| Adaminte Makan Abu (Abu, Son of Adam) |
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|---|---|
Film poster |
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| Directed by | Salim Ahamed |
| Produced by | Salim Ahamed Ashraf Bedi |
| Written by | Salim Ahamed |
| Starring | Salim Kumar Zarina Wahab |
| Music by | Background score: Isaac Thomas Kottukapally Songs: Ramesh Narayan |
| Cinematography | Madhu Ambat |
| Editing by | Vijay Shankar |
| Studio | Allens Media |
| Distributed by | Laughing Villa Allens Media through Kalasangam Khas Manjunatha |
| Release date(s) | June 24, 2011[1] |
| Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
| Budget | 1.5 crore (US$285,000)[2] |
Adaminte Makan Abu (Malayalam: ആദാമിന്റെ മകൻ അബു, English: Abu, Son of Adam) is a 2011 Indian drama film written, directed and co-produced by Salim Ahamed in his debut film. It stars Salim Kumar and Zarina Wahab in the lead roles along with Mukesh, Nedumudi Venu, Kalabhavan Mani, and Suraj Venjarammoodu in other supporting roles. The cinematography was handled by Madhu Ambat, and the film was edited by Vijay Shankar. The film features songs composed by Ramesh Narayan, and the score is by Isaac Thomas Kottukapally.
The film tells the story of a poor attar (a kind of perfume) seller Abu (Salim Kumar) whose only remaining wish in life is the Hajj pilgrimage, which he strives hard to fulfill, and at the verge of the fulfillment, he opts out when he fears that the means is not fully legitimate. Development on the film began roughly a decade before the film was released. The film was shot digitally over one month beginning on 7 November 2010. Thrissur and Kozhikode in Kerala, India were the major filming locales.
Distributed by Laughing Villa, a distribution company owned by Salim Kumar, and Allens Media, Adaminte Makan Abu released in theatres on 24 June 2011. It received wide critical acclaim, with numerous praises for its story, direction, cast, cinematography, and score. It received honours for its music, cinematography and writing, as well as for Salim Kumar's performance. The film garnered four National Film Awards: for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Cinematography and Best Background Score, at the 58th National Film Awards. It performed similarly at the Kerala State Film Awards, where it won the awards for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Screenplay and Best Background Music. The film has been chosen as India's official entry to be considered for nomination in the Best Foreign Film category for the 84th Academy Awards.
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Abu (Salim Kumar) and Aishumma (Zarina Wahab) are an elderly Moplah Muslim couple living in Kerala's Malabar region. Their aspiration is to go for Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, and they sacrifice to achieve this aim. Their son Sattar has migrated to the Middle East (as a part of Kerala Gulf boom) with his family and has virtually discarded his parents. Now in their late 70s, the couple decide to go for Hajj that year.
Abu sells attar (ittar) (a perfume obtained from flowers), religious books and Unani medicines that nobody seems to want nowadays. Aishumma breeds cattle and hens, helping her husband realize their shared dream. Abu feels as outdated and discarded by a fast-changing world as the traditional products that he sells.
A school teacher (Nedumudi Venu), Abu's friend, comes to his aid at his time of need. Hyder (Suraj Venharammud), a local teashop owner also empathises with Abu who in turn is frequently given genuine advice by a mysterious saint known simply as "Ustad" (Tampi Antony). Good-natured people try to help Abu by offering to loan him the amount, but as this goes against the accepted practices of the Islam, he refuses to take anything.
With the advancing years, Abu's desperation also grows. Finally, in frustration and distress, Abu gives away his cow and old jackfruit tree. Abu is helped by the manager of a travel agency (Mukesh) to get flight tickets and other documents for his journey. A policeman (Sasi Kalinga), initially tries to reject Abu's passport application, but once he gets his usual bribe he becomes quite helpful. The couple begins their preparations which include attending the Hajj preparation classes conducted by the travel agency, being vaccinated for meningococcal meningitis and buying new Ihram clothing. Abu pays off even the smallest of his old debts as part of the preparations and travels miles to seek forgiveness from Sulaiman, a previous neighbour with whom he once fought.
