Noticias

ObituaryStarting his acting career in theatre, he became noticed in films in the 90s, for his unique voice and dialogue delivery.Tnm StaffKochu Preman, an actor who made a mark with his distinguishable voice in Malayalam cinema, passed away of respiratory disease on the afternoon of Saturday, December 3. He was 68 years old, and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. He had worked in over 130 films in a span of 25 years. Officially Ks Premkumar, Kochu Preman began his acting days in theatre before debuting in films. He mostly played comedic roles but would sometimes do serious characters. Though he made his film debut in 1979 with Ezhunirangal, it is through Dilliwala Rajakumaran which came out 17 years after that, that Kochu Preman became noticed. The velichapad (oracle) in Thilakkam, the drunk government official in Pattabhishekam, the tea shop man in Varathan, the funny uncle in In Ghost House Inn are...

Sixty-eight-year-old popular Malayalam film actor Kochu Preman has died at a private hospital. He breathed his last on Friday while being taken to a hospital following breathing complications.

Beginning his acting career through the drama, he made his debut in the Malayalam films in 1979 but had to wait till the late 90s to make his mark and after that he has had no reason to look back.

Preman excelled in comedy roles and was a regular in films in the past two decades.

And with the advent of TV serials, he was busy acting in them as well.

Though short in stature, when it came to essaying comedy roles, his height was never a handicap and was known for his dialogue delivery, especially when he was at ease in the popular Thiruvananthapuram accent.

Hailing from the state capital city, Preman is survived by his actress wife and their son.

MollywoodDirected by B Unnikrishnan, the film has Shraddha Srinath of ‘Vikram Vedha’ fame starring opposite Mohanlal.Tnm StaffScreengrab/YouTubeMarking the festival of Vishu, the makers of the upcoming Malayalam movie Aaraattu dropped the first teaser of the film on Wednesday. The film stars popular Mollywood actor Mohanlal. The close to one-minute teaser features action-packed stunt sequences with thumping high-speed music playing in the background. Playing the role of Neyyattinkara Gopan, Mohanlal looks striking in the slow-motion sequences. The teaser promises a high-octane entertainer. Mohanlal shared the teaser with fans on Wednesday on social media platforms. He also took to Twitter to celebrate the success of the teaser. He also shared a new poster featuring his still from the teaser, stating that Aaraattu is the first teaser in Mollywood that has racked over 3.3 million-plus views within 24 hours post-release. Happy that #AaraattuTeaser is reaching the eyes of Millionshttps://t.co/cwCDbtC5LF#Aaraattu pic.

MollywoodThe entire movie, directed and co-written by Ramesh Pisharody, wants to convey the message that there are women who misuse the law’s "leniency" towards the gender.CrisAmong other ideas, Ganagandharvan, Mammootty’s newest film in Malayalam, wants to make a point: there are women who misuse the special provisions they “enjoy” under the law, to frame innocent people and get away with anything. To stress this, the film has created the character of a young woman who keeps reminding the audience, “I am a woman, they will believe what I say.” The entire plot seems to have been written just to make that point. Needlessly, Mammootty’s character Ullas, leading the life of a married ganamela singer, gets entangled in a sham marriage to another woman to help her get an American visa. Athulya Chandra plays Sandra, the sort of woman who slaps a fruit vendor hit by her car,...

MollywoodThere is some brilliant scripting here, making a seemingly harmless practical joke appear so grave.CrisTo know the meaning of this title, you have to first read it properly. In English it isn't clear, the ‘L’s in 'Allu' can be read as the 'L' in 'love', but in Malayalam, it is the 'L' in 'all'. And 'Allu' means the nails thrown on the road to make a puncture. Ramendran is the name of the hero, played by Kunchacko Boban. And Ramendran keeps getting allu on his police jeep tyre. You should never judge a movie too soon. The first few minutes of Allu Ramendran look so disappointing that you might shake your head and fear that poor Kunchacko has gone and made yet another wrong choice. But when director Bilahari begins to cast away the poorly written comedy, coming from veterans like Salim Kumar and newer comedians like Dharmajan and Hareesh Kanaran,...

