don't particularly have the skills to write for themselves and though this pays the bills, Anjali wants to make it big as a writer.

In her quest to do so, she meets a journalistic giant who entrusts upon her the job of ghost writing the auto biography of a friend of his – the Superintendent of a jail (Nedumudi) who is about to retire. Though not thrilled with the job she takes it and it is while she is in prison meeting with him that she meets an unassuming enigma of a prisoner named CK Raghavan (Mammootty).

Raghavan is a simple but captivating fellow who is in for a double homicide, which he says he never committed. Though he had the chance to leave, Raghavan has chosen to not opt for parole and is happy in the prison.

Obviously Anjali's attention turns to him, and she writes a feature based on the translation of various musings of Raghavan. This feature gets her noticed on a national level and soon she is offered a book deal by a major literary agency for Raghavan's story.

The plot then follows a mysterious Raghavan who never reveals his truths, a frustrated Anjali, her friends, corporate competition and third parties all gunning for the story behind the man with all the secrets.

Mammootty is at his best. Mammootty lived CK Raghavan. When we go out of the theatre we take a part of CK with us. The mannerisms and dialogue delivery of Mammootty made the character more alive. Aparna Gopinath is one of the best thing about the movie. Anjali is very strong and independent. Well, the role of Anjali was taken to the next level by Aparna.

Then we have the huge array of veterans and a delightful cameo by Prithviraj, all complimenting the tone and vibe of the film. In fact, the performances of many being so good is another reason why you are pulled in to multiple directions if you try to figure out where the story is headed. There simply are no weak links in the cast.

This a grown up movie. That does not mean it is artsy or does not have commercial value but just the opposite. Munnariyippu reminds us all what film making is all about and does so exactly because it does not rely on cheap applause or shortcuts.

Munnariyippu once again establish the truth that the script is the back bone of the movie. The film does not fails to engage the audience from the very beginning to the very end. Venu did a fantastic job as a director and cinematographer. The frames are simply brilliant and intriguing. R Unni is one of the best script writers in the new wave of Malayalam cinema. Well, he keeps his legacy. Munnariyippu can be counted as one of his best scripts till date. The dialogues are strong, deep and incredibly simple!

FINAL VERDICT: Munnariyippu is a feast for the movie lovers! This is one of a kind movie and will be a cult movie for sure. Munnariyippu is one of the best movie which resets the belief that good cinema exists. Munnariyippu is a must watch for movie lovers. For fans it's a chance to see their favorite star in an entirely different avatar.

((Review Inspired from Muyals.com's and Chithramala's review of the same movie.))

Munnariyippu is a movie which makes the audience to wear their thinking caps. Arguably, the movie belongs to the physiological thriller genre. The movie opted to take a bold route of not explaining and spoon feeding the audience with every single detail which is not a familiar experience for the south Indian audience. We are forced to think and draw conclusions based on many subtle(even bold) hints which will help us to connect the dots and conclude what it is all about. I think, this is completely path breaking for Malayalam movies. Audience who are familiar with Hollywood movies like Seven or Usual Suspects could relate to this, as a single event towards the end or the climax unravels the complete movie for you and make you think about the movie, even after watching it.

I am not surprised that many people didn't like the movie and I even read that people were booing at the end of the movie. This movie is not everyone's cup of tea. But, I am sure a seasoned movie goer will definitely be able to appreciate it.

Mamootty was the ideal cast for the role and has performed admirably. It's just sad to see him waste his time and talent on commercial mass movies and cheap comedy. I hope he would opt for more challenging roles like this and our script writers could churn out such excellent scripts more often. Aparna Gopinath did a commendable job enacting the character transformation under corporate pressure.

I am not sure if the movie is a commercial success. I hope it is and I would love to see such movies more often. If you are looking for a time pass popcorn movie, just don't go for it and boo it. But, if you appreciate good cinema and like to see a thought provoking movie, it's a gem. Go for it! Cheers!

Munnariyip, A movie which will haunt you for a long time after you left from the movie hall. A movie about C.K Raghavan and his views about the freedom. A Stunning movie with a flawless script and brilliant acting by the pioneer of Indian cinema Mammooty. Special mention to the director for the way he narrate the movie. Such a masterpiece in the recent times.A movie which allows the audience to be a part of it. movie leaves many unanswered questions at last. By thinking one can understand what the movie is all about. This stuff can be considered as mammooty's best work in last 5 years. This one is for all the movie lovers out there. don't miss it.