When the passports and the tickets are ready and a bus journey away in Kozhikode, the sawmill owner (Kalabhavan Mani) while handing over the money for Abu's tree says that its wood turned out to be rotten and useless. He insists that Abu still take the money, however, since his cause is noble. Abu refuses it, saying that it wouldn't be halal and hence could anger God. When he is sure that he cannot fulfill his dream, Abu reaches another conclusion – that the tree too had life, and several lives must have died when he cut the tree in front of his house. Abu conjectures that that maybe one of the reasons for his not being able to go on the journey. On the dawn of the Hajj, Abu tells his wife that they will go the next year, and he plants a new sapling of a jackfruit tree and is seen going to the mosque to pray on the morning of Hajj.
The film conveys a universal theme along with many aspects of human relationship beyond caste and religion.[3] It is noted for projecting human values and communal harmony. These motifs are well evident during the scenes in which the villagers coming for Abu's help include a Christian merchant – Johnson played by Kalabhavan Mani and a Hindu school teacher played by Nedumudi Venu.[3] With a simple plot, the film also conveys the message of environment conservation. Man's bias towards nature and to his co beings is depicted with the representation of a jackfruit tree and a domestic cow which Abu sells with a heavy heart for money to go on the pilgrimage. We see Abu cursing himself for cutting the tree thereby destroying the habitat of innumerable living things.[3] Also, in the original theatrical version of the film, there is a scene in which doubting shopkeepers muse that Abu must have got a cheque from Osama Bin Laden to pay for the trip. Several critics have observed that this mentioning is intentionally done to make it a modern Muslim film.[4] The character of Ustad, the village oracle with powers of divine communion, also makes it more like a Muslim film.[5] Notably, the film does not have any negative character. Sathar, Abu's and Aishumma's only son and who abandons his aged parents, is the only character in the film with a little negative shade. This depicts the problems faced by the destitute senior citizens in India, thus making Adaminte Makan Abu, a social film.[5]
Some critics have pointed that the characters as well as the film's setting are too idealistic. Noted critic S. Anandan observes: "The village, not far from the bustling town of Kozhikode, is idyllic and the life of the people there, harmonious. The story unfolds in 2010, as evident from a flex board in front of the travel company that helps the protagonist couple get their travel documents. But the societal life in the village, reminiscent of rural Kerala in the 1980s with its crop of do-gooders and mystics, is too ideal to be true in current times. But then, Salim Ahmed is out to picture life in a Basheerian habitat, where inter-religious individuals gleefully share the earth with pagan living organisms."[6] Salim Ahamed replies: "The characters in my film are idealistic but I wouldn’t say that people like that don’t exist; they do. The central character, Abu, is a man who is good and honest and his treatment of people begets goodness in return."[7]
Development on the film began roughly a decade before the film was released.[8] Adaminte Makan Abu marks the directorial debut of Salim Ahamed, who says that he had entertained the film's story in his mind for many years. Upon graduating from college in early 2000s, Ahamed dreamed of joining the film industry but found it hard to break into and ended up a travel consultant. It was the stories he heard and the people he met during this time that sowed the seeds for Adaminte Makan Abu.[9] The film's protagonists were inspired by a real-life couple. Ahamed says: "I was at Jeddah airport looking for someone to share my baggage weighing about 100 kg. Every Gulf Malayali proceeding on leave is a courier for his friends as he is tasked with delivery of gifts for their loved ones back home. So, while I waited, there was this old couple holding plastic carry bags on their way back after performing Umra. They had lived an austere life to save up for the Hajj, but settled for Umra fearing they would never make it to the Hajj. The agent accompanying them looked desperate to scoot and the moment I made friends with the couple, he disappeared. Our flight got postponed, first in Jeddah and then in Mumbai, and looking after them as we stayed in star hotels became my responsibility. During this period, I learnt a great deal about their undying spirit, life and the virtues they possessed".[10][11] The central character Abu was also highly inspired by a man named Aboottikka in Ahamed's village who looked and behaved a lot like the central character.[7] In Salim Ahamed's own words, the old couple he had met at that point of time during an Umrah pilgrimage became Aboottikka and that in turn turned out to be Adaminte Makan Abu.[12] Ahamed said that he had written three basic plots during his college days. One was based in a local school in Kerala, one was a thriller, and the third was the story of Abu. He decided to film Adaminte Makan Abu as a number of people liked the story line; he wanted his first film to have a message and to be impressive.[7][8] It took only a month for Ahamed to prepare the final script.[7] The biggest challenge for him was to find a producer. Nobody was prepared to finance a non-commercial film like this one, so he started saving up from his television pay cheques. But that wasn't enough. Somewhere in the middle of filming, he had to approach a friend (Ashraf Bedi), who agreed to co-produce the film.[7]