MollywoodSources in the know say that some daredevilry stunt sequences will be shot in Bangkok and popular stunt director Kaecha Kampakdee has been roped in.Digital NativeThe shooting of the Malayalam film Professor Dinkan will resume with the team flying down to Bangkok for the final schedule. Reports are that its lead actor Dileep and the rest of the team will be camped in Bangkok to complete this schedule. Sources in the know say that some daredevilry stunt sequences will be shot in Bangkok and the team is geared up for it. Popular stunt director Kaecha Kampakdee has been roped in to take care of the action choreography in the film. He has worked in hit Tamil movies such as Thuppakki, Bhaagi, Vishwaroopam, Aarambam and Billa 2, which speaks volumes of his ability in stunt direction. It may be noted here that the court had allowed Dileep to travel abroad from...

MollywoodThe film will be shot extensively in Brazil and a Hollywood actor is expected to play the main villain.Digital NativeActor Dileep is once again teaming up with writer Rafi for a film called Pick Pocket, which will be directed by P Balachandra Kumar. It will be made on a huge budget and a Hollywood actor will be roped in to play the main villain in it. Apparently, Dileep plays pickpocket in it and be will undergoing special training for the role. The film will be shot extensively in Brazil and preparations to get the team there for shooting are currently being made. Musician-filmmaker Nadirshah is composing music for the film while Manush Nandan will be cranking the camera and Kecha Khampakdee choreographing the stunts. Meanwhile Dileep starrer Professor Dinkan is progressing at a rapid pace with its release scheduled on December 7th. The film is scripted by Rafi, who...

MollywoodTouted to be a big budget film, it will be bankrolled by Aby Thottapuram under the banner Thottapuram Films.Digital NativeDirector of Oru Vadakkan Selfie Prajith is currently busy making a movie with Biju Menon and Anu Sithara in the lead. To be titled yet, this film has been scripted by the National award-winning writer Sajeev Pazhoor. While this film is still in progress, we hear that director Prajith is in talks with actor Dileep to feature him in his next. Touted to be a big budget film, it will be bankrolled by Aby Thottapuram under the banner Thottapuram Films. Reports are that the film will be scripted by Abhilash Pillai and Tn Suraj. In the meantime, Dileep is busy with a couple of films. Professor Dinkan, directed by Ramachadran Babu, is almost in the final stages. Further, the star has moved over to the B Unnikrishnan directorial next, which...

MollywoodWhile the first half sets up the creeps admirably, the second half feels like a squandered opportunity.Sowmya RajendranYouTube screengrabThe first half of Amal Neerad's Varathan had me gripping the sides of my seat, as a sickening dread enveloped my heart. I suspect that most women in the audience will have a similar response to it. As many have pointed out, Varathan bears several similarities to the psychological thriller Straw Dogs. While it isn't entirely a rip-off, I was left thinking how sad it is that a 1971 film set in the Cornish countryside still feels relevant in the year 2018 in a state that's relatively better off when it comes to gender equality in the country.  Varathan opens in Dubai, with Abi (Fahadh) losing his job and Priya (Aishwarya Lekshmi) losing her pregnancy. Right away, Abi and Priya look and feel very much like a real couple. The glances they throw at each other,...

