2018 (film)

2018
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Jude Anthany Joseph
Written by	Jude Anthany Joseph Akhil P. Dharmajan
Produced by	Venu Kunnappilly C. K. Padma Kumar Anto Joseph
Starring	Tovino Thomas Kunchacko Boban Asif Ali Vineeth Sreenivasan Lal Narain
Cinematography	Akhil George
Edited by	Chaman Chakko
Music by	Nobin Paul William Francis
Production companies	Kavya Film Company PK Prime Production
Distributed by	Kavya Film Company
Release date	5 May 2023 (2023-05-05)
Running time	154 minutes
Country	India
Language	Malayalam
Box office	est. ₹180 crore

2018 (marketed as 2018: Everyone is a Hero) is an Indian Malayalam-language survival thriller film directed by Jude Anthany Joseph, who wrote the screenplay with Akhil P. Dharmajan. The film stars Tovino Thomas, Kunchacko Boban, Asif Ali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Lal and Narain with an ensemble supporting cast. The film was based on actual events during the 2018 Kerala floods.

It was initially set to release on 21 April 2023, only to get postponed to 5 May 2023.

The film grossed 100 crores after 11 days of release and also became the first Malayalam film to gross ₹170 crore. It is the present second-highest highest grossing Malayalam film of all-time and ninth-highest grossing Indian film in 2023.

Plot

Noora, a TV reporter is reporting on water scarcity in Pondicherry. Her car is hit and damaged by a truck driven by Sethupathi who was exporting explosives to Kerala.

Anoop, an ex-military man, is an assistant in the shop owned by Bhasi, a blind man. Manju, who worked in Delhi, joins the nearby school as a teacher. Anoop falls in love with Manju and they start dating.

Two fishermen, Mathachan and his son Winston, rescue three other fishermen who are stuck at sea in a thunderstorm.

Rameshan, an IT specialist in Abu Dhabi is not on good terms with his ill wife Anupama, but he leaves work to be with her and his hospitalized mother.

Home Secretary, Shaji Punnoose broadcasts about the upcoming flood. Punnoose and his wife Serina invites Anoop and Manju for their housewarming party.

Nixon, Mathachan's younger son, dreams of becoming a model much to his parent's displeasure. He is in love with the daughter of Chandy, a wealthy businessman. Chandy is not comfortable with his daughter working at the flood relief camp. Winston's wife consoles Mathachan. Nixon goes to Kochi where he argues with Mathachan and Winston. Afterwards he goes to a friend's apartment.

Koshy, a taxi driver takes two tourists from Poland to Kuttanadu to show them the boat race, but it has been cancelled. The tourists suspect Koshy has cheated them and they take shelter in Anoop's house.

Rameshan's mother falls and is hospitalised, and he returns to Kerala to be with her. His flight lands in Coimbatore as the floods worsen. He takes a train which hits a landslide. He is unharmed and accepts a lift in Sethupathi's truck. Sethupathi overhears Rameshan talking to his mother on his phone, and their emotional conversation changes his mind and he dumps the explosives. Rameshan gives Sethupathi a toy for his daughter. Sethupathi goes to the relief camp and hands it over to his daughter and stays to help.

A pregnant lady goes into labour but is unable to get to hospital due to the flood. A helicopter flies over and Anoop lights torches to attract the pilot's attention, but it is too dangerous to land. Anoop contacts the pilot and helps the pregnant lady get to hospital. The village praises him; even Manju is impressed.

Mathachan and Winston head out to help people who are stuck in the flood. Chandy thanks them for saving his family. Mathachan is killed when the wall of a school collapses on him. Nixon and Winston are shattered by his death. Cleetus arrives to ask for help rescuing his brother Joseph. Winston and Nixon go with Cleetus. After a long search, they find the Joseph's house and save his family.

Shaji is shocked to hear of the destruction from the floods. His house has collapsed and he believes his family is dead. His workmates go with him to find his wife and daughter.

Nixon helps Chandy's daughter escape from her flooded house. She is distraught that she has to leave her merit certificates behind, so Nixon swims into her house to retrieve them.

