Grandmaster | |
---|---|
Directed by | B. Unnikrishnan |
Written by | B. Unnikrishnan |
Produced by | |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Vinod Illampally |
Edited by | Manoj |
Music by | Deepak Dev |
Production company | |
Distributed by |
|
Release date |
|
Running time | 130 minutes |
Country | India |
Language | Malayalam |
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.
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.
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 calling himself "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: coffee shop owner Alice, famous singer Beena Thomson and leading businesswoman Chandrika Narayanan. 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 ten years earlier because he discovered that Deepthi was using information from him for professional gain. Deepthi confesses to Chandrasekhar that the three recently murdered women were all involved in the murder of a man named Paul Mathew and made it look like 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 stalking Deepthi. The recurring theme of chess is obvious in the game between Chandrasekhar and the unknown Mr. 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 killer arrives and tries to strangle Deepthi with a red scarf. Fortunately, Chandrasekhar stops him and then finally corners the real murderer on the stage. The murderer turns out to be none other than Mark himself, who is then revealed by Chandrasekhar to be Paul Mathew's younger brother, his real name being 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.
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.
Grandmaster | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Soundtrack album by | ||||
Released | 4 April 2012 | |||
Recorded | 2012 | |||
Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
Length | 25:04 | |||
Language | Malayalam | |||
Label | UTV | |||
Producer | Deepak Dev | |||
Deepak Dev chronology | ||||
|
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.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Akaleyo Nee" | Chitoor Gopi | Vijay Yesudas | 4:38 |
2. | "Aaranu Nee" | Chandra Shekar | Suchithra | 4:52 |
3. | "Doore Engo Nee" | Hari | Sanjeev | 4:25 |
4. | "Aaranu Nee (Club Mix)" | Chandra Shekar | Suchithra | 4:14 |
5. | "My Moment" | Deepak Dev | Krishna Kumar | 2:02 |
6. | "The Grandmaster Theme" | Instrumental | ||
Total length: | 25:04 |
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$410,000). [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]
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]
Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kerala State Film Award | Best Male Singer | Vijay Yesudas (for "Akaleyo Nee") | Won | |
Asianet Film Awards | Best Actor | Mohanlal | Won | |
Asiavision Awards | Best Actor | Mohanlal | Won | |
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]
Mohanlal Viswanathan 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. Mohanlal's contributions to the Malayalam cinema have been praised by his contemporaries in the Indian film industry. 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-News18.
Kilukkam (transl. Jingle) is a 1991 Indian Malayalam-language comedy drama film directed by Priyadarshan and written by Venu Nagavalli. The story set in Ooty revolves around tourist guide Joji (Mohanlal) and photographer Nishchal. They happen to meet a lavish tourist Nandini (Revathi), whom they bet their fortunes on. It also stars Thilakan, Innocent, K. B. Ganesh Kumar, Sukumari, and Sharat Saxena, with Murali and Jagadish making cameo appearances. The music was composed by S. P. Venkatesh. Kilukkam was released on 15 August 1991. The film was the highest-grossing Malayalam film at that time and ran for more than 365-days at the theaters. Kilukkam won five Kerala State Film Awards, including Best Actor for Mohanlal, Second Best Actor for Jagathy Sreekumar, Best Editor for N. Gopalakrishnan, and Best Cinematographer for S. Kumar. The film is regarded as one of the best comedy films of Malayalam cinema. It was remade in Telugu as Allari Pilla and in Hindi as Muskurahat by Priyadarshan himself. Later, the film had a sequel Kilukkam Kilukilukkam (2006). The movie was reported to have been inspired by the 1953 American movie Roman Holiday.
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.
Mahasamudram is a 2006 Indian Malayalam-language drama film written and directed by S. Janardanan and produced by G. Suresh Kumar through Revathy Kalamandhir. It stars Mohanlal, Laila Mehdin, Jagathy Sreekumar, Innocent and Rahman. The film features songs composed by M. Jayachandran and background score by Kannan Sooraj Balan. Mahasamudram was released on the occasion of Onam in 2006. It was a commercial success at the box office.
