Grandmaster (2012 film)

Last updated

Grandmaster
Grandmaster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by B. Unnikrishnan
Written byB. Unnikrishnan
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyVinod Illampally
Edited by Manoj
Music by Deepak Dev
Production
company
Distributed by
Release date
  • 3 May 2012 (2012-05-03)
Running time
130 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam

Grandmaster [1] is a 2012 Indian Malayalam-language action thriller film [2] [3] written and directed by B. Unnikrishnan and produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur under the production company UTV Motion Pictures. The film stars Mohanlal as IG Chandrasekhar, a senior IPS officer who begins investigating a series of murders after receiving an anonymous note. The supporting characters are played by Priyamani, Narain, Anoop Menon, Babu Antony, Jagathy Sreekumar, and Arjun Nandhakumar.

Contents

Grandmaster was the debut Malayalam production of UTV Motion Pictures. The film was released on 3 May 2012 to widely positive reviews from critics and was a success at the box office. [4] [5] Grandmaster was released in the online video streaming service Netflix in the United States and Canada, making it the first ever Malayalam film to be released on Netflix. It was also the first Malayalam film to be released with English subtitles outside Kerala. The movie is based on the book The A.B.C Murders by Agatha Christie [6] which was already adapted by Unnikrishnan for the script of a TV series named Black and White.

Plot

IG Chandrasekhar, is the head of the newly created Metro Crime Stopper Cell in Kochi. Chandrasekhar arrests Jerome, a psychologically deviant man, and rescues three girls he had kidnapped, but his ex-wife Deepthi, who is a lawyer, manages to get Jerome sent to treatment in a psychiatric facility run by her friend Dr. Jacob, rather than a prison sentence. It turns out that the three girls had been insulting and harassing Jerome, which had led to his actions of kidnapping them in the first place.

Chandrasekhar gets a congratulatory note from an anonymous man who calls himself as "Z," who challenges Chandrasekhar to figure out how he is going to bump off one target after the other. Chandrasekhar is forced to investigate a string of 3 murders: Alice, a coffee shop owner, Beena Thomson, a famous singer and Chandrika Narayanan, a leading businesswoman. These murders follow a mysterious alphabetical pattern and each victim also has a cross slit on their forehead. Around the same time, Chandrasekhar's daughter Dakshayani is preparing for a play under the lead of famous actor Mark Roshan.

Chandrasekhar divorced Deepthi ten years earlier as he discovered that Deepthi was using information from him for a professional gain. Deepthi confesses to Chandrasekhar that the three recently murdered women were all involved in the murder of a rich NRI named Paul Mathew and made it a suicide. Chandrasekhar realizes that Deepthi is the next target and comes with her to their daughter's play, where they meet a religious fanatic named Victor Rosetti who had been present in all three crime scenes, disguised as a salesman and has been followed Deepthi. The recurring theme of chess is obvious in the game between Chandrasekhar and the Z.

Chandrashekhar understands that there is a mastermind behind Victor Rosetti and decides to play a 'queen's gambit' in his own words. Chandrasekhar finally manages to corner Victor on the rooftop of a theater, and Victor commits suicide by falling off the rooftop to the pavement. Then, Chandrasekhar questions Dr. Jacob and says that he has evidence that he is the killer of the three women and takes him to custody. Dakshayani goes missing and Deepthi goes back to the school to find her. The real serial killer arrives and tries to strangle Deepthi with a red scarf. Fortunately, Chandrasekhar stops him and then finally corners him on the stage. The killer turns out to be none other than Mark himself, who is then revealed by Chandrasekhar to be Paul's younger brother Roshan Mathew. He reveals that he framed Dr. Jacob to mislead Mark and shifted Dakshayani with his colleague Rasheed's help to bring Deepthi alone to Mark.

Mark confesses that he has held a grudge against the women for his brother's death, which Chandrasekhar had already known. Then, Mark also confessed that, disguised as a priest named Father Alexander, he manipulated Victor, who was a schizophrenic patient, into believing that he had committed the murders himself. He had planned for Victor to commit the final murder on Deepthi during the play, but attempted to use the scenery of the fight between Chandrasekhar and Victor to complete his plan. In a last-minute attempt to avenge Paul's death, Mark tries to jump from the stage to murder Deepthi with a dagger, but Chandrasekhar kills him with his gun and saves Deepthi.

