Munnariyippu

Munnariyippu

Theatrical poster
Directed by Venu
Produced by Ranjith
Screenplay by Unni R.
Story by Venu
Starring
Music by Bijibal
Cinematography Venu
Edited by Beena Paul
Distributed by Gold Coin Motion Pictures
Release dates
  • 22 August 2014 (2014-08-22)

(Kerala)

Running time
 115 minutes
Country India
Language Malayalam

Munnariyippu (English: Warning) is a 2014 Malayalam language Indian mystery thriller film directed by cinematographer Venu[1] and produced by Ranjith, 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, Joshy Mathew, and Sudheesh in pivotal roles.[3]

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] It released on 22 August 2014 to positive reviews.[6][7]

Cast

Plot

Anjali Arakkal,a freelance journalist,while interacting with a retiring jail superintendent (Nedumudi Venu) meets C R Raghavan (Mammootty) who even after completing his 20 year term in jail still prefers to continue there.She had came to write the officer’s autobiography,but instead finds Raghavan’s life an interesting one.Becoming a mystery for Anjali,Raghavan was tried for killing his wife and the daughter of his employee,But claims of his innocence every now and then.

With hopes of cooperation from Raghavan's side anjali decides to visit Raghavan in jail.In his words Raghavan puts"Life as a struggle before death".Impressed by his reactions and emotions anjali confirms her decision on writing a feature on Raghavan,who's reluctance to leave jail further interests her.Later to anjali,he reveals his opinions about freedom and responsibility as"whether in your house or in Cuba, if there is revolution, blood will spill".

Towards the middle of the story,with the help of the jail superintendent,Anjali attempts to collect whatever she could on Raghavan in hopes of getting a full picture on his life.Raghavan's interest in writing made a feeling of astonishment for the girl,and makes her compel Raghavan to write a biography of his own. Althroughout the story Anjali tries to bring out Raghavan's experiences and emotions.According to Raghavan"A Prison should be a place for people to understand their mistakes and correct them rather than a place for punishment". Prior to her visits to jail Anjali also worked on the background to help Raghavan complete his biography.Anjali seeks expert opinion on the subject from several persons who are in close relation with Raghavan's life. Gifted with the skill of writing Raghavan's Segments of life on paper had a vital role in what he was and what he was not. After great hesitation Raghavan agrees to Anjali on writing his biography. At the middle of the story-line Raghavan is released from jail,and faced with the question of what next. This is when Anjali attempts to guide Raghavan on completing his biography. Accommodating Raghavan into the new world wasn't so challenging as she had thought.

Anjali then faces a problem of suspicion towards raghavan and tries to clear all her doubts.Nearing to the end,Anjali finds out Raghavan's true nature and the story ends with an unexpected climax of Raghavan murdering the young journalist.

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."[8] 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."[9]

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."[10] 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."[11] 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."[12] 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."[13]

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."[14] 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."[15] 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."[16]

Awards

References

External links

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