Ahamed did a lot of research before he finalized the cast and crew.[7] He decided to take the risk of filming with a serious theme when he secured Salim Kumar in the lead, although the latter did not have the glamour of a conventional hero. "I was confident that the final result would be worth the risk," he says.[13][14] It was on the sets of 2010 film Best Actor that Ahamed met the actor to convince him to play the role. Ahamed says that Kumar was an obvious choice because of his popularity and his versatility in work.[12] It was Kumar's outstanding performance as a son who is forced to abandon his aged mother in Bridge, one of the ten films in the Kerala Cafe anthology, that made Salim Ahamed choose the actor for the role.[15] Kumar was initially reluctant to accept the role as he was unsure about carrying the film as the star. Ahamed, however, was confident,[16][17] and assured Kumar that the film would have the top technicians in the field: He brought in the cinematography veteran Madhu Ambat, and Issac Thomas Kottukapally to handle the music section. Kumar, who is generally known in slapstick comedy roles, didn't do any preparation for his role[18][19] and accepted no payment for his participation in the film.[20][21][22] Zarina Wahab, who had made a comeback in Malayalam films with Calendar plays the lead female role in the film. According to Ahamed, she was cast because she had the face of a Malabar Muslim.[7] Aside from Kumar and Wahab, the film also stars several other actors like Kalabhavan Mani, Mush, Suraj Venjarammoodu, Nedumudi Venu and Jaffer Idukki in key roles. Ahamed roped in some of the most famous technicians for his debut film such as cinematographer Madhu Ambat and composer Isaac Thomas Kottukappally. Ahamed says, "I had decided from the beginning that these would be the people I would work with in my first film. Getting the industry’s best talents to work with me was hardly a challenge because they all liked the subject."[7] Madhu Ambat was doing a Malayalam film after a gap of nearly 12 years.[23]
Pattanam Rasheed did makeup for all the actors including Salim Kumar.[24] The artificial beard he used initially didn't match Kumar's skin tone so he imported a matching beard from Mumbai spending his own money.[25] Shooting of the film began on 7 November 2010, and took place in various locations in Thrissur and Kozhikode in Kerala.[26] Major sections were filmed from a house in Athani in Thrissur. The set was made by debuting art director Jyothish on a shoestring of 2 lakhs.[27] The film was shot digitally using an Arriflex D-21 camera.[23] Cinematographer Madhu Ambat recalls that he had planned to use 16 mm film to further reduce costs but used 35 mm film instead as he wanted to shoot lots of long shots, which he says were helpful in showing the feeling of loneliness.[28] Ambat also experimented in lighting, and an unusual lighting pattern which closely matched the themes and motifs of the movie was chosen.[29] The total budget of the film was around 1.5 crores. Ahamed had to spend every rupee raised from what he had saved up over the years working on scripts for television serials and assisting directors to complete the film.[30]. The film ran into financial troubles midway through its shooting. Ahamed recalls that it was his friend Ashraf Bedi who financed the film from this stage, and principal production was completed in a mere 31 days.[31] To enhance the technical quality of the film, Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty did a re-designing and re-mixing of the sound for the film before its official screening for the Academy members in Los Angeles on November 19. A group of top-notch technicians also came forward to revamp the film free of cost.[32][33] Graphics for the film was handled by Fies Thoppil.[34]