The film then ends with Chandrasekhar and Deepthi, along with Dakshayani, finally together again in their house.

Cast

Production

Grandmaster is the maiden production of Bollywood production company UTV Motion Pictures in Malayalam cinema. [7] About naming the film Grandmaster, Unnikrishnan said he cannot thinks a better title than Grandmaster, "the whole story is about a grandmaster. He is a great chess enthusiast; he is also a great detective. It is the most appropriate title". [8] For the leading female role of advocate Deepthi, Unnikrishnan approached Andrea Jeremiah, Sonia Agarwal, and Reemma Sen before signing Priyamani. Grandmaster is the first film of Priyamani with Mohanlal. [9] Few years back Priyamani had expressed her desire to act in a film alongside Mohanlal. [10] Deepthi is a criminal lawyer who is separated from her husband Chandrasekhar and in the turn of events, they are forced to work together. [11]

Principal photography began in December 2011 and was carried out primarily at Kochi and Ottapalam.

Soundtrack

Grandmaster
Soundtrack album by
Deepak Dev
Released4 April 2012
Recorded2012
Genre Feature film soundtrack
Length25:04
Language Malayalam
Label UTV
Producer Deepak Dev
Deepak Dev chronology
Padmasree Bharat Dr. Saroj Kumar
(2012)		Grandmaster
(2012)		 101 Weddings
(2012)

The soundtrack of the film was composed by Deepak Dev and consisted six tracks. It was released on 4 April 2012, launched at a function held at People's Plaza, Kochi.

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Akaleyo Nee"Chitoor Gopi Vijay Yesudas 4:38
2."Aaranu Nee"Chandra Shekar Suchithra 4:52
3."Doore Engo Nee"HariSanjeev4:25
4."Aaranu Nee (Club Mix)"Chandra ShekarSuchithra4:14
5."My Moment"Deepak DevKrishna Kumar2:02
6."The Grandmaster Theme" Instrumental 
Total length:25:04

Release

Grandmaster was expected to be released on 27 April 2012, but was postponed. The film was released on 3 May 2012. [12] [13] In Vue, it was released on 29 July 2012. Surya TV purchased the broadcast rights for ₹3.25 crore (US$390,000). [14] Grandmaster was released in the online video streaming service Netflix in the United States and Canada, making it the first ever Malayalam film to be released on Netflix. [15] [16] It was also the first Malayalam film to be released with English subtitles outside Kerala. [8] [17]

Reception

Critical reaction

Rediff.com rated the film 3.5 out of 5. Sify's critic rated the movie as "watchable" (3.5/5) and said, "Grandmaster easily turns out to be an engaging watch". [18]

Accolades

AwardCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef.
Kerala State Film Award Best Male Singer Vijay Yesudas (for "Akaleyo Nee")Won
Asianet Film Awards Best Actor Mohanlal Won
Asiavision Awards Best ActorMohanlalWon
South Indian International Movie Awards Best Debutant Producer Siddharth Roy Kapur, Ronnie Screwvala Won

Grand Master's Kitchen, a multi-cuisine restaurant opened by director B. Unnikrishnan in 2016 in Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram, was named after the film. [23] [24] [25] [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohanlal</span> Indian actor and producer

Mohanlal Viswanathan ), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam film industry besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Mohanlal has a prolific career spanning over four decades, during which he has acted in more than 400 films. The Government of India honoured him with Padma Shri in 2001, and Padma Bhushan in 2019, India's fourth and third highest civilian honours, for his contributions to Indian cinema. In 2009, he became the first actor in India to be awarded the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army. Mohanlal was named as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema" by CNN.

<i>Thanmathra</i> 2005 Indian film

Thanmathra is a 2005 Indian Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by Blessy, based on Padmarajan's short story "Orma". It portrays the effects of Alzheimer's disease on the life of Ramesan Nair (Mohanlal) and his family. The film collected three times its budget at the box-office and completed 150 days run. Thanmathra won five Kerala State Film Awards, which includes the Best Film, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and a Special Mention Award for the debutant actor Arjun Lal. It also won the Best Feature Film in Malayalam Award at the 53rd National Film Awards.

