• “Pranchiyettan and the Saint” is, I believe, director Ranjit giving the finger to those who had labeled him a “Hinduvta” director after a series of movies such as Devasuram, Ravanaprabhu, Nandanam, Prajapathy etc.
• There have been several movies based on the Kottayam Christian milieu; however movies set in Thrissur are rare. Other than Padmarajan’s Thoovanathumbikal, I can remember no other movie that has used the town and its slang as an important facet in the movie.
• It is refreshing that the movie has no “villains”. Siddhique is portrayed as Pranchi’s main rival, but Ranjit has resisted the temptation of having either the hero or villain import a dozen ruffians from several different places, and indulge in an outlandish fight sequence.
• The whole bit about hints around the hypocritical lives lead by Siddhique and Khushboo was uncalled for – a cheap shot, really. Could Pranchi not find his happiness even as his childhood sweetheart and her husband lived happily too?
• The whole speech sequence was awesome. It reminded me a bit of the iconic “balatkaar” sequence from “3 Idiots”; but the one in “Pranchiyettan…” was more about the fear of public speaking.
• The whole concept of “Padmashree-chasing” was a riot. Ranjit clearly has a ball here, with digs at all and sundry.
• Jagathy could have been avoided. He added absolutely nothing to the movie, and did nothing new (other than demonstrate a few Yoga poses) either.
• Finally, what does one say of Mammootty? This amazing performance is most un-Mammootty-like; in fact it is almost Mohanlal-esque, except for the spotless Thrissur slang (which I think Mohanlal could not have quite managed). We all know that Mammootty excels in statuesque roles, but to see him excel as the self-deprecating Pranchi reminds us that the veteran still has unexplored depths. More innovative scripts please!

August 1 , which got released in the late eighties was based on 1971 novel, The Day of the Jackal, by English writer Frederick Forsyth. 23 years later, S.N.Swamy and M.Mani(the producer of August 1)have come up with it’s sequel tilted August 15.Mammooty reprises the role of Perumal, (who was the DySP, CB-CID 23 years ago)in this sequel directed by Shaji Kailas.

The plot and the characters:V.G(Nedumudi Venu) is the C.M. of the state of Kerala. He is in loggerheads with the secretary of the party(Saikumar). The lottery,Sand mafias want the C.M. to be killed. So they hire an Assassin(Siddique)to get their job done. What happens next is what August 15 is all about.

Mammootty as Perumal: Mammootty is Perumal,the CBCID . Perumal looks good, rides a Royal Enfield, attends calls in his mobile,walks in slo-mo with a peculiar gait and a loud BGM playing behind, teases his superior officer Peter Zachariah(played brilliantly by Lalu Alex)to kill his time, plays with Photoshop and even cracks funny dialogues like this through his mobile phone(which rings with a ‘Nokia tune’ all the time!)

Perumal: (to someone called Ammini George)-Hello, Ormayundo ee mukham?.
Ammini: Pinnillathe,Engane marakkananu!

Siddique as the killer: Siddique,who is a really talented actor is wasted in this poorly written role . A cat and mouse game between the assassin and Perumal was what we had expected from this movie, but sadly there is nothing of that sort here. Siddique repeats his ‘Bada Dhosth’ act here also.

Loop Holes galore:  Siddique,the assassin gives an anonymous call to all the leading newspapers and the visual media.Alas,the content of what he told them is the headline of all the newspapers,the next day!  The doctors who are treating the C.M, the private secretary to the C.M and a couple of other insignificant people are always a part of the super confidential meetings called by Perumal and co to find out the killer!  The super intelligent Perumal browses the poison page in our good old wiki and finds out the toxic substance that the killer has supposedly used to harm the C.M.!

The Best Scene:  The confrontation scene between Perumal and the ADGP Peter Zachariah (at Peter’s office) . This one is a pretty hilarious scene, thanks to the brilliant actor Lalu Alex. As Peter Zachariah,he is a real treat to watch and is unarguably the only saving grace in this otherwise dumb movie. The scene at the Party secretary’s house involving Perumal, Peter and the secretary(Saikumar dressed up like the CPI(M) secretary,Pinarayi Vijayan)is also a cracker.

Meghna Raj and Swetha Menon– The 2 main female characters in the movie have less than ten minutes of screen time in the whole movie. They blabber something and fade into the oblivion.

