Ennum Eppozhum
| Ennum Eppozhum | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Sathyan Anthikad |
| Screenplay by | Ranjan Pramod |
| Story by | Raveendran |
| Produced by | Antony Perumbavoor |
| Starring | Mohanlal Manju Warrier Innocent Lena Reenu Mathews Jacob Gregory |
| Cinematography | Neil D'Cunha |
| Edited by | K. Rajagopal |
| Music by | Vidyasagar |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Maxlab Entertainments (Kerala) Four Brother's Release (India) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 147 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
Ennum Eppozhum (Malayalam:എന്നും എപ്പോഴും) (English: Forever Always), is a 2015 Malayalam comedy family drama film directed by Sathyan Anthikad and produced by Antony Perumbavoor under the banner of Aashirvad Cinemas.[1] It stars Mohanlal, Manju Warrier, Innocent, Reenu Mathews, Jacob Gregory, Lena Abhilash and Renji Panicker in the main roles.[2] It is written by Ranjan Pramod based on a story by actor Raveendran. Mohanlal and Manju Warrier are acting together after a gap of 17 years since Kanmadam and Summer in Bethlehem which were released in 1998.[3]
The film was released all over India on March 27, 2015 and met with positive reviews from audience and mixed reviews from critics.[4] The film became one of the first two major success films of 2015 in Malayalam cinema.[5]
Premise
Ennum Eppozhum tells the story of two people - Vineeth N Pillai (Mohanlal) the senior reporter of Vanitharatnam magazine, who lacks commitment to his work and Deepa (Manju Warrier), a family court lawyer; she is always eager to do something for the society. Vineeth is holding on to this job due to his mother's rapport with the magazine management.[6] Vineeth's new boss Kalyani (Reenu Mathews) wants to throw out Vineeth from his position due to his negligence in duty. He has to interview Deepa as part of his profession. But he cannot get an appointment with her due to her busy schedule as a lawyer and her social commitments. If Vineeth is not able to make the interview happen within the allotted period of time, he will lose his job. The resulting events are narrated in the film.
Cast
- Mohanlal as Vineeth N. Pillai / Vineethan Pillai , a bored senior correspondent of women's magazine Vanitharathnam.
- Manju Warrier as Adv. Deepa, a social activist lawyer who has a strong perception towards life.
- Innocent as Kariachan, a retired postmaster who is a neighbour to Adv. Deepa.
- Lena Abhilash as Farah, a close friend of Deepa and a boutique owner.
- Reenu Mathews as Kalyani, newly appointed editor in chief of Vanitharathnam, who shares negative vibes with Vineeth.
- Jacob Gregory as Maathan, the dim witted photographer who accompanies Vineeth in his assignment.
- Minon as Ganapathy
- Renji Panicker as CEO of GM Builders.
- Usha S Karunagapally as Rosy, Kariachan's wife, who was worked in a radio station.
- Baby Adhvaitha as Miya, Deepa's 7 year old daughter
- Kalpana as Bindhu, a ward member.
- Santhosh Keezhaattoor
- Dileesh Pothen
- Sreekutty Ramesh as Dr. Usha
- Kozhikode Sarada
- Disney as Vytila Byju
- Ajith
- Babu Anoor as Peon
- Baiju VK as Advocate
- Antony as Senior Advocate of Deepa
- Kochouseph Chittilappilly as Himself
Production
Development
Sathyan Anthikad announced that his next film after Oru Indian Pranayakadha will be a Mohanlal starrer for Aashirvad Cinemas. Mohanlal & Sathyan Anthikad joined hands for Rasathanthram (2006) after a gap of 12 years. Their previous movie was Pingami (1994). Antony Perumbavoor has been the producer of all Sathyan Anthikad-Mohanlal movies since Rasathanthram which includes Innathe Chintha Vishayam (2008) & Snehaveedu (2011)[7] Initially it was rumoured to be the comeback of Sathyan Anthikad-Sreenivasan-Mohanlal team. Sathyan later denied the reports and claimed that he is planning a different project for Aashirvad Cinemas even though a project with Sreenivasan is also in pipeline.[8] Sathyan Anthikkad and Joshiy are the only survivors who maintained consistency in the Malayalam film industry which has discarded all its 1970 and 80’s directors.[9]
After Snehaveedu, Sathyan made it clear that he will not be again writing scripts for his own films. Since 2006, he has been writing his own scripts, which led to criticism that he has been rehashing his earlier hits.[9] In March, Sathyan Anthikad announced that Ranjan Pramod will be scripting the film based on actor, Raveendran's story. This will be the third film for Sathyan by Ranjan after Manassinakkare (2003) and Achuvinte Amma (2005). Ranjan has earlier scripted Mohanlal starrers, Naran (2005) and Photographer (2006) (which marked his directorial debut). Sameer Thahir was initially announced as the cinematographer, who was later replaced by Neil D'Cunha of Philips and the Monkey Pen (2013) fame. Vidyasagar & Rafeeq Ahammed returns for Sathyan Anthikad after Oru Indian Pranayakadha.