MollywoodWhile Dileep is giving the finishing touches to his upcoming film 'Kammara Sambhavam', he will be joining the sets of 'Professor Dinkan' later this month.Digital NativeDigital NativeThe shooting of Professor Dinkan was stalled a few months ago following the arrest of its lead star Dileep. He is now out on bail and is raring to complete all the projects that have been put on hold since then. While Dileep is giving the finishing touches to his upcoming film Kammara Sambhavam, he will be joining the sets of Professor Dinkan later this month. According to the film’s director and cinematographer Ramachandra Babu, the shooting will commence in Dubai and the preparations for it are already on. Scripted by Rafi, Professor Dinkan has Dileep playing a magician. Earlier, there were reports that Professor Dinkan would be a comedy entertainer but later the team planned it as a family entertainer. With Dileep wanting to attract the family audiences as he had before his arrest, the Professor Dinkan team has reworked its entire script. Reports are that the magician performs a magic that unwittingly affects the lives of the people. Following this, he tries hard to set right the damage he has done and that forms the crux of the story. While Ramachandra Babu will be wielding the megaphone and cranking the camera as well for Professor Dinkan, the editing will be done by Rajesh Mangalakal. The movie is being bankrolled by Sanal Thottam with reports that it is being planned as a 3D film. Dileep plays the title role in this flick with the star cast including Namitha Pramod as the heroine. Others in the star cast playing pivotal roles are Rafi, Aju Varghese, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Srinda Arhaan, Kailash and Kochu Preman. Further, we hear that the Professor Dinkan team had initially planned it as a comedy entertainer but have reworked on the script since to ensure that it turns out to be family entertainer.

MollywoodDirector Venu doesn't bother giving us the usual crutches for justifying a character's avarice. Sowmya Rajendran'These are called Mareechan, you know, like in the Ramayana', says Pilla chettan (Kochu Preman), pointing to a herd of spotted deer, as his visitors stand spell-bound. That's how myth, legend, and rumour blend seamlessly with reality in Venu's Carbon. And Fahadh plays the dreamer, Sibi Sebastian, who is forever looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. He doesn't want the ashes any more, he wants the diamonds. It's hard to place Carbon within one genre. The film begins with a note of mystery. Sibi has gone missing and he's believed to have a valuable stone, a maragatham in his possession. Has he been kidnapped? Murdered? Is the stone magical? Turns out, it's the first of Sibi's many attempts to make a fortune. When it fails, he goes on an anti-capitalist rant, lecturing his friend (Sharafudheen) on how one first needs money to make more money. Venu takes his time to get us to the leap of faith that Sibi must make to get what he wants. But all of these little episodes that come prior to this great journey tell us more about the man and his motives. The narrative flirts with magical realism in the first half (the episode with Soubin as the mahout is pretty creepy) but convinces us that these instances are merely dreams or a figment of Sibi's imagination. However, as the film progresses, we're sucked into a world where it's hard to decide what's fantasy and what is not. The perspective shifts from looking at Sibi to looking from within Sibi, as if we've consumed some 'magic' mushrooms along with him, too. There's a nice balancing of beliefs within this framework. When Sibi laughs at Kannan, a tribal boy's (Chethan Jayalal) fear of what lies in a part of the jungle his ancestors have warned him about, Stalin (a superb Manikandan) points out that Sibi's belief in rahu kalam is no less irrational. Sibi is the educated guy who chucks plastic bottles in the forest, Kannan is the sort who leaves behind some eggs in the bird nest while he takes out a few for a meal. You don't get the luxury of dismissing anyone's perspective or stories and so, the plot keeps us on the edge with the possibility that anything could be true. Perhaps the weakest link in the journey is Mamta Mohandas's character - Sameera. She remains under-explored and we don't really know much about her other than the fact that she's a "jungle junkie". Sameera also looks a bit too squeaky clean and made-up for a woman who's spent a few days in a dense jungle. Fahadh is brilliant as the ambitious Sibi, shifting from the comic (the scene when he explains a grand plan to import cycles from China to Dileesh Pothan is a delight) to the fearful. His eyes growing increasingly desperate, you root for his foolhardy plan though Venu doesn't bother giving us the usual crutches for justifying a character's avarice - there is a sister but she isn't waiting to be married off, there is a mother and though she falls sick, it's not cancer, the father isn't impoverished and is capable of paying off Sibi's debts. Many of the scenes are shot in the dark. Sometimes, you wish there was a bit more light so you can see everything clearly but this is deliberate - you are not supposed to catch every expression on the faces, every rustle in the bush. Pilla chettan, the caretaker, looks harmless in the day but provides us the jumps at night. Ku Mohanan's camera gives us an immersive experience of the jungle, sometimes taking our breath away with its beauty and sometimes striking fear in our hearts. There is patience in how the story is shown rather than told - a forest squirrel munches on fruits merrily from a tree, as a hungry Sibi watches in part-frustration, part-fascination. There is no dialogue but you feel taunted, just as Sibi does. The background score stays subtle and doesn't overpower the frames, playing up the suspense intelligently when needed. The ending seemed sudden to me. I wasn't expecting the discovery that Sibi makes to come so quickly. But that's only if you look at it solely from the plane of reality. The last sequence suggests a rebirth - Sibi is almost defeated but with water, comes life, once again. Carbon is rich in its layers and symbols. From the current generation of Malayalam male actors, it's probably only Fahadh who could have pulled off Sibi so convincingly. And it's riding on his tremendous performance that Carbon sparkles. Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Neither Tnm nor any of its reviewers have any sort of business relationship with the film's producers or any other members of its cast and crew.