Background score – The re recording is competent. It serves the purpose of waking up the few who have already gone into deep slumber.

Good Acting:  Lalu alex as the ADGP is the only good thing about this movie. With his impeccable comic timing,he steals the show.

Shaji Kailas’ direction:  Nothing worth writing about. There are a lot of weird shots in the movie. Multiple extreme close up shots of tea being poured into the tumbler are included in this movie, the reasons for their inclusion is known only to the director, I guess.

What went wrong: S.N.Swamy repeats the same mistakes which he made in Sagar Alias Jackey, Baba Kaliyani, Positive, Rahasya Police. The Perumal in August 15 is only an extension of the character played by Mohanlal in Baba Kaliyani. The styling, body language et al are repetitive and even reminded the iconic ‘Sethuramayyar’ at places. The story is exactly the same as that of August 1.To spice up the proceedings a bit,the recent clash within the CPI(M) is also dealt with topically but the treatment and the writing is so bland that it fails to become even remotely interesting. Nothing much happens in the first half. But the most terrible thing with the script is that the mission, the assassin, the motive, the conspirators, the method and almost everything else get revealed way too early(within the first fifteen minutes to be exact)leaving behind Perumal nothing much to do for the next 2 hours or so. So we can’t really blame him for walking in slo-mo and mouthing silly dialogues, right?

The climax: Some 25 minutes before the climax we are made to believe that the assassin(Siddique) has a deadly plan to carry out on the 15 th of August, the Independence day. But even after the end credits started rolling, neither Perumal nor I had any clue about what S.N.Swamy was talking about. A badly choreographed action sequence shot in some C class theatre followed by the mandatory S.N.Swamy twist (which is the end result of the ‘inky -pinky-ponky’ game between the script writer and his characters)were what we had in store instead!

Verdict: Drona 2010, the Shaji Kailas directed M.Mani production with Mammootty in the lead role was a disaster .The gentleman he is, Mammootty gave dates to the producer M.Mani again so that he can make up for the losses incurred in his previous film, thus August 15 was born. We wish Drona 2010 had never happened.

Rating- 3/10(Stay away from this dud)

Reviewed by nikhimenon@gmail.com,nikhimenon.blogspot.com

We are telling this story because it depresses us when someone takes a beautiful song and does not visualize it beautifully. The amount of care directors like Lal Jose, Priyadarshan etc take in filming songs have to be appreciated. So it depressed us a lot to see the visuals of the song “Enthadee Enthadee Panamkiliye” from the film Shikkar.

Now having a two star system is a problem for an award committee. If it is the state which is giving the award, then it can get away by giving it to Prithviraj or any non-M&M actor. But when a entertainment conglomerate like Asianet gives awards, they cannot do that. They have to give it to both of them. But then only one person can be the best actor. So what to do about the other one.

Asianet-Ujala solved this E=mc2 problem is a novel way. While Mohanlal was the best actor, Mammotty was the actor of the Millennium. Millennium as you know is 1000 years and so Asianet in its infinite wisdom realized that Mammotty is the best actor in the past 1000 years. I am sure Asianet would have compared his performance with other legends like Muthu Pattar (Best Actor in 1025 AD), Veera Pandi (Best Actor from 1200 – 1255 AD) and Kaimal Kaimal, who won the best actor award from none other than Emperor Akbar.

How will next years award look like? Mohanlal is the best actor in Milky Way? Mammotty is the best actor since Big Bang?

Looks like the story  of Chattambinadu didn’t stray away too much from the usual formulaic potboilers we have seen in the near past.  But looks like the main protagonist, done by Mammootty, holds up the movie.

Berly comments:

RainMaker says the movie is Strictly Average:

The saving grace of the whole affair is Mammotty who is once again superb in using diction and dialect to perfection. Even though the ‘RajaManikyam’ hangover is obvious, Mammotty lifts an ordinary role to a notable one with his use of the diction and flexibility in presentation. The rest of the cast is ho-hum except for Suraj and Salim Kumar. Suraj’s antics are worth a few chuckles and Salim Kumar though looks jaded, manages to hold on with some one liners.

Direction is below par except for the handling of Mammootty’s character. Lekshmi Rai and Maithili are wasted while Vinu Mohan tries hard to replace Rehman in the RajaManikyam format. Music doesn’t have much to write about either.