Writng the script Ranjan said "It is a challenge for any writer to pen a script to accommodate two brilliant actors like Mohanlal and Manju with such huge fan-followings." It was Antony Perumbavoor who called Ranjan to script the film. Earlier, Aashirvad Cinemas, had an agreement with Ranjan to make a film with Manju, which did not materialise. So Antony asked him whether he would be able to write a script for her and Mohanlal. So Ranjan had to postpone a film that he was planning to direct for scripting the film.[10]
Casting
In August, Manju Warrier was confirmed to play the female lead, Adv. Deepa. Manju Warrier was supposedly make her comeback through Mohanlal-Ranjith film for Aashirvad which got shelved in pre-production stage.[7] Reenu Mathews was roped in to play the role of Kalyani. This is her first film with Mohanlal after working with Mammootty & Prithviraj Sukumaran. She joined the sets in second schedule on January.[11] Innocent plays the role of Kariachan, a retired postmaster while Lena plays Deepa's best friend cum boutique owner, Farah. Jacob Gregory of ABCD: American-Born Confused Desi (2013) fame plays the role of videographer, Maathan who assists Vineeth in his assignments.[12] Drama artiste, Usha S Karunagapally plays the role of Kariachan's wife Rosy, a radio announcer while Baby Adhwika was chosen for the role of Deepa's daughter, Miya.
Filming
The filming commenced on November 1, 2014 at Kochi.[13] The film took a schedule break on November 15 when Mohanlal went for his Antarctica trip along with his family.[14][15] The second schedule commenced on December 4. By the end of January 2015, the shooting got completed and entered into post production stage.[16] The makers officially announced the title, Ennum Eppozhum on February 8, Sathyan Anthikkad is known for naming his films only in the post-production stage or during its filming.[17][18]
Release
The film released on March 27, 2015 in 215 centers all over India (89 centers in Kerala), making it the biggest release for a Sathyan Anthikad cinema.[19] MAS Film and Entertainment distributed the film in Europe, while ACHU & ACHU'S Creations in Australia and New Zealand, Singapore Coliseum in Singapore and Celluloid Japan in Japan.
Marketing
The first look poster was released by Mohanlal and Manju Warrier through their official facebook pages on February 20, 2015. The poster featured Mohanlal & Manju Warrier having conversation on a bench.[20] A 35 second teaser was released in youtube on February 26. The teaser contained a light hearted moment where Vineeth comes in search of Adv. Deepa at her house and features a funny conversation between Vineeth and a Hindi speaking gurkha. The Hindi conversation was a nostalgic reminder of Sathyan Anthikad's Mohanlal starrer classic Gandhinagar 2nd Street. The teaser was gone viral within seconds of its release.[21] Another 35 second teaser was released on March 4, which introduced the various images of Manju Warrier's character, Adv. Deepa and focusing more on her boldness and strong perception towards life.[22]
The official website was launched on March 14, 2015.[23] The trailer was released on March 19, 2015 which indicated the film to be a typical Sathyan Anthikad light hearted cine experience.
Censoring
The film undergone censoring on March 19, 2015. As expected the film attained a "U" certificate with a running time of 2 hours 27 minutes. The censor board suggested the film to be a clean family entertainer. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) passed the film uncut and awarded a 12A certificate in Europe.[24]
Reception
Critical Response
The film mostly received generally positive to mixed reviews.[4][25]
Malayala Manorama rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and said "The highlight of the film is its director-actors combo". "Ennum Eppozhum is for you, if you belong to that set of people who believe that films should be as light as possible since life is unbearably heavy".[26] Gulf News wrote "Ennum Eppozhum is a clean family drama. Ennum Eppozhum makes no lofty pretensions but narrates a simple story that could be yours, or your neighbour’s or maybe the woman up the alley".[27] The Hindu stated, "Ennum Eppozhum is a family drama that sans the drama. Ennum Eppozhum is buoyed by its star cast and a host of light moments though not particularly funny. Its romance is subtly treated, making one feel it may last ‘forever, always.’.[28]
Box office
Ennum Eppozhum opened well at the box office[29] According to the Film Producers Association of Kerala, Ennum Eppozhum and Oru Vadakkan Selfie are the first successful films of Malayalam cinema in 2015. It was added that the film "would break even and certainly bring profits to the producer", while declaring it as a "hit".[30] However, Suresh Shenoy stated that the Vishu festival season of 2015 had "turned out to be a dampener except for the continuing rush for Oru Vadakkan Selfie".[31]
Soundtrack
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
The film features a soundtrack composed by Vidyasagar with lyrics penned by Rafeeq Ahammed. The audio rights of the film were purchased by Satyam Music. The full album was released on 15 March 2015 and received hugely positive response from critics as well as audience.