<i>Chotta Mumbai</i> 2007 Indian film

Chotta Mumbai is a 2007 Indian Malayalam-language action comedy film directed by Anwar Rasheed, written by Benny P. Nayarambalam, and co-produced by Maniyanpilla Raju. The film stars Mohanlal in the lead role with Siddique, Jagathy Sreekumar, Kalabhavan Mani, Indrajith Sukumaran, Manikuttan, Bijukuttan, Sai Kumar, and Bhavana in supporting roles. Rahul Raj composed the score and songs of the film. The plot follows Vasco da Gama (Thala) and his gang of friends, all unemployed and leading a happy-go-lucky life until they encounter a corrupt police officer and gangster, Nadeshan.

<i>Baba Kalyani</i> (film) 2006 Indian film

Baba Kalyani is a 2006 Indian Malayalam-language action thriller film directed by Shaji Kailas, written by S. N. Swami, and produced by Antony Perumbavoor through Aashirvad Cinemas. It stars Mohanlal in the title role, and also features an ensemble cast featuring Indrajith Sukumaran, Biju Menon, Mamta Mohandas, Sai Kumar, and Jagathy Sreekumar in important roles. The film's music was composed by Alex Paul.

<i>Hallo</i> (film) 2007 Indian film

Hallo is a 2007 Indian Malayalam-language comedy thriller film written and directed by the Rafi Mecartin duo. It stars Mohanlal and Parvathy Melton, with Siddique,Jagathy Sreekumar,K. B. Ganesh Kumar, Madhu, and Saiju Kurup in important roles. The music was composed by Alex Paul. The film received positive reviews from critics, with critics particularly praising Mohanlal"s performance. It was also a major commercial success.

<i>Twenty:20</i> (film) 2008 film by Joshiy

Twenty:20 is a 2008 Indian Malayalam-language action thriller film written by Udayakrishna-Siby K. Thomas, directed by Joshiy, produced and distributed by Dileep through Graand Production and Manjunatha Release. The film stars Mohanlal, Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Jayaram and Dileep. The film was produced on behalf of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) as a fundraiser to financially support actors who are struggling in the Malayalam cinema. All the actors in AMMA worked without payment in order to raise funds for their welfare schemes.

<i>Chathurangam</i> (2002 film) 2002 Indian film by K. Madhu

Chathurangam (transl. Chess) is a 2002 Indian Malayalam-language action thriller film directed by K. Madhu and written by Babu Janardhanan. It stars Mohanlal, Lalu Alex, Nagma and Navya Nair. The soundtrack was composed by M. G. Sreekumar and Shyam. The plot follows Attiprackal Jimmy, a politician who aspires to become an MLA with the support of minister Kora. The film was released on 20 December 2002 and was the most anticipated Christmas release.

<i>Pingami</i> 1994 film directed by Sathyan Anthikkad

Pingami is a 1994 Indian Malayalam-language action thriller film directed by Sathyan Anthikkad and written by Reghunath Paleri based on his own short story Kumarettan Parayaatha Kadha. It was produced by Mohanlal through the company Pranavam Arts, and stars himself along with Puneet Issar, Jagathy Sreekumar, Thilakan, Innocent, Kanaka, Sukumaran, Janardhanan and Oduvil Unnikrishnan in supporting roles. The film follows Captain Vijay, who forms a close bond with Kumaran, a severely injured man. However, when he dies, Vijay decides to investigate the cause of his death.

<i>Janakan</i> 2010 Indian film

Janakan (transl. Father) is a 2010 Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller film directed by N. R. Sanjeev and written by S. N. Swami, starring Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi. The music was composed by M. Jayachandran. It was released on 8 April 2010 in Kerala and was distributed by Maxlab Entertainments. Janakan is credited as the 200th film appearance of Suresh Gopi. The film won the Kerala state Film Award for Best playback singer - Female for Rajalakshmy for the song "Olichirunne".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B. Unnikrishnan</span> Indian film director, screenwriter, film distributor, exhibitor and producer

Unnikrishnan B is an Indian film director, screenwriter, distributor and exhibitor who works in the Malayalam film industry.

