This week’s major Tamil releases are Vantha Rajavathan Varuven, Sarvam Thala Mayam and Peranbu. In Hindi Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga, and in Malayalam Allu Ramendran will hit the screens. There are no major releases in Telugu.
Vantha Rajavathaan Varuven
Directed by Sundar C, Vantha Rajavathaan Varuven is a commercial family entertainer starring Simbu, Megha Akash and Catherine Tresa in the lead. The film is produced by Lyca Productions, with music by Hiphop Tamizha Aadhi. It also features Prabhu, Ramya Krishnan, Nasser, VTV Ganesh, ‘Motta’ Rajendran, Robo Shankar, Yogi Babu and others.
The director, in a conversation with Silverscreen, said that the hero of the film will embody the spirit of youth today. “The hero is in tune with himself and with the scenario he finds himself in. He is not immature or naive. He is the complete man. It’s not just for STR fans. It is for everybody. That’s what I told Simbu when we first spoke about the movie. Vantha Rajavathaan Varuven has something for everybody.”
Sarvam Thaala Mayam
Rajiv Menon makes a comeback to direction after 19 years with Sarvam Thaala Mayam. The film is set in the world of music, and stars GV Prakash Kumar and Aparna Balamurali in the lead. The musical is about GV Prakash’s Peter, a lower caste Christian who dreams of being a mridangam player.
Malayalam actors Nedumudi Venu and Vineeth play pivotal roles in the movie. Santha Dhananjayan, Kumaravel and Dhivyadharshini are also part of the cast. Music for the film is composed by AR Rahman, and the film is produced by Rajiv Menon’s Mind Screen Cinemas.
Talking about his experience on working for the film, GV Prakash said in an interview with Silverscreen, “There’s so much to learn from Bala Sir and Rajiv Sir. I learnt the mridangam for a year for the film from Umayalpuram Sivaraman Sir and Mridangam Srinivas. Being a student again brought back memories of going to school, of Math tuition with Vrinda Maam, of piano classes… it was all very fresh and allowed me to live in the moment, to explore how a percussionist thinks.”
Peranbu
Directed by Ram, Peranbu is the tale of a father and his disabled daughter. The film is about their relationship, and is also called Resurrection. It releases simultaneously in Tamil and Malayalam. The film stars Mammootty, Anjali, Sadhana and Anjali Ameer in the lead. Music is by Yuvan Shankar Raja, with lyrics by Vairamuthu, Karunakaran and Sumathi Ram. Pernabu is produced by PL Thenappan.
The film was influenced by MT Vasudevan Nair’s films and writing. Director Ram reportedly said that father’s role was written with Mammootty in mind, and he would’ve withdrawn the film if Mammootty had not signed up.
The film also stars Anjali Ameer, a trans woman actor from Kerala. Ram told Silverscreen, “It was Mammootty who suggested Anjali’s name. He saw her talking to a Malayalam news channel. She was selected for the role after an audition in which she performed really well. She plays an important character in the film.”
Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga
Ek Lakdi Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga deals with lesbian romance. Directed by Shelly Chopra Dhar, the film stars Sonam Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Juhi Chawla and Abhishek Duhan. Regina Cassandra is making her Bollywood debut with the film. This is the first time Sonam Kapoor and Anil Kapoor are acting together. It also marks the return of the hit pair Anil Kapoor and Juhi Chawla.
The title of the film is from a song in 1942: A love story, starring Anil Kapoor. Lyrics was by Javed Akhtar, and the song was rendered by Kumar Sanu. It went on to become a classic, and was one of the last compositions by the legendary RD Burman. Vidhu Vinod Chopra who directed 1942: A love story, has produced the Sonam Kapoor-starrer.
Allu Ramendran
Directed by debutant Bilahari K Raj, the film features Kunchacko Boban, who reportedly plays the lead in a never-seen-before look. The film also features Krishna Shankar, Aparna Murali, and Chandini Sreedharan in principal roles. Aparna plays Krishna Shankar’s love interest while Chandini plays Kunchacko Boban’s wife.
Produced by Ashiq Usman under Ashiq Usman Productions, the film’s cinematography is by Jimshi Khalid, and music is by Shaan Rahman.
Talking about the film to The New Indian Express, Sajin Cherukayil, who co-wrote the script said, “It’s about how a police officer named Ramendran came to be known as Allu Ramendran. There is a story behind the ‘Allu’ nickname, and he gets irritated whenever someone calls him that.”