NowRunning is not impressed:

Shafi has been a lucky director all this while. He has had it all, Megastar dates, rollicking scripts, and mostly super duper hits, except a sour Lollypop perhaps. But this time I would say he has stretched his chances beyond limits and blown it up into bits. For his latest Chattambinaadu, is nothing more than witless banter, cashing in on star power and little caring for anything else.

A Chattambi from Karnataka, Veerendra Mallayya (Mammootty) lands up in Chattambinaadu to buy a mansion, caring two hoots for the threats issued by Kattupalli Nagendran (Siddiq). The scuffle that ensues between the two is no ordinary one, since both of them have been the uncrowned kings of their respective provinces for long.

The winter entertainment needs you to keep your eyes far off the story though. The source material that it banks on cannot be attributed to any one particular film of the past. Rather, it’s a thorough mishmash of several potboilers that have had their day long back.

IndiaGlitz reviews:

For this Christmas, once again you have a movie plotted at a remote Tamil Nadu border, with all that colorful camera friendly costume worn dumb village people, two strong families at war for more than two decades, the entry of the hero to settle the war with some mysterious personal interests, the loud mouthed villain with that big moustache and another hundreds of regular features that you come across in almost all the hits of decade. Yes, this is an overall idea of ‘Chattambinaadu’- the new Mammootty movie in theatres, strictly made on the formula stuff with that very old wine story in another new bottle. What really makes a difference is the megastar adorning another sharply different look and slang for his protagonist character, who amuse, confuse and impress the viewers with dialogues that are more Kannada than Malayalam.

n a potpourri of recent hits from Rajamanickayam, to Madambi and Mayavi, the racy narratives and fast cuts has managed to hold the movie without any big harm atleast till interval. But the final hour becomes increasingly predictable, with not much fresh surprises in store. But it is the one-man show of Mammootty, the megastar who really shows how he can hold a movie with a regular lame storyline with his charismatic performances. Even with a regular singular white pajama- kurtha dress code, he is eminently handsome throughout, with his acting credentials once again coming to the fore. Watch out for the two sentimental scenes where he manages to impress everyone, even with heavy Kannada dialogues. Vinu Mohan as his trusted aide Murugan, is in another role that the youngster can treasure. Lakshmi Rai and Mythili manages through the characters they are in while others from Vijayaraghavan, Manoj K Jayan, Siddhique, Janardhanan and Co are all in their regular roles.

Sify.com reviews:

If your idea of a movie is some mindless entertainment at the cinemas and your favourite hero is Mammootty, then chances are that you may like this film.
Director Shafi has narrated a story which is a potpourri of films like Rajamanikyam, Prajapathi, Thommanum Makkalum and a few others of the similar kind, but certainly without much of the charm of any of these films, in the absence of a credible storyline!

How many times have we been taken to some curious land in the Tamil Nadu border, where the hero is the God for the rather dumb natives and he has a past that will be revealed only during the second half? Amidst confusions galore, the hero will have the whole village ready to die for him, except for the villain and his cronies who will pose some problems until the climax, some minutes before the end credits start rolling.

Mammootty looks eminently handsome in his trimmed moustache and neatly cut stubble. He wears a white kurta- pyjama, white shoes, dark sunglasses and a red tilak on his forehead that makes him quite an imposing figure. He talks in a peculiar accent and the actor has taken some nice efforts to give the character some real difference.

Renjith is on a roll, and 2009 seems to be good year for Malayalam cinema.  As per the reviews, what makes Palery Manikyam: Oru Pathirakkolapathakathinte Katha a winner is Mammootty, screenplay and direction. Movie got released in just 40 centers, which is half the number of usual super star guerrilla attack releases. We’ll have to wait for some more time to see if good cinema translates to good collections.