The film had its European premiere on 13 October 2011[35] at the 55th BFI London Film Festival, where it was screened in "World Cinema" category,[36][37] and its national premiere on 18 October 2011 at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, where it was screened in "Indian Frame" category.[38] In his review for Firstpost.com, film critic Vikram Phukan selected Adaminte Makan Abu as one of the ten best films to be screened at the Mumbai festival.[39] The film had its North American premiere on 9 November 2011 at the 8th South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF), where it was featured as the opening night film.[40][41] The film was one of the seven Malayalam films selected to be screened at the Indian Panorama section of International Film Festival of India and won the Special Jury Award for Best Film.[42][43] The Chairman of the IFFI Jury and eminent Malayalam film maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan said the jury selected Adaminte Makan Abu for the award for the purity of vision in depicting the ideals of religion, nature and humanness in his film.[44]
Adaminte Makan Abu was the only Malayalam film selected to be screened at the international competition section of the 16th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK),[45][46] but was later withdrawn because according to the rules of this festival, a film that has taken part in the competition section of any international festival in India cannot be included in the competition section in it.[47][48] The film was however screened in the "Malayalam Cinema Today" section of the festival.[49]. The film will also be screened at the 23rd Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF), a festival often considered the run-up to the Academy Awards, in January 2012[50] and is expected to be screened at 8th Dubai International Film Festival.[51]
The film was also an official selection for the 5th Indo-German Film Festival, [52] 17th Kolkata Film Festival,[53] 9th Chennai International Film Festival[54] and 4th Bengaluru International Film Festival.[55]
After shooting and editing wrapped, the film was sent to Censor Board in Mumbai and from there copies of the film were directly sent to national and state award committees.[31]In late May, the film's co-producer Ashraf Bedi approached the court alleging that he was cheated by Ahamed who did not mention him as a co-producer when the film's entry papers were submitted for the National Awards. The film was described as produced by Salim Ahamed alone. Consequently, the court held the film's screening and distribution till 10 June.[56]
Ahamed was approached by four major distributors, Playhouse, Khas, Kalasangam and Vaishaka, for the film's distribution rights.[2][57] Later, Salim Kumar decided to distribute the film himself under his newly-formed distribution company Laughing Villa along with Allens Media Release through Kalasangam, Khas and Manjunatha. The film released in 70 theatres in Kerala on 24 June 2011[58][59] with previews held in Chennai, Ernakulam and Kannur.[60] A historical film Bombay March 12 starring Mammootty was slated for release on the same date, but was postponed following a request from Mammootty, who wanted his sure hit to avoid clashing with Adaminte Makan Abu.[61][62]
Although the film received overwhelmingly positive reviews from all corners, it was only an average grosser in Kerala box-office.[63] Many could not watch the film from theatres since it was withdrawn a few days after the release.[64] According to Salim Kumar, "the movie did not do well on the box-offices and the collection was relatively better from the Muslim dominated Malabar region."[65]
The film's home video rights were bought by Empire Videos. DVDs were released in September 2011 and reportedly had an overwhelming response.[63] This unexpected response was due to the film's early withdrawal from theatres. Media had already reported that many viewers were not able to watch the film from theatres.[64]
The film premierred in television on 7 November 2011 on Mazhavil Manorama, coinciding with the festival of Bakrid.[66]
A controversy regarding the film's plot originated when filmmaker Abbas Kalathod claimed that the film's story was taken from his short film Maruppacha released eight years prior. "With the characters of Maruppacha given an elderly treatment and embellishing the story with exaggeration, Adaminte Makan Abu was made," he claimed. Kalathod says that the 21-minute Maruppacha for which he had written the story, script and dialogue, narrate "a story of Bappu, a youth who spares a little of his day's earning in preparation for the Hajj. He hands over the entire money to his neighbour, who nourishes such a wish. In Qabalah, Abdullah dreams of a heavenly voice which says the God has accepted only Bappu's Haj. On his return, Abdullah goes in search of Bappu. The story ends when after a prolonged wandering they meet, and Abdullah tells the entire story to Bappu."[67] Salim Kumar reacted, calling the allegations ridiculous. He said, "Adaminte Makan Abu is yet to be released. Without watching the film, the man who leveled the allegations came to the conclusion that its story is plagiarized. I came across the story that he claimed to be similar to that of Adaminte Makan Abu. The story penned by him bears resemblance to that of the film Kuttikkuppayam."[68]
Also, a similar story was narrated by the 8th-century Sufi saint Ibrahim ibn Adham. In the story, its a shoesmith who dreams of going for Hajj pilgrimage.[69]
