Kaapa

Last updated

Kaapa
Kaapa release poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Shaji Kailas
Written by G. R. Indugopan
Based onShankhumukhi
by G. R. Indugopan
Produced by
  • Dolwin Kuriakose
  • Jinu V. Abraham
  • Dileesh Nair
  • Vikram Mehra
  • Siddharth Anand Kumar
Starring
Cinematography Jomon T. John
Edited by Shameer Muhammed
Music by
Production
companies
Release date
  • 22 December 2022 (2022-12-22)
Running time
134 minutes [1]
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam
Box office₹17 crore [2]

Kaapa is a 2022 Indian Malayalam-language action thriller film [3] directed by Shaji Kailas and written by G. R. Indugopan based on his novel Shankhumukhi. Produced by Fefka Writers Union, Theatre of Dreams and Saregama India Limited, it stars Prithviraj Sukumaran along with Asif Ali, Aparna Balamurali and Anna Ben.

Contents

The film was announced in August 2021 with Venu assigned as the director. However, he stepped down as director in May 2022 citing creative differences. [4] Shaji Kailas later replaced him. Manju Warrier was initially cast as the lead actress but opted out due to schedule conflicts. She was replaced by Aparna Balamurali. Principal photography took place from July to September that year in Thiruvananthapuram. The music was composed by Dawn Vincent and Jakes Bejoy, cinematography by Jomon T. John and editing by Shameer Muhammed.

Kaapa was released in theatres on 22 December 2022 and received mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

Anand, an IT professional recently moves to Thiruvananthapuram from Bangalore with his pregnant wife Binu Thrivikraman. During a routine police check in their neighbourhood, Anand learns that his wife's name is being included in the "KAAPA" (Kerala Anti-Social Activities Prevention Act) list, a list that includes the names of all the local gangsters. Anand decides to clear Binu's name and sends her to his hometown to have a safe pregnancy.

Later, Anand meets Arumanayagam, a police constable to seek his help for removing Binu's name, and soon learns about her involvement in leading a gang and her rivalry with the city's leading gangster and upcoming politician Kotta Madhu, as Madhu was responsible for Binu's brother's death. Anand meets Kotta Madhu and manages to earn his trust in order to help Binu. Later, Anand learns that a reporter named Latheef has hired goons to finish Madhu and informs Prameela, who later informs Madhu. Madhu thrashes them and Latheef gets scared of getting caught by Madhu.

Anand travels to Binu's hometown and arranges their baby's naming ceremony. Latheef meets Anand and reveals about his rivalry with Madhu resulted in his cousin Nazeer getting exiled to UAE, where he tells Anand to form a truce between him and Madhu in order to live a peaceful life. Though relucant, Madhu agrees and arrives at the spot where the truce is held, but Madhu is killed in a bomb blast by a boy, whose life was severely damaged by Madhu as he bombed an assassin due to his orders and was sent to juvenile prison.

Anand pays his last respect to Madhu and leaves the premises, where he feels guilty about being used by Latheef. After Madhu's autopsy report, Prameela learns that Binu is wearing Madhu's ring; thus revealing that she was the mastermind behind Madhu's death and Latheef was her family-friend. Binu was also the faceless leader leading a gang and attempted to kill Madhu while Anand was busy to prove her innocence. Prameela calls Binu and swears that she will avenge Madhu's death, while Binu also promises to protect her family without Anand's knowledge.

Cast

Production

Development

On 17 August 2021, Prithviraj Sukumaran announced that Mammootty and Mohanlal would be launching a project on 18 August, the next day. That day, 18 August, the motion poster was shared by them and the title was revealed to be Kaapa. The film was initiated by Fefka Writers Union. The title Kaapa is the short form of an act called Kerala Anti-social Activities (Prevention) Act. Venu was the director. [5] But in May 2022, Venu opted out of the film as director due to creative differences between him and Fefka Writers Union. He was then replaced by Shaji Kailas. [6] Cinematographer Sanu Varghese, editor Mahesh Narayanan and musician Justin Varghese were the initial technical crew of the film. [5] They were later replaced by Jomon T. John, Shameer Muhammed and musicians Dawn Vincent and Jakes Bejoy respectively. The film was scripted by G. R. Indugopan based on his novel Shankhumukhi. [7]