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.
Hallo is a 2007 Indian Malayalam-language comedy thriller film written and directed by the Rafi Mecartin duo. The film stars Mohanlal and Parvathy Melton(in her Malayalam debut), with Jagathy Sreekumar, Siddique, K. B. Ganesh Kumar, Madhu, and Samvrutha Sunil in important roles. The music was composed by Alex Paul. The film received positive reviews from critics. Critics praised Mohanlal"s performance. The film was also a major commercial success. It was remade in Telugu as Naa Style Veru (2009) and in Kannada as Manjunatha BA LLB (2012). The plot of the movie was reported to have been partially borrowed from the 2004 movie Cellular.
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.
Chathurangam (transl. Chess) is a 2002 Indian Malayalam-language political action drama 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. Despite the hype, the movie failed commercially. The main reason cited for the failure was the existing Narasimham (2000) hangover and the audience couldn't relate to Mohanlal donning the life of a common politician. Over the years, the movie has attained a cult status and is still widely watched in television.
Bhramaram (transl. Beetle) is a 2009 Indian Malayalam-language road suspense thriller film, written and directed by Blessy, starring Mohanlal, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Suresh Menon, Murali Gopy, and Bhumika Chawla. The film was released on 25 June 2009. It was an average grosser at the box office.
Janakan (transl. Father) is a 2010 Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller film directed by N. R. Sanjeev and written by S. N. Swami, starring Suresh Gopi and Mohanlal. 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".
Unnikrishnan B is an Indian film director, screenwriter, distributor and exhibitor who works in the Malayalam film industry.
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.
The Thriller is a 2010 Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller film written and directed by B. Unnikrishnan. It stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Siddique, Lalu Alex, Catherine Tresa, 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.
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 Fazil, 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.
Drishyam (transl. Visual) is a 2013 Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller film written and directed by Jeethu Joseph. It stars Mohanlal and Meena, as well as Ansiba Hassan, Esther Anil, Kalabhavan Shajohn, Asha Sharath, Siddique, Roshan Basheer and Neeraj Madhav in supporting roles. The film was produced by Antony Perumbavoor for Aashirvad Cinemas. It is the first installment to the series followed by Drishyam 2. It follows the struggle of Georgekutty and his family, who come under suspicion when Varun Prabhakar, the son of the IG Geetha Prabhakar, goes missing.
Oppam (transl. Along) is a 2016 Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller film written and directed by Priyadarshan from a story by Govind Vijayan. It was produced by Antony Perumbavoor for Aashirvad Cinemas and starred Mohanlal and Samuthirakani. The film contains songs composed by the group 4 Musics, and the score was composed by Ron Ethan Yohann. N. K. Ekambaram was the cinematographer.
Villain is a 2017 Indian Malayalam-language neo-noir action thriller film written and directed by B. Unnikrishnan and produced by Rockline Venkatesh. It stars an ensemble cast including Mohanlal, Vishal, Srikanth, Raashi Khanna, Hansika Motwani, Manju Warrier, Siddique, Chemban Vinod Jose, Renji Panicker, Saikumar and Aju Varghese. Manoj Paramahamsa and N. K. Ekambaram were the cinematographers. The songs were written by 4 Musics and the film score was composed by Sushin Shyam.
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.
Roshan Mathew is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Malayalam, Hindi & Tamil films. He began his career with numerous theatre productions based in Chennai and Mumbai. These include The Glass Menagerie directed by Rajit Kapoor and 07/07/07 directed by Faezeh Jalali.
Neyyattinkara Gopante Aaraattu or simply Aaraattu, is a 2022 Indian Malayalam-language spoof 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.
'Grandmaster', though basically touted as an action thriller, is a film that has immense emotional connect as well, says the director.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)