The film portrays Islam in its true light, by strongly conveying the message of oneness of all living beings.[70]
The film met with critical acclaim. Gautaman Bhaskaran of The Hindustan Times rated the movie three-out-of-five stars () writing, "Adaminte Makan Abu while being a rare study in restraint often plays out like a placid stream. Except for the old couple's son ... Ahamed portrays too idyllic a situation." About the cinematography, the reviewer says that "some of the shots are divinely beautiful, conveying a deep sense of loneliness and gloom." The critic praises Kottukappally's background score feeling that it "does add up to create the mood that swings between despair and hope, between despondency and cheer." The actors' performances he labelled "marvellous", with the leads receiving particular praise.[71] A critic from Easternkicks.com rated the film five-out-of-five stars () and wrote that it is "a simple tale, beautifully filmed and acted, and a rare insight into Muslim life in Kerala…".[72] The official website of Institute of Contemporary Arts called the film a "gentle tale of irrepressible hope and true companionship."[4] Guy Lodge of Variety magazine stated, "Ahamed tells his story with clarity and compassion, but little humor or grit: The film has a tendency to shy away from overt dramatic conflict, as Abu's gentle decency sees him escape or mollify one practical or personal opponent after another." The critic praised Ambat's cinematography, but criticised Kumar's performance saying, he "is a committed but slightly over-deliberate presence in the lead."[73] J. Hurtado of Canadian film website Twitch Film called the film "a peaceful, contemplative" one and stated, "This film is like a breath of fresh air and a reminder of the power that film can have to affect its viewers in a way that stays with them."[74] Paresh C. Palicha of Mumbai-based Internet provider Rediff.com gave the film a very positive review and praised it as "simple and beautiful". The review mostly praised the performances, direction and story, also giving it three-over-five stars ().[75] In Deccan Chronicle newspaper, Keerthy Ramachandran gave the film a five-star rating (), writing the film "should get a glorious position in the annals the history of Malayalam cinema".[76] S. Anandan of The Hindu newspaper also published a positive review, saying, "[W]ith its honest portrayal of a devout old man's pursuit of spiritual bliss, [the film] offers a glimmer of hope for Malayalam cinema, currently at its nadir". The critic labelled the film setting however as "idyllic" saying, "[T]he societal life in the village, reminiscent of rural Kerala in the 1980s with its crop of do-gooders and mystics, is too ideal to be true in current times. But then, [Ahamed] is out to picture life in a Basheerian habitat, where inter-religious individuals gleefully share the earth with pagan-living organisms."[6] T. Sudheesh of the Thrissur City Journal concluded his review by saying that "Ahamed ... has made a beautiful film. Adaminte Makan Abu is quite engaging and entertaining as well. The film truly deserves the national award. It is really worth watching."[77] Veeyen of Indian online portal Nowrunning.com was all praise for the film, adding that the film "is meticulously paced and splendidly staged to create a sense of optimism that should keep the human race going in these testing times." [78] A reviewer from the Chennai-based Internet provider Sify.com gave the film a five-star rating (), saying the film "has done proud for Malayalam and will find its place among the most powerful films ever made in Malayalam."[79] A reviewer from Indian online portal Oneindia.in said that Ahamed "has created a masterpiece out of a simple story".[80] After watching the film during a special screening for media personell at Sree theatre in Calicut, famous orator and writer Sukumar Azhikode said, "Adaminte Makan Abu shows us how a Malayalam film should be." He also praised Salim Kumar's performance saying, "Salim Kumar was not acting, but was living as the titular character Abu."[81]
The film did receive a few negative reviews as well. Daniel Green from Cine-Vue.com gave the film 2 out of 5 stars (), wrote, "Abu, Son of Adam is a far inferior film, neither compelling nor innovative, gaining little real insight into the region's Muslim community along the way."[37]
| Adaminte Makan Abu | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Ramesh Narayan | ||||
| Released | 2011 | |||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
| Length | 23:22 | |||
| Label | Manorama Music | |||
| Ramesh Narayan chronology | ||||
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The film features an original score by Isaac Thomas Kottukapally. Kottukapally didn't want to confine the music to a particular region alone as the subject and emotions are universal. As the story is about going on Hajj, he used notes from Arabic scales but keeping it to the minimum until the Hajj theme comes on-screen, and he used Arabic instruments like the oud and the mandolin, santoor, sarod for example, that are close to the oud. Kottukapally also used the tabla, flute, drums from North Kerala and also African drums. Contrary to the usual Malayalam films, the film used minimalist music: Kottukapally kept a lot of silence in the film and used aarohana and avarohana before and after the silence.[82][83]