MollywoodVishal Bhardwaj is the composer for the Fahadh starrer 'Carbon'.Digital NativeDigital NativeMusic composer Vishal Bhardwaj, one of the most celebrated music composers in Bollywood, made his debut in the Malayalam film industry with the Manju Warrier starrer Daya in 1998. And 20 years later, he is back with the movie Carbon. Incidentally, Daya and Carbon were both directed by Venu. During the trailer launch of Carbon, which happened recently, Vishal Bhardwaj, in an interview to the Deccan Chronicle said that working in Malayalam movies is a challenge in itself. He is reported to have said,“It becomes very challenging, at the same time it is also very exciting. You come to know the meaning of the song from the lyricist or the director, but it still remains a phonetic sound for me. It is a very interesting exercise.” On working with director Venu, he said that both of them are aesthetically on the same wavelength which makes it much easier for them, adding that they are good friends as well. Venu makes his return to the director's chair after a gap. His last Mollywood outing was the Mammootty starrer, Munnariyippu, in 2014, which was hailed by the critics for its razor-sharp portrayal of crime and punishment. Carbon stars Fahadh Faasil and Mamta Mohandas in the lead roles with Dileesh Pothan, Nedumudi Venu and Soubin Shahir playing pivotal characters. Others in the star cast also include Ashokan, Lena, Vijayaraghavan, Kochu Preman and Chetan Lal. The technical crew of the film includes Ku Mohanan for cinematography and Beena Paul for editing. The recently released trailer of Carbon was well received by the audience .The shooting of this flick began around August last year and has been wrapped up. With the post production happening at full swing, Carbon is expected to hit the silver screens on March 10th. Touted to be a forest adventure, the film is set in the backdrop of a forest where a major portion of the film was shot. In the movie, Mamta Mohandas will be seen in the role of an uptown woman opposite Fahadh who is a village man. Carbon has been produced by Sibi Thottapuram and Navis Xaviour under the banner of Poetry Film House.

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 4: Nandu is set to make his directorial debut with "Thekotthu Thekkoru Desathu".

The film, produced by Sudhakaran Thaikandiyil, features Salim Kumar, M.R. Gopa Kumar, Kozhikode Narayanan Nair, Kochu Preman, Indrans, Appunni Sasi, Vijayan V. Nair, Chembil Asokan, Prakash Payyanakkal, Sruthi Hariharan and Karthika, among others.

While M.K. Ravi Varma has penned the script, Aiyappan takes on the job of cinematographer for "Thekotthu Thekkoru Desathu".

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Mamas's next film titled 'Bio Data'

After "Cinema Company", director Mamas is set to wield the megaphone for "Bio Data" that will have.

Chennai, Oct 16: A pooja was performed for Snopa Alex's upcoming women-oriented film "Vilappilsala" that shows how city-waste is being dumped in villages and spreading diseases.

Former minister P.K. Sreemathy lit the lamp at the ceremony at a hotel in Thiruvananthapuram.

The film shows how people living in a particular area suffer from various diseases and face other health hazards due to dumping of city's waste in the area.

The cast of "Vilappilsala" includes actors Madhu, Sai Kumar, Kochu Preman, Lakshmi Sarma, Sukumari,.