Munnariyippu

Munnariyippu

Theatrical poster
Directed by Venu
Produced by Ranjith
Screenplay by Unni R.
Story by Venu
Starring Mammootty
Aparna Gopinath
Nedumudi Venu
Joy Mathew
Prathap Pothan
Renji Panicker
Sreeraman
Sudheesh
Saiju Kurup
Prithviraj
Music by Bijibal
Cinematography Venu
Edited by Beena Paul
Production
company
Gold Coin Motion Pictures
Release dates
  • 22 August 2014

(Kerala)

Running time
 115 minutes
Country India
Language Malayalam

Munnariyippu (English: Warning) is a 2014 Malayalam mystery thriller film directed by cinematographer Venu[1] and produced by Ranjith, under the banner of Gold Coin Motion Pictures, based on a screenplay by Unni R.[2] The film stars Mammootty and Aparna Gopinath in the lead roles, along with Nedumudi Venu, Joy Mathew, Prathap Pothan, Sreeraman, Renji Panicker, Saiju Kurup and Joshy Mathew in other pivotal roles.[3] Prithviraj appears in a cameo role.

The film follows Anjali Arakkal (Aparna Gopinath), a junior journalist, who has set out to write an autobiography on convict C.K. Raghavan (Mammootty) who professes that he never committed the crimes he is in prison for.[4][5] The film released on 22 August 2014 to positive reviews.[6][7]

Cast

Casting

Sreenivasan was first considered to play the film's protagonist, the convict. Sreenivasan did not sign the movie as he was busy with other projects at the same time.[8] Later Mammootty signed the role. The film has Aparna Gopinath as the heroine.

Critical reception

Nidheesh M K of The New Indian Express described Munnariyippu as "a film that demands from us more than few bucks at the pay counter." He also wrote, "For the classic that it is, Munnariyippu is bound to remain in the hearts of those who care for the art of visual storytelling for long time to come."[9] Akhila Menon of Filmibeat.com gave the film 4 stars out of 5 and concluded her review, "A must watch movie recommended for the movie lovers." She also wrote, "Mammootty delivers his best performance in recent times and excels as C K Raghavan. Aparna Gopinath proves her mettle as an actress with the meaty role."[10]

Raj Vikram of Metromatinee.com wrote, "Munnariyippu is a many layered movie; seeps deep into the inner layers of sensibility. Mammootty takes the film to a different level with his expressive acting and subdued mannerisms."[11] Padmakumar K of Malayala Manorama gave the film 3.5/5 and wrote, "Offering an experience which Malayali audience has so far been alien to, Munnariyippu gives an artistic mix of what is captivating as well as outlandish in terms of narrative, thanks to the brilliant work by script writer Unni R." He also said that the film "can be viewed as a movie with a different approach. Or the story of a person with a strange aptitude. Mammootty's character that stands out, stunningly. He is every inch the Raghavan of the film, in looks and in conduct."[12] Aswin J Kumar of The Times of India gave a rating of 3.5/5 and wrote, "It feels good to watch Mammootty in Munnariyippu. It's as though the waxy glow on his face has melted away revealing a face that looks so human and so earthy." He concluded that the film "might not go well with a section of viewers, but this is a smart way of making a film and reinventing an actor."[13] S.R. Praveen of The Hindu wrote in his review, "Munnariyippu, with its skeletal approach, delivers a thumping jolt to the viewer and reclaims the actor who was lost in the jungle of superstardom. One ends up wishing for a little more detail in places but at the same time it looks like holding everything back worked in the end."[14]

Indiaglitz.com gave the film 7/10 and concluded, "A movie with no masala events, but one that is sure to be applauded in desi and international level, Munnariyippu is a must see for connoisseurs of all good cinema."[15] Veeyen of Nowrunning.com wrote, "There is a deconstruction of sorts that occurs in Venu's Munnariyippu, as conventionalities are discarded without a second thought." He gave the film 3 stars out of 5 and wrote about the film as, "a revelatory drama that throws together an emphatic, no-nonsense narrative with a couple of out-of-the-world performances." He also lauded the performance of Mammootty as he wrote that the film "marks the reinvention of an actor [Mammootty] whom we simply adore, and lays forth a hundred reasons as to why we have been in awe of him for so long."[16] Sify.com gave the film a verdict of "Above Average" and wrote, "Munnariyippu is aimed at those sections of viewers, who would like to be part of the narration, creating a visual of their own while watching the movie on screen. But even then, the film leaves you wanting for more."[17]

References

External links