Casting

The film was initially announced with the cast of Prithviraj Sukumaran, Asif Ali, Manju Warrier and Anna Ben. However, Manju Warrier left the film as she was busy with her schedules on shooting for Ajith Kumar's Thunivu (2023). [8] Aparna Balamurali came as the replacement. Actors Dileesh Pothan, Jagadish Kumar and Nandhu were later revealed to be part of the cast. [9]

Filming

Thiruvananthapuram, where the entire film was shot Tvmcityview.jpg
Thiruvananthapuram, where the entire film was shot

Filming was to begin on 20 May 2022 but was postponed due to Venu opting out of the film. [6] Principal photography began on 15 July 2022 in VJT Hall, Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram. [8] On 16 July, director Shaji Kailas sought permission from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for a day's shooting in the area around the Kerala Government Secretariat as the Government of Kerala had enforced a ban there for shooting. [10] Sukumaran gave a 60 days date for the filming of Kaapa. An action scene with Sukumaran was shot on 26 July. [11] Filming came to a conclusion on 16 September 2022. [12]

Music

Kaapa
Soundtrack album by
Dawn Vincent and Jakes Bejoy
Released2022 (2022)
Recorded2022 (2022)
Studio
  • d's Den, Kochi
  • NHQ, Kochi
  • K7, Kochi
  • Sonic Island, Kochi
  • Mindscore Music, Kochi
  • Pop Media House, Kochi
  • Saptha Records, Kochi
Genre Film soundtrack
Length6:44
LanguageMalayalam
Label Saregama India Limited
Producer Jakes Bejoy
Singles from Kaapa
  1. "Yamam Veendum Vinnile"
    Released: 16 December 2022
  2. "Thiru Thiru Thiruvananthapurathu"
    Released: 19 December 2022
Track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicSinger(s)Length
1."Yamam Veendum Vinnile" Vinayak Sasikumar Dawn Vincent Kapil Kapilan 3:00
2."Thiru Thiru Thiruvananthapurathu"Santhosh Varma Jakes Bejoy Subhash Babu B, Anugrah Digosh, Akhil J. Chand, Jakes Bejoy3:44
Total length:6:44

Release

Theatrical

Kaapa was released theatrically on 22 December 2022 during Christmas. [15]

Home media

Kaapa had its post-theatrical streaming on Netflix starting from 19 January 2023. [16]

Reception

Critical response

Gopika I. S. of The Times of India gave 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "More or less, Shaji Kailas has succeeded in delivering a satisfying gangster movie." [17] Latha Srinivasan of India Today gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote that "Kaapa is one of the better films from Prithviraj this year, among the six releases he had. Those going to watch Kaapa for Shaji Kailas and Prithviraj must go with an open mind for a new experience." [18]

Shubham Kulkarni of Koimoi gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Kaapa is a very interesting and fresh landscape but falls prey to a predictable narrative." [19] Sanjith Sridharan of OTTplay gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Shaji Kailas hits a meter from the first scene of the film and maintains this till the end, which is a tough aspect to do and this makes the movie watchable." [20]

Behindwoods gave 2.75 out of 5 stars and wrote "Kaapa is a dark gangster drama with convincing performances and a different take on such stories." [21] Manoj Kumar R. of The Indian Express gave 2 out of 5 stars and wrote "Prithviraj's act as Madhu is hard to buy as he comes across as an indecisive and unwise criminal, despite being the head of a crime syndicate." [22]

Sowmya Rajendran of The News Minute gave 2 out of 5 stars and wrote "Shaji Kailas's Prithviraj starrer doesn't work as a mass-action film because it doesn't have enough originality." [23] Anna M. M. Vetticad of Firstpost gave 1.75 out of 5 stars and wrote "Prithviraj Sukumaran and Shaji Kailas serve up a clichéd, bloody gangster drama in which women are not written as fully fleshed out characters but as mere plot devices." [24]