| Track | Song | Artist(s) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Malarvaka Kombathu" | P. Jayachandran, Rajalakshmy | 4:48 |
| 2 | "Nilavum Mayunnnu" | K. S. Harishankar | 4:19 |
| 3 | "Dhithiki Dhithiki" | Binni Krishnakumar | 4:32 |
| 4 | "Pularipoo Penne" | Vijay Yesudas | 3:58 |
References
- ^ "Mohanlal-Manju-Sathyan movie 'Ennum Eppozhum'". Mathrubhumi. 8 February 2015.
- ^ "Cast and Crew". Filmibeat.com.
- ^ P. K. Ajith Kumar (6 August 2014). "Mohanlal, Manju to team up". The Hindu.
- ^ a b "'Ennum Eppozhum' Review: Live Audience Response". IBTimes.
- ^ G. KRISHNAKUMAR (5 April 2015). "Selfie clicks, becomes year's first super-hit".
- ^ Ennum Eppozhum fdfs Review and box office analysis, 27 March 2015
- ^ a b Bangalore Mirror Bureau (6 August 2014). "Manju Warrier's next with Mohanlal". Bangalore Mirror.
- ^ Raj Vikram (27 February 2014). "No Mohanlal Manju Warrier movie says Sathyan Anthikkad". Metro Matinee.
- ^ a b Moviebuzz (31 October 2011). "Sathyan to go for another scriptwriter". Sify.com. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- ^ P. K. Ajith Kumar (6 August 2014). "Mohanlal, Manju to team up". The Hindu.
- ^ Nicy V. P (9 January 2015). "Reenu Mathews Joins Mohanlal on the Sets of Sathyan Anthikkad Movie". International Business Times.
- ^ indiaglitz (10 January 2015). "Mohanlal - Gregory team in Sathyan Anthikkad film". indiaglitz.com.
- ^ NR (1 November 2014). "Satyan Anthikkad-Mohanlal-Manju Warier film to start shoot on Kerala Day". nowrunning.com.
- ^ SJ (21 November 2014). "Mohanlal takes a break for a trip to Antarctica". nowrunning.com.
- ^ moviebuzz (10 November 2014). "Mohanlal is ready for his trip to Antarctica". Sify.com. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- ^ moviebuzz (30 January 2015). "Dileep and Manju Warrier go ahead with divorce proceedings". Sify.com. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- ^ Correspondent (9 February 2015). "Sathyan Anthikkad's Mohanlal-Manju movie gets its title". Manoramaonline.com. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
{{cite news}}:|author=has generic name (help) - ^ Mathrubhumi (8 February 2015). "Mohanlal-Manju-Sathyan movie 'Ennum Eppozhum'". Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- ^ indiaglitz (19 February 2015). "Ennum Eppozhum for March 27". indiaglitz.com. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
- ^ "First look poster of Manju's Ennum Eppozhum'". The Times of India. 21 February 2015.
- ^ Online Desk (27 February 2015). "Mohanlal makes us laugh in 'Ennum Eppozhum' teaser". Manoramaonline.com.
- ^ Nicy V. P (4 March 2015). "Watch 'Ennum Eppozhum' Second Teaser: Manju Warrier is Mother, Dancer, Lawyer in Upcoming Film [VIDEO]". International Business Times. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
- ^ "Ennum Eppozhum". Ennumeppozhumthemovie.com.
- ^ "ENNUM EPPOZHUM (2014)". BBFC.co.uk.
- ^ "Ennum Eppozhum Audience Reviewurl=http://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/news/2015/ennum-eppozhum-audience-review-178177.html". Filmibeat.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|url=(help) - ^ G. Ragesh (27 March 2015). "Always, for fans and families". Malayala Manorama.
- ^ Mythili Ramachandran (8 April 2015). "Review: 'Ennum Eppozhum' a clean family drama". Gulf News.
- ^ Rasmi Binoy (3 April 2015). "Ennum Eppozhum: A family drama sans the drama". The Hindu.
- ^ Nicy V.P (28 March 2015). "Malayalam Box Office Collection: 'Oru Vadakkan Selfie', 'Ennum Eppozhum' Gets Grand Start, '100 Days of Love' Continues Good Run in Theatres".
- ^ G. KRISHNAKUMAR (5 April 2015). "Selfie clicks, becomes year's first super-hit".
- ^ G. Krishnakumar (2 April 2015). "It's father versus son at box office this weekend".