<i>Chandamama</i> (1999 film) 1999 Indian film

Chandamama is a 1999 Indian Malayalam-language Black comedy film directed by Murali Krishnan and written by Rajan Kiriyath, starring Kunchako Boban, Tejali Ghanekar, Jagathi Sreekumar, Sudheesh and Kalabhavan Navas. It is loosely based on 1989 American comedy film Weekend at Bernie's directed by Ted Kotcheff.

<i>The Thriller</i> 2010 Indian film

The Thriller is a 2010 Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller film written and directed by B. Unnikrishnan. It stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Catherine Tresa, Siddique, Lalu Alex, Prajin, Mallika Kapoor, and Sampath Raj in pivotal roles. It was released on 17 November. Later on, it was dubbed in Hindi under the same title. The film is based on the murder case of renowned banker Paul Muthoot, who was murdered in 2009.

<i>Pranchiyettan & the Saint</i> 2010 Indian film

Pranchiyettan & the Saint is a 2010 Indian Malayalam-language satirical comedy film written, directed, and produced by Ranjith. The film centres on the fictitious conversation between the Thrissur based businessman C. E. Francis a.k.a. Pranchiyettan (Mammootty) and St. Francis of Assisi. Khushbu Sundar, Priyamani, Innocent, Siddique, Jagathy Sreekumar, Ganapathy, Sasi Kalinga, Tini Tom and Biju Menon play the other important roles. The film is considered one of the best comedy films in Malayalam cinema and has attained cult status in the years following its release. Some critics consider the film as one of the defining movies of the Malayalam New Wave.

<i>Karmayodha</i> 2012 Indian film

Karmayodha is a 2012 Indian Malayalam-language action crime film co-produced, written and directed by Major Ravi. It features Mohanlal, Murali Sharma, Mukesh, Sai Kumar, Bineesh Kodiyeri, Rajeev Pillai, Asha Sarath, Aishwarya Devan, Malavika Nair, Janardhanan and Riyaz Khan. The soundtrack was composed by M. G. Sreekumar; the background score was provided by Jeffrey Jonathan. The film received mixed reviews and was an average grosser.

<i>Red Wine</i> (2013 film) 2013 Indian film

Red Wine is a 2013 Indian Malayalam-language thriller film directed by Salam Bappu and written by Mammen K. Rajan from a story by Noufal Blathoor. It stars Mohanlal, Fahad Faasil and Asif Ali. The film's soundtrack and background score were composed by Bijibal. Red Wine was released on 21 March 2013. The film was later dubbed into Telugu under the same title.

<i>Villain</i> (2017 film) 2017 film directed by B. Unnikrishnan

Villain is a 2017 Indian Malayalam-language psychological action thriller film written and directed by B. Unnikrishnan and produced by Rockline Venkatesh. The film stars Mohanlal in the lead role along with an ensemble cast including Vishal, Meka Srikanth, Raashi Khanna, Hansika Motwani, Manju Warrier, Siddique, Chemban Vinod Jose, Renji Panicker, Saikumar and Aju Varghese in supporting roles. Manoj Paramahamsa were the cinematographer. The songs were written by 4 Musics and the film score was composed by Sushin Shyam.

<i>Masterpiece</i> (2017 film) 2017 Indian action mystery thriller film

Masterpiece is a 2017 Indian Malayalam-language action crime thriller film directed by Ajai Vasudev and written by Udayakrishna. It stars Mammootty in the lead role, alongside Unni Mukundan, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Mukesh, Gokul Suresh, Maqbool Salmaan and John Kaippallil.

<i>One</i> (2021 film) 2021 film directed by Santhosh Viswanath

One is a 2021 Indian Malayalam-language political drama film directed by Santhosh Vishwanath and written by Bobby–Sanjay. The film stars Mammootty in the lead role. Mathew Thomas, Murali Gopy, Siddique, Joju George, Ishaani Krishna, Gayatri Arun and Nimisha Sajayan plays the supporting roles.

