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Melvilasom

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Melvilasom
Theatrical poster
Directed byMadhav Ramadasan
Screenplay bySoorya Krishna Moorthy
Based onMelvilasom
by Soorya Krishna Moorthy, based on Court Martial, a play by Swadesh Deepak[1]
Produced byMohammed Salim
M. Rajendran
StarringSuresh Gopi
Parthiban
Ashokan
Thalaivasal Vijay
Nizhalgal Ravi
Krishnakumar
CinematographyAnand Balakrishnan
Edited byK Srinivas
Music bySamson Kottoor
Production
company
Mark Movies
Distributed byChithralaya Films Release
Release date
  • 29 April 2011 (2011-04-29)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam

Melvilasom (transl. The Address) is a 2011 Indian courtroom drama film directed by Madhav Ramadasan and written by Soorya Krishna Moorthy. It stars Suresh Gopi and Parthiban in the lead roles, and features Ashokan, Thalaivasal Vijay, Nizhalgal Ravi, Krishnakumar and Sanjay in other pivotal roles. An adaptation of Moorthy's stage play of the same name, which itself was based on the Hindi play Court Martial (1991) by Swadesh Deepak, the film reached theatres on 29 April 2011.[2] It received wide critical acclaim upon release and got a dubbed release in Tamil as Ulvilaasam.[3][4]

The film does not feature any female characters, except the adopted daughter of Sawar Ramachandran, or songs.[5] The entire film was shot inside a room and filming was completed in just nine days.[5][6] Sticking close to the Aristotelian unities, the screen time of an hour and half dovetails perfectly with real time.[6] It is widely regarded as one of the defining movies of the Malayalam New Wave.[7]

Plot

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The film traces the progress of a court martial of a Dalit soldier, Sawar Ramachandran, who has been accused of killing Captain Verma and attempting to kill Captain Kapoor, while on guard duty. There are eyewitnesses who have noted that the incident happened in a fit of rage but are clueless about what actually transpired before Ramachandran used his weapon and even Ramachandran has pleaded guilty without being ready to disclose anything else. Prosecutor Major Ajay Puri has every intention to set the noose hanging and ready for Ramachandran. From the outset, Captain Vikas Roy, who defends the accused, is pessimistic about his chances of saving his client. But, still, he is bent on finding the truth behind the incident. And the truth is apparently an "eye opener" for the army as well as society.

Cast

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Production

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Play

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The film is based on the play of the same name that marked the theatre debut of Soorya Krishna Moorthy. It was staged for the first time at Gorky Bhavan in 2005.[8] It became a major success, and has been staged at more than 400 stages around the world.[9] The play was based on the Hindi play Court Martial (1991) by Swadesh Deepak.[10] It was also inspired by real-life incidents narrated by Krishnamoorthy's mentor Gopi Poojapura, a former soldier in the Indian Army.[6] The film credits both Court Martial and Gopi Poojapura.

Swadesh Deepak's Court Martial (1991) was an adaptation of the 1989 play A Few Good Men by Aaron Sorkin, about US marine David Cox, which served as the basis of the 1992 film of the same name. Deepak's play had earlier been made into the 2008 Hindi film Shaurya.

Filming

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The film was shot from in a single room at the University Men's Hostel in Thiruvananthapuram in ten days.[6]

Critical reception

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The film received wide critical acclaim. Sify labelled the film a "welcome experiment in Malayalam". The film is described as "technically brilliant", noting film director Madhav Ramadasan's distinct cinematic style in Malayalam and Indian cinema. In regard to performances, the critic praises Suresh Gopi saying he "is absolutely brilliant as Captain Vikas Roy and he scores with his amazing dialogue delivery." Parthiban is appreciated as "he gives subtle acting an altogether different meaning, even though his dialogues are limited to only a few minutes. His lines towards the end can leave you with a lump in the throat."[11]

Nowrunning.com stated, "Melvilasom is a reflection of the staunch belief that a film maker has on his script. It displays a fine sensibility in whatever it has to say, and is peppered all over with real enthusiastic performances."[12] The Hindu also published an extremely positive review stating, "the story is effectively told with well crafted dialogues and riveting performances by the main actors."[13] Rediff rated the film and said, "Melvilasom is exciting as it experiments with new ways of storytelling. Melvilasom is the kind of film that leaves you happy for simply surpassing your expectations."[14]

Awards and accolades

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Awards

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Film festival participation

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Melvilasom got selected to the 16th Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), in Busan, South Korea.[16] It has also been selected for the Indian Panorama section of the 42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), in Panaji, India, and the Malayalam Cinema Today section of the International Film Festival of Kerala, in Thiruvananthapuram, India.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Manmadhan, Prema (12 June 2011). "A movie with a definite 'Melvilasam". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Melvilasom Malayalam Movie"
  3. ^ "സൂര്യയുടെ മേല്‍വിലാസം വെള്ളിത്തിരയിലേക്ക്‌". Mathrubhumi (in Malayalam). 28 April 2011. Archived from the original on 2 May 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  4. ^ Rema Sundar. (24 December 2010). "Versatility, his forte". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Melvilasom to neither have songs nor a heroine". Nowrunning.com. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d Manu Remakant. (29 April 2011). "Addressing reality". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  7. ^ Nagarajan, Saraswathy (19 December 2019). "The 25 best Malayalam films of the decade: 'Premam', 'Maheshinte Prathikaram', 'Kumbalangi Nights' and more". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
  8. ^ G. Jayakumar. (20 January 2007). "Actor in the making". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  9. ^ "Premalekhanam set for 100 stage". The Hindu. 2 September 2010. Archived from the original on 9 September 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  10. ^ Leena Chandran. (25 February 2006). "Much ado about an address". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  11. ^ "Movie Review: Melvilasom". Sify.com. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  12. ^ Veeyen (2 May 2011). "Melvilasom Review". Nowrunning.com. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  13. ^ G. Jayakumar (6 May 2011). "Soldier of misfortune". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  14. ^ Paresh C. Palicha (2 May 2011). "Melvilasom surpasses expectations". Rediff.com. Retrieved 7 May 2011.
  15. ^ "'മേല്‍വിലാസ'ത്തിന് പി.ഭാസ്‌ക്കരന്‍ അവാര്‍ഡ്". Mathrubhumi. Archived from the original on 7 February 2012. Retrieved 7 February 2012.
  16. ^ Keerthy Ramachandran DC (14 September 2011). "'Melvilasom' goes international". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 14 September 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
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