S. R. Praveen of The Hindu wrote "One sees glimmers of what the movie could have been in some of the well-conceived background stories, but director Shaji Kailas ends up giving it a predictable treatment." [25] Nirmal Jovial of The Week wrote "When compared with gangster films of the 2010s, Shaji Kailas's Kaapa is more of a safe-formula film. It ticks almost all boxes—slow-mos, stylised action, ultra-close-ups, punch dialogues." [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manju Warrier</span> Indian actress (born 1978)

Manju Warrier is an Indian actress, who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indrajith Sukumaran</span> Indian actor and playback singer

Indrajith Sukumaran is an Indian actor and singer. He predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. Indrajith was born to the actors Sukumaran and Mallika Sukumaran and is the elder brother of actor Prithviraj Sukumaran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaji Kailas</span> Indian film director (born 1965)

Shaji Kailas is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his works in Malayalam cinema. Shaji got a breakthrough with the comedy film Dr. Pasupathy (1990).

<i>Rajaputhran</i> 1996 film by Shajoon Kariyal

Rajaputhran is a 1996 Indian Malayalam-language action drama film directed by Shajoon Kariyal, written by Ranjith, and produced by Dinesh Panicker. It stars Suresh Gopi, Vikram, Vijayaraghavan, Shobana, and Murali.

Nandalal Krishnamoorthy, better known by his stage name Nandu, is an Indian actor primarily working in Malayalam, and a few Hindi and Tamil films. He has been in the industry for more than 30 years and is acclaimed for his performance in Mohanlal's Spirit, directed by Ranjith. He was also seen in many Priyadarsan films. He received SIIMA award for best supporting actor, for the movie Spirit.

<i>Kadal Kadannu Oru Maathukutty</i> 2013 Indian film

Kadal Kadannu Oru Maathukutty is a 2013 Indian Malayalam comedy film written and directed by Ranjith and starring Mammootty in the lead role of an Achayan from Kozhencherry, Central Travancore and also in a cameo as himself. The cast includes Nedumudi Venu, Balachandra Menon, Siddique, Harisree Asokan, Suresh Krishna, P. Balachandran, Balachandran Chullikad, Prem Prakash, Meera Nandan, Muthumani, Krishna Prabha, and Kaviyoor Ponnamma. It was produced by Prithviraj Sukumaran, Santhosh Sivan, and Shaji Nadesan under the banner of August Cinema. The film was released on 8 August 2013 on the occasion of Eid-ul Fitr and was a critical and commercial failure. However, modern reception has been positive.

<i>Munnariyippu</i> 2014 Indian film

Munnariyippu (transl. Warning) is a 2014 Indian Malayalam-language psychological experimental thriller film directed by Venu and produced by Ranjith, screenplay by Unni R. The film stars Mammootty and Aparna Gopinath, with Nedumudi Venu, Joy Mathew, Prathap Pothan, Sreeraman, Renji Panicker, Saiju Kurup, Joshy Mathew, and Sudheesh in supporting roles. Prithviraj Sukumaran appears in a cameo role.

<i>Paavada</i> 2016 film by G. Marthandan

Paavada (transl. Skirt) is a 2016 Indian comedy drama film directed by G. Marthandan and written by Bipin Chandran, based on the story he co-wrote with Shibin Francis. The film is about the life of two alcoholics It stars Prithviraj Sukumaran and Anoop Menon in lead roles along with Miya, Asha Sarath, Nedumudi Venu and Maniyanpilla Raju in supporting roles. The film was produced by Maniyanpilla Raju. The music was composed by Aby Tom Cyriac and released under the label Muzik 247.

<i>Darvinte Parinamam</i> 2016 film by JoJo Antony

Darvinte Parinamam is a 2016 Indian Malayalam-language action comedy film directed by Jijo Antony. It stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Chemban Vinod Jose, Chandini Sreedharan, and Balu Varghese. Written by Manoj Nair, it revolves around the life of an ordinary man and a local goon, and how their lives are affected by some unfortunate events. The soundtrack and background score for the film is composed by Shankar Sharma. The film started rolling in Fort Kochi from 1 October 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aparna Balamurali</span> Indian actress (born 1995)

Aparna Balamurali is an Indian actress who primarily works in Malayalam films, in addition to Tamil films. Aparna is recipient of a National Film Award and Filmfare Award South.