Varghese's wife was feeding their autistic son Gundappi, when the floods hit. Gundappi is injured falling out of his bed. Anoop learns that Varghese and his family have not reached the relief camp and takes a boat and goes to their house, of which only the rooftop remains above water. Gundappi cries out and Anoop rescues him and his family. As they return to the camp, Anoop sees Bhasi fall into the water. While saving Bhasi, Anoop gets his foot stuck between two rocks and subsequently drowns.

Three months later, the floods have receded. The people have moved back into their homes. Shaji finds his wife and daughter in the hospital; Nixon and Winston return to fishing; Rameshan lives with his wife and mother. A memorial for Anoop is built in his village, and Bhasi is seen sitting idle under it. Manju mourns Anoop while Gundappi lays roses at his memorial.

Cast

• Tovino Thomas as Anoop, Ex-Army Officer
• Kunchacko Boban as Home Secretary Shaji Punnoose
• Asif Ali as Nixon, Mathachan's younger son
• Vineeth Sreenivasan as Rameson
• Lal as Mathachan
• Narain as Winston, Mathachan's elder son
• Sudheesh as Varghese
• Aju Varghese as Taxi Driver Koshy
• Kalaiyarasan as Sethupathy
• Harikrishnan as Alex, Anoop's Friend and Chandy's Son
• Aparna Balamurali as Noora, T.V Reporter
• Tanvi Ram as Manju, Anoop's Love Interest
• Sshivada as Serina, Shaji's Wife
• Gauthami Nair as Anupama, Rameshan's Wife
• Siddique as Noora's Father
• Renji Panicker as Anu's Father
• Janardhanan as Chief Minister
• Indrans as Bhasi
• Jaffar Idukki as Aravindan, Manju's Father
• Devanandha as Shaji's daughter
• Vinitha Koshy as Pregnant Lady
• Vriddhi Vishal as Pregnant Lady's daughter
• Gilu Joseph as Jiji
• Joy Mathew as Chandy
• Sreejith Ravi as Anoop's Friend
• G. Suresh Kumar as Anoop's Father
• Jayakrishnan as District Collector
• Krishna as Sub Collector
• Jayakumar as Ravi
• S. P. Sreekumar as Joseph
• Rony David as Cleetus, Joseph's Brother
• Kalabhavan Haneef as Dam Operator Karunan
• Pauly Valsan as Police Constable
• Shebin Benson as Nahas
• Shobha Mohan as Rameshan's Mother
• Sreeja Ravi as Anoop's Mother
• Boban Samuel as Police Officer
• Santhakumari as Villager
• Pranav Binu as Undappi

Production

The film was officially announced in September 2018 with the initial title 2403 Ft.: The Story Of Unexpected Heroes, which was later changed to the current title.

Filming

Principal photography started on 27 May 2022. Locations span across different parts of Thrissur, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Idukki, and Kollam districts. Thirunelveli and Hyderabad were significant locations outside Kerala. The major shooting was done in a 15-acre film set situated in Vaikom. Filming completed on 12 November 2022. The flood sequences were shot entirely using practical effects.

Reception

Critical response

Gopika Is of the Times of india gave the film 4 stars out of 5 and wrote "The quality of the writing shows and Akhil P Dharmajan and Jude has done a commendable job. Cinematography by Akhil George needs special mention. Add Chaman Chacko's editing and quality VFX, the movie is a good watch." Anna MM Vetticad of Firstpost rated the filme 2.5 out of 5 stars, stating that "This is definitely not the sort of film that has the intellect to treat with empathy a man’s desire to rise above his family’s station in life even while judging him for being judgmental towards them".

Anandu Suresh of IndianExpress.com gave the film 4 stars out of 5 and wrote "The makers quickly establish that rain is a pervasive and influential character in the movie". S.R.Praveen, film critic of The Hindu noted that "Jude Anthany Joseph’s technically solid recreation of the floods is a message of unity too". Onmanorama's reviewer wrote that "Everyone is a Hero' is a well-balanced film that will leave you satisfied, and keep you engaged till the end".

External links

• 2018 at IMDb