Vibe Talkies reviews:

On the whole, Palery Manikyam: Oru Pathirakkolapathakathinte Katha is a very intriguing watch. It might not be liked by the common mass audience. But for people who like watching interesting stories and ideas and good cinema, without the trappings of usual commercial cinema, this film would be very interesting. Ranjith is slowly turning into a new-age Padmarajan of sorts. He is trying bold, mature and interesting themes (Thirakkatha, Kaiyyoppu) and daring experiments (Kerala Cafe) and his storytelling skill is intact in this new movie also. The movie is not suitable for children as it handles an adult theme and has certain scenes which may not be suitable for children to watch, even though they are done very aesthetically and effectively. Mammootty gives some neat performances in his different roles. It is great to have the actor in him back through movies like Loudspeaker, Pazhassiraja and this one now after a series of duds. Ranjith has delivered a fine film with a minor hiccup in the climax (not that it was bad, just that it didnt come up to the standard set by the whole movie). The movie has taken a good opening and it was great to see all kinds of people, including a lot of ladies, watching the movie on second day.  With the help of some good marketing, this movie should end up being a success.

Berlytharangal says:

NowRunning.com reviews:

Palery Manickyam could easily boast of its remarkable cast that has none of the big names in business, barring a few. The film brings to the forefront a bevy of real talented actors from theatre, and resourcefully draws out astonishing performances from all of them. Leading this cast is none other than Mammootty himself who puts in a hypnotic act as Ahmed Haji, yet another pitch perfect feat from the actor this year. Equally proficient is the incomparable Shwetha Menon who is gradually carving a niche for herself with daring performances in markedly different films.

Ranjith’s Manickyam is a rarity of a film that exceeds expectations and offers a psychedelic high for the viewer. There would be no surprise if it ignites some sort of a controversy for the boldness that it displays. For the discerning viewer though, this might perhaps be one of the best films to have come out this year.

I would refuse to attribute the art house flavour to it. Rather, it’s an uncompromising film that grabs you by your throat and simply refuses to let go.

Sify.com comments:

It is with absolute awe that one would come out of the theatres, especially for Ranjith, who has made perhaps one of the finest films in Malayalam history, based on Rajeevan’s brilliant novel. There are flaws and scope for further improvement for sure, but the writer-director’s ability to handle such an intricate tale needs to be appreciated wholeheartedly.

With a spectacular performance that can leave you spellbound, Mammootty underlines why he is easily regarded among the best actors in the country. His charisma, screen presence and style give an altogether different meaning to the characters and his portrayal of Ahmed Haji will remain as one of the best to have happened in Malayalam films, ever.

Rediff.com

Very rarely does a film satisfy our expectations. But director Ranjith’s latest Malayalam film Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathira Kolapathakathinte Katha does.

The film is near perfect with minor ignorable blemishes. It is based on T P Rajeevan’s novel of the same name. It tells the story of a private detective, who returns to his birthplace to solve a murder mystery that occurred on the same night he was born.

Dectective Haridas (Mammootty) takes up a case just to satisfy his curiosity, not to find or punish the culprit, as all the suspects in the case are dead. His purpose, which seems vague in the beginning, achieves clarity only halfway through the story.

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Wait was worth! For Malayalam cinema, it’s history in making – literally. The forgotten story of a prince, barely mentioned in our history books comes alive through the brilliant writing of MT, the majestic acting of Mammotty and direction of Hariharan. We hope that the producer recovers his investment.

Nikhil writes:

The movie portrays some of the revolts which the Company collectively called the Pychy(Pazhassi/Cotiote) Revolts. These revolts were against the unscrupulous and commercial administration of the company. The siege and the loot of Pazhassi Kovilakom by the company threw Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja(Mammootty)and his wife into a life in exile. Pazhassi Rajah’s ability to mobilize Kurichyar (tribals) and Muslims against the company goes on in the background. Every scene is so meticulously shot and the flow so smooth that you would fail to realize that the movie is 200 minute long.We should be thankful to Venu and Ramanath Shetty  for the gifting a visual treat. The battle scenes look stunning and captivates your eyes,ears and mind. Resul Pookkutty’s sound recording makes you ask if an SDM can get him an Oscar,what will he win for PR?

Mammootty does not portray a larger than life character but handles the character soberly,with finesse and perfection. More than Mammooty,I liked Sharat Kumar in the movie. He was very much apt for the role of Edachena Kungan,the army commander. His physique and histrionic skills leave him hand in glove with the role. It was his influence that brought in Thalakkal Chanthu(Leader of the Kurichyar tribe)(Manoj K Jayan)and the tribals into Pazhassi’s fold. The guerrilla war scenes involving Neeli(Padmapriya)(Chanthu’s fiancee), Thalakkal Chanthu are splendidly executed.