<i>Aami</i> 2018 film directed by Kamal

Aami is a 2018 Indian Malayalam-language biographical film based on the life of poet-author Kamala Das. It is written and directed by Kamal and stars Manju Warrier as Kamala Surayya, along with Murali Gopy, Tovino Thomas, Anoop Menon, and Anand Bal. The film was released on 9 February 2018. It won two Kerala State Film Awards.

<i>Theevandi</i> 2018 film by Fellini T. P.

Theevandi is a 2018 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy drama film directed by Fellini T. P. and written by Vini Vishwa Lal. The film stars Tovino Thomas, Samyuktha, Sudheesh, Surabhi Lakshmi, Rajesh Sharma, Suraj Venjarammoodu, Saiju Kurup, and Shammi Thilakan in lead-roles. Principal photography began in November 2017 and ended around January 2018. Kailas Menon composed the music and Appu Bhattathiri was the editor. The film was released on 7 September 2018.

<i>Thakkol</i> 2019 Indian film

Thakkol (transl. Key) is a 2019 Indian Malayalam-language thriller film directed by Kiron Prabhakaran and starring Indrajith Sukumaran and Murali Gopy. The film was in production for over a year. The lead cast had previously starred together in Ee Adutha Kaalathu (2012), Left Right Left (2013) and Tiyaan (2017). The film is produced by director Shaji Kailas. Sukumaran and Gopy play priests in the film. The film was predominantly shot in Goa.

<i>Simhasanam</i> (2012 film) 2012 Malayalam action film

Simhasanam (transl. Throne) is a 2012 Malayalam action film written and directed by Shaji Kailas starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Sai Kumar with supporting cast including Siddique and Devan. The music was composed by Ronnie Raphael.

<i>Meri Awas Suno</i> 2022 film directed by Prajesh Sen

Meri Awas Suno is a 2022 Indian Malayalam-language musical drama film written and directed by Prajesh Sen and produced by B. Rakesh. The film stars Jayasurya, Manju Warrier and Sshivada. Johny Antony, Gautami Nair and Sudheer Karamana also play major roles. It is the remake of 2019 Bengali film Konttho. The film tells the story of a radio jockey and speech therapist.

<i>Alone</i> (2023 film) 2023 film directed by Shaji Kailas

Alone is a 2023 Indian Malayalam-language mystery thriller film directed by Shaji Kailas, written by Rajesh Jayaraman, and produced and distributed by Antony Perumbavoor through Aashirvad Cinemas. The story is set during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in India. It stars Mohanlal as the only character appearing in the film which otherwise features voice roles as supporting cast. 4Musics composed the film's background score and songs.

<i>Kaduva</i> 2022 Indian film directed by Shaji Kailas

Kaduva (transl. Tiger) is a 2022 Indian Malayalam-language action film directed by Shaji Kailas, written by Jinu V. Abraham and produced by Prithviraj Productions and Magic Frames. It stars Prithviraj Sukumaran in the titular role, alongside Vivek Oberoi, Samyuktha Menon, Arjun Ashokan, Alencier Ley Lopez, Baiju Santhosh and Kalabhavan Shajohn. Set in 1990s, Kaduva revolves around an ego war between Kaduvakunnel Kuriyachan, an influential businessman, and I.G. Joseph Chandy.

Chandunath G. Nair, professionally credited as Chandhunadh, is an Indian actor who appears in supporting roles in Malayalam cinema.

<i>L2: Empuraan</i> Upcoming Indian film by Prithviraj Sukumaran

L2: Empuraan, also called L2E, is an upcoming Indian Malayalam-language action thriller film directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran and written by Murali Gopy. It is the second instalment in a planned trilogy, following the 2019 film Lucifer. The film is jointly produced by Lyca Productions and Aashirvad Cinemas. It stars Mohanlal as Khureshi-Ab'raam / Stephen Nedumpally, reprising his role from the original, alongside Prithviraj, Manju Warrier, and Tovino Thomas in the recurring cast. The film's music was composed by Deepak Dev.