The soundtrack to Adaminte Makan Abu features songs composed by Ramesh Narayan[84] with lyrics by Rafeeque Ahammed. Released on Manorama Music, the soundtrack featured vocals by Shankar Mahadevan, Ramesh Narayan, Hariharan, Sujatha, Madhusree Narayan and Srinivas.[85] It received generally positive reviews: T. Sudheesh of City Journal labeling the songs "meaningful and heart rending."[77] Keerthy Ramachandran of Deccan Chronicle said, "Narayanan has composed excellent music in tune with the mood of the movie. Shankar Mahadevan, Hariharan and Sujatha have crooned some beautiful songs, yet 'Makka Madheena' triumphs as a song which carries the heart of the theme."[76]
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Makka Madeena" | Shankar Mahadevan, Ramesh Narayan | 5:32 |
| 2. | "Kinavinte Minarathil" | Hariharan | 3:40 |
| 3. | "Mutholakunnathe" | Sujatha | 5:16 |
| 4. | "Kinavinte Minarathil" | Madhusree Narayan | 3:40 |
| 5. | "Mutholakunnathe" | Srinivas | 5:14 |
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Total length:
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23:22 | ||
The film received honours for its music, cinematography and writing, as well as for Salim Kumar's performance. It was listed as one of the top-rated Malayalam films of the year by various magazines and websites including Rediff,[86] Sify[87] and Nowrunning.[88] Salim Ahamed was chosen as the "Director of the Year 2011" by leading Malayalam daily Deepika.[89]
Adaminte Makan Abu is India's official entry to be considered for nomination in the Best Foreign Film category for the 84th Academy Awards.[100][101] The film was chosen over 15 others by the Film Federation of India (FFI) to represent the country for the award.[102] Adaminte Makan Abu is the second Malayalam film (the first one being Guru) to be submitted for the Oscars. Salim Ahamed had to take much efforts for promoting the film in the United States for the Oscar jury. "Before the Oscar nomination, we will have to conduct a lot of promotional events such as screening the film in the US to mobilise support. A minimum of six screenings have to be arranged for the jury members. I cannot borrow money because even if the film gets a nomination, it does not bring home any cash," Ahamed said.[103] Lobbying for the film began in October last week. In an interview, Ahamed said, "There has been some help from abroad, especially from the people living in the Gulf region. No one from the Malayalam film industry has contacted me or offered support. There has been no support from the government either."[104][65] Meanwhile, many political parties from Kerala urged the government to help raising funds for the film.[105] In reply, the Kerala Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, said Malayalam film industry has to make a unanimous demand for the state government to extend help to the makers of Adaminte Makan Abu, India’s official entry to the Oscars.[106]
In late-May 2011, the Malayalam daily Madhyamam reported that Mumbai-based film company Mega Productions had approached Salim Ahamed with the intention of remaking the film in Hindi.[107] Discussions were supposed to be held in early June, before the theatrical release of the original film.[60] Later, reports came that Karan Johar's Dharma Productions has also appraoched Ahamed to buy the rights. Johar had already heard about the movie from Zarina Wahab.[108] According to the reports, Karan Johar was to direct the film with Shahrukh Khan in the role of Abu with Salim Ahamed also attached.[109][110][111] Johar, however, later categorically denied any inclination to remake the film through his Twitter post, which stated, "On record ... am NOT planning the remake of the acclaimed malyalam film ... actually in london to acquire the rights of a superb french film!! If all goes well the french film will translate beautifully into an indian love story ... can’t wait to get it going ... watch this space for more."[112][113] However, Ahamed later revealed, "Karan's company Dharma Productions had spoken to me about buying the rights of Adaminte Makan Abu. But they didn't get back to me after the initial talks."[114]
Salim Ahamed has, meanwhile, been in talks with J. P. Dutta, who is eager to remake the hit in Hindi.[115] In a November 2011 interview, Salim Kumar revealed that "there is a plan to remake the film in four major Indian languages."[65]
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Kutty Srank |
National Film Award for Best Film 2011 |
Succeeded by N/A |
| Preceded by Paleri Manikyam |
Kerala State Film Award for Best Film 2010 |
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