<i>Aaraattu</i> (2022 film) 2022 film by B. Unnikrishnan

Neyyattinkara Gopante Aaraattu or simply Aaraattu, is a 2022 Indian Malayalam-language action comedy film co-produced and directed by B. Unnikrishnan and written by Udaykrishna. The film stars Mohanlal with Shraddha Srinath, Ramachandra Raju, Siddique, Vijayaraghavan, Saikumar, and Nedumudi Venu in supporting roles. Rahul Raj composed the film's original songs and background score.

<i>Wanted</i> (2004 film) 2004 Indian film

Wanted is a 2004 Indian Malayalam-language thriller film directed by newcomer Murali Nagavally and written by Priyadarshan. The films stars five newcomers: Madhu Warrier, Aravindan, Anniyappan, Nishanth Sagar, and Suchitra. The film is a remake of the Telugu film Aithe (2003). Mohanlal made an extended cameo appearance in the film.

References

  1. ↑ Nagarajan, Saraswathy (3 May 2012). "Grandmaster of the game". The Hindu.
  2. ↑ "Grandmaster: Mohanlal plays a lonely divorcee". News18 . 12 May 2012. 'Grandmaster', though basically touted as an action thriller, is a film that has immense emotional connect as well, says the director.
  3. ↑ "Grandmaster (2012)". Box Office Mojo.
  4. ↑ "Mohanlal to have five more releases this year". The Times of India . Times News Network. 18 May 2012. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012.
  5. ↑ "Loving on the edge". The New Indian Express .
  6. ↑ "Aboard the mystery train | Cinemaexpress". Cinema Express . Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  7. ↑ "Grand Master Cast and Crew". Archived from the original on 24 May 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  8. 1 2 Narayanan, Nayantara (20 August 2014). "Why half the Malayalam films released last year had English names". Scroll.in . Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  9. ↑ Moviebuzz (10 November 2011). "Priyamani replaces Andrea in Mohanlal's Grandmaster". Sify . Archived from the original on 12 November 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  10. ↑ "Priyamani in Mohanlal film". The Times of India . Times News Network. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  11. ↑ Nagarajan, Saraswathy (12 April 2012). "Ms. Confidence". The Hindu . Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  12. ↑ Updated Sunday, 5 August 2012 01:47 AM IST. "Movies | Interviews |". Manorama Online. Retrieved 4 August 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ↑ "മലയാളത്തിരക്ക് ഊര്‍ജ്ജം പകര്‍ന്ന് നവനിരസിനിമകള്‍". Indiavisiontv.com. 30 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2 July 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
  14. ↑ @SuryaTV (17 January 2019). "അടുത്ത നീക്കത്തിനു മുൻപ് എന്തും സംഭവിക്കാം! #Mohanlal ത്രില്ലർ #Grandmaster ഇന്നു രാവിലെ 9 മണിക്ക്" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. ↑ "How about paying for viewing films online?". The Times of India . Times News Network. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  16. ↑ Netflix - Watch TV Shows Online, Watch Movies Online
  17. ↑ Moviebuzz (14 May 2014). "Malayalam films to come with English subtitles". Sify . Archived from the original on 13 June 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  18. ↑ "Movie Review: Grandmaster". Sify . 3 May 2012. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  19. ↑ "'Celluloid' wins Kerala state award for best film". The New Indian Express . Thiruvananthapuram. Press Trust of India. 22 February 2013. Archived from the original on 25 February 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  20. ↑ Smitha (21 January 2013). "Asianet Film Awards 2013 – Winners List". Filmibeat.com. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  21. ↑ Satish, A.K.S. (10 November 2012). "South Indian stars shine at Asiavision Awards". Gulf News . Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  22. ↑ "Winners List". SIIMA. Archived from the original on 30 September 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
  23. ↑ സ്വന്തം ലേഖകൻ (24 June 2016). "സിനിമാ സ്റ്റൈലിൽ ബി ഉണ്ണികൃഷ്ണന്റെ കിടിലൻ ഹോട്ടൽ". Malayala Manorama . Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  24. ↑ Sreekumar, Priya (2 June 2016). "Menu card of Unnikrishnanan". Deccan Chronicle . Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  25. ↑ Times News network (27 June 2016). "These cafes dish out books, paintings and games". The Times of India . Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  26. ↑ "Film fantasy: This Grand Master can tease your taste buds, satiate appetite". Deccan Chronicle . Thiruvananthapuram. 25 June 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.