References

  1. ↑ "Kaapa". British Board of Film Classification . Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  2. ↑ "'Kaapa' box office collection: Prithviraj Sukumaran starrer crosses Rs 17 crores". The Times of India. 5 January 2023. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  3. ↑ "Kaapa (15)". British Board of Film Classification . Archived from the original on 3 November 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  4. ↑ "Did Venu opt out from directing Prithviraj Sukumaran's 'Kaapa'? Details inside". The Times of India. 31 May 2022. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Kaapa: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Manju Warrier, Asif Ali, and Anna Ben to star in FEFKA's film". The Times of India . 18 August 2022. Archived from the original on 12 November 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Did Venu opt out from directing Prithviraj Sukumaran's 'Kaapa'? Details inside". The Times of India. 31 May 2022. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  7. ↑ "'Kaapa': Makers unveil an intriguing teaser for the Prithviraj Sukumaran starrer". The Times of India. 17 October 2022. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Manju Warrier opts out of 'Kaapa' due to her tight schedule". The Times of India. 23 July 2022. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  9. ↑ "National award-winning actress Aparna Balamurali replaces Manju Warrier in 'Kaapa'". The Times of India. 27 July 2022. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  10. ↑ "No more film shooting around Kerala Secretariat now". The Times of India. 16 July 2022. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  11. ↑ "Watch: Prithviraj Sukumaran performing fight sequences for 'Kaapa'". The Times of India. 27 July 2022. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  12. ↑ "It's a schedule wrap for Prithviraj Sukumaran's 'Kaapa'". The Times of India. 16 September 2022. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  13. ↑ "'Yamam Veendum Vinnile': Makers unveil the lyrical song from Prithviraj starrer 'Kaapa'". The Times of India. 17 December 2022. Archived from the original on 18 November 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  14. ↑ "'Thiru Thiru Thiruvananthapurathu': Latest video song from Prithviraj Sukumaran's 'Kaapa' goes viral". The Times of India. 20 December 2022. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  15. ↑ "Prithviraj Sukumaran starrer 'Kaapa' to hit the big screens on December". The Times of India. 15 November 2022.
  16. ↑ "Prithviraj's Kaapa gets OTT release date". The Indian Express . 12 January 2023. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  17. ↑ IS, Gopika (24 December 2022). "Kaapa Movie Review: Interesting, if predictable, gangster movie". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  18. ↑ Srinivasan, Latha (23 December 2022). "Kaapa Movie Review: This Prithviraj gangster drama is a different attempt from Shaji Kailas". India Today . Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  19. ↑ "Kaapa Movie Review: Prithviraj Sukumaran's Unique Gangster Drama Is Brilliant In Flashbacks But Equally Predictable In Present". Koimoi.
  20. ↑ "Kaapa movie review: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Asif Ali's gangster-drama lacks emotional heft to be engaging enough". OTTplay .
  21. ↑ "KAAPA MOVIE REVIEW". Behindwoods.
  22. ↑ R, Manoj Kumar (22 December 2022). "Kaapa movie review: Prithviraj plays an unwise criminal in this unconvincing gangster drama". The Indian Express . Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  23. ↑ Rajendran, Sowmya (23 December 2022). "Kaapa review: Prithviraj's action thriller is old wine in a prehistoric bottle". The News Minute . Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  24. ↑ Vetticad, Anna MM (24 December 2022). "Kaapa movie review: The 'trying to be a Mohanlal/Mammootty-type mass superstar' genre returns". Firstpost . Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  25. ↑ Praveen, S. R. (22 December 2022). "'Kaapa' movie review: Prithviraj Sukumaran stars in a typical gangland drama that brims with untapped potential". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  26. ↑ "'Kaapa' review: A formulaic but largely enjoyable gangster drama". The Week .
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.