Ratheesh Comments:

Leading a period film like Pazhassi Raja, on a vast canvas with numerous stars and supporting cast and technicians, might have been an extremely strenuous task; I suppose Pazhassi Raja might have required much more project management skills from director Hariharan than any other Malayalam movie made before. And he has to be appreciated for the end product. Frames of Pazhassi Raja are a beauty to watch. There is a scene in the film where we see the interior walls of a palace with beautiful murals painted on it (I guess they were made specially for the movie), and the sunlight reflecting from a small pond creating interesting patterns on the walls. The British have come to capture Pazhassi Raja from his palace, and we know the scene is not going to be a very peaceful one; but it is the beauty of the visuals that attracted my attention even in scenes like this. Hariharan, along with his art director and photographer, has taken great pains to make this visual splendor consistent throughout the movie. Another area to worth mention is the appearance and performances of all the lead actors. It was amazing to see Mammootty, who might be in his mid fifties, playing the main role and looking just like the warrior prince of our imagination, as if coming straight out of a painting in almost every scene.

sify.com says:

Hariharan and MT Vasudevan Nair have proved their brilliance when they team up several times before and once again, they underline their eminence, with a genuine effort. The technical aspects like Ramanath Shetty’s cinematography, Ravi Dewan’s action, Resul Pookkutty’s sound and Sreekar Prasad’s editing have also succeeded in taking to a different level.

Yes, there are aspects which one feels could have been better,like Ilayaraja’s music but the film as a whole is good enough that makes us forget those flaws. Critics might say that the film has taken some cinematic liberties and in fact it does but on the whole it is engaging and entertaining.

Gems like these happen only once in a while and when it does, never give it a miss. Two big thumbs up for this masterpiece of our times!

Rediff comments:

M T Vasudevan Nair’s script has lots of cinematic moments that give scope to use Mamootty’s megastar image to good use as a person who uses the capability of people from different sections of society to fight the foreign intruders.

Pazhassi who has been termed as revolutionary by the British uses techniques of guerrilla warfare against them. For this he avails the expertise of tribals lead by Thalakkal Chanthu (Manoj K Jayan). There are other people also who unflinchingly support him like Edachena Kunkan (Sarath Kumar), who is his commander-in-chief.

This film is technically several notches above the standard fare offered in Malayalam cinema. It would not be an exaggeration if we say that it is comparable to the best in Indian cinema.

The camera work by Venu and Ramanath Shetty give the film a sleek look. The action sequences remind us of the internationally acclaimed Chinese martial art movies of recent times like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero.

Mamootty may be the hero of this film but, he does not hog the limelight. There is ample scope for other stars like Sarath Kumar and even Manoj K Jayan to exhibit their histrionic skills and use their star aura.

berlytharangal says

According to NowRunning.com:

Hariharan’s film is truly a masterpiece in that it has the manner, matter and mood of a monumental epic, in the finest sense of the word. This is no ordinary film that tells the story of a hero; rather, it’s a stellar celluloid piece that vividly recaptures every moment in history, never for a moment losing out on the human drama, never compromising on its immense scope or scale, never ever letting go of its elaborate craft and detail.

The film is full of invigorating battle sequences that literally involve a mammoth cast of hundreds and hundreds of people. Magnificently staged, they feel real, and mounted on a giant-scale entertainment canvas, this is perhaps the first time ever that a Malayalam film awes you on account of its visual brilliance. There are any number of spectacular sequences here that would surprise you on account of their visceral energy.

The PFC review says:

Mammootty proves that he is indeed a director’s delight. He plays the Raja, who is supposed be in his fifties, with such gait and maturity that we are astounded at the resourcefulness of this actor. There are very few moments where he gets emotionally disturbed, very few words he speaks. Strikingly different from what we expect out of such an actor, who delivers fireworks most of the time. That, in fact, is why we love this medium, isn’t it? When such creative geniuses turning the table, and setting their own terms of engagement with the audience. A shot where Pazhassi watches from atop a hill, far away from the site of the battle, as the British barricades fortress explodes in the midst of dense green forest. Yes, Mammootty, MT and Hariharan declare, this is our interpretation of Pazhassi, leave yours at home.

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