Matinee (2012 film)

Last updated

Matinee
Matinee (2012 film).jpeg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Aneesh Upasana
Written byAnil Narayanan
Produced byAOPL Entertainment
Starring Maqbool Salmaan
Mythili
CinematographyPappinu
Edited byNikhil Venu
Music by Gopi Sundar
Production
company
AOPL Entertainment
Distributed byAOPL Entertainment Release
Release date
  • 13 December 2012 (2012-12-13)
Running time
114 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam

Matinee is a 2012 Malayalam-language drama film directed by Aneesh Upasana and starring Maqbool Salmaan and Mythili in the lead roles. The film marks the directorial debut of still photographer Aneesh Upasana while Mammootty's nephew Maqbool Salmaan plays his first lead role. The story is about two person's journey to filmdom and how their life changes on one Friday's matinée show.

Contents

The film's lead role is played by Maqbool Salmaan who had earlier appeared in a short role in A. K. Saajan's Asuravithu . Maqbool is the nephew of noted actor Mammootty. He is the son of Ibrahimkutty, the younger brother of Mammootty who had been a popular star in the miniscreen. The film is produced by AOPL Entertainment which also launched Mammootty's son Dulquer Salmaan earlier the year through Second Show . [1]

Matinee released on 13 December to positive reviews from critics and audiences. The film was appreciated for its realistic approach and the performances by lead actors.

Plot

The plot of this film revolves around two people who come from different backgrounds but are united by fate. Najeeb is a youngster from an orthodox background who wishes to be a film star while Savithri is a motherless girl from an economically backward family who lands up in the film industry to escape her abusive father. The duo get a chance to be the lead pair in a film that appears to be an ordinary love story but turns out to be an adult film when it releases. The pair, subsequently, is ostracised from society. The duo eventually gets together and moves into the city to find the person responsible for the situation, who but turns out to have been caught in the blind by the actions of the director and producers of the film himself. Repenting and regretful of his hand in causing their predicament, he helps them find an apartment as well as finding them roles in the film industry, which mainly comes in the shape of some item song slots which Savithri fills, out of desperation as they need a certain income to maintain themselves in the city. These songs, and herself as a result become successful, turning her into a much sought after X rated movie phenom, which also comes with its share of controversy from moral pundits, while pushing her into her spiral of depression, which is in direct contrast to Najeeb who meanwhile have become unable to land a movie role, much less a lead, the first step toward his aspiration as a megastar. During one moment, Savithri bursts out, disillusioned by the state of cinema industry that they had heretofore seen with rose tinted lenses, now showing its ugly teeth, spitting them out, after using her for its success of sleaze fest films, and she passes out after ingesting a bottle of liquor, in the bathroom. Najeeb, starts falling in love with Savithri. Najeeb, later out of frustration seeing what his life has become, attempts suicide. Savithri soon thereafter bears Najeeb's daughter, staying within the cinema industry as an extra, after he had become paralysed waist down, caring for him for the rest of their life, peacefully married.

Cast

Release

The film's release was delayed by several weeks with a decision from the Kerala Film Exhibitors Association, who resisted the release of the film in their theatres. It was widely reported that an unofficial ban from the exhibitors came in the wake of AOPL-owned Carnival Cinemas, Angamaly not participating in a theatre strike organised by the Association. But AOPL maintained that the ban was based on a technical error as AOPL Entertainment is a separate private limited company and Carnival belongs to another company though both have some common investors. The ban was lifted after a discussion between AOPL and the Association and the film released on 13 December 2012. [2]

Reception

The film opened to mostly positive reviews from critics. Paresh C. Palicha of Rediff.com rated the film Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg and said that the film "tackles a dark subject with much conviction." He concluded the review saying, "Matinee shows that there are many interesting avenues to explore if you want to tell the story of the film industry other than lampooning the superstars, Sreenivasan style." [3] Dalton L. of Deccan Chronicle rated the film Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg while appreciating the performances by the lead, editing, cinematography and music. The critic stated: "One occasionally stumbles upon a rotten canvas with strokes of a genius or a great canvas tarnished by splashes of awkwardness. Matinee is neither of the extremes; it simply appears to have been created either by two different painters or one with opposing moods / sensibilities." [4]

Rating the film Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg, Veeyen of Nowrunning.com said, "Matinee is a dark parable that splendidly traces the ever changing contours of human lives. It reaffirms that the human power of endurance is immense and that as individuals we wobble along alleys of hope, fear, distress, anger and regret before turning around and walking down the hope street all over again." [5] IBN Live rated the film Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg and said that the film "stands out for its realistic approach." [6]

Controversies

The film courted considerable controversy with the item number by Mythili. [7] Another row originated when anti-tobacco activists turned against the film, thanks to the movie posters portraying Mythili with a lit cigarette and a bottle of booze. Activists of the Ernakulam district Anti-tobacco Council protested against the film and blackened several posters of the movie in the city. They also filed a petition before the police and the district collector against the movie posters. "When youngsters have slowly started quitting and keeping away from cigarettes, this movie has come up with posters of its actor with a cigarette. The movie-makers have failed to put up a statutory warning too. This certainly affects the awareness created by Kerala Voluntary Health Services and other anti-tobacco organisations," said K. S. Dilip Kumar, secretary of the Ernakulam district Anti-tobacco Council. [7] A case was registered by the Health Department against Mythili and the producers of the film on 19 December. [8]

Music

The film features songs composed by Ratheesh Vegha and Bollywood composer Anand Raj Anand. Anand composed the song "Ayalathe Veetile" written by Vinukrishnan, an item number featuring Mythili. [9] The song was a profound success and hit 4.5 lakh views on YouTube in just two weeks of its release. [10] Gireesh Puthenchery's son Dinanath Puthenchery has penned the lyrics for two of the songs in the movie. Actress Kavya Madhavan has lent her voice to the song "Maunamayi Manassil" which was also well received among music critics.

No.TitleArtist(s)Length
1."Ayalathe veettile"Resmi Sateesh3:58
2."Malabarin thalamai"Thulasi3:50
3."Maunamayi manassil" Kavya Madhavan 3:54

Related Research Articles

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

Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail, known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty, is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam-language films. He has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and English-language productions. In a career spanning five decades, he has appeared in more than 420 films, predominantly in lead roles. He is the recipient of several accolades, including three National Film Awards, eleven Kerala State Film Awards, eleven Kerala Film Critics Awards and fifteen Filmfare Awards South. He was honored with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award by the Government of India in 1998, for his contributions to cinema. He was also honored with the Kerala Prabha Award by the Government of Kerala in 2022. Mammootty was named as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema" by CNN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amal Neerad</span> Indian film director, cinematographer and producer (born 1976)

Amal NeeradISC is an Indian film director, cinematographer and producer who mainly works in Malayalam cinema. He attended the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata. He was awarded the National Film Award for Best Cinematography in 2001 for his diploma film Meena Jha.

<i>Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha</i> (film) 2009 Indian film

Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha is a 2009 Indian Malayalam-language mystery film written and directed by Ranjith, starring Mammootty, Shwetha Menon and Mythili. It is based on the novel of the same name by T. P. Rajeevan,. Mammooty plays three characters in the film. The film was Mythili's debut in cinema. Ranjith also introduced about thirty Malayalam stage artists through this film. The film tells the story of a private detective, who returns to his birthplace, a village called Paleri, to solve a murder mystery that occurred on the same night he was born.

<i>Pallavur Devanarayanan</i> 1999 Indian film

Pallavur Devanarayanan is a 1999 Malayalam drama film, written by Gireesh Puthenchery and directed by V. M. Vinu, in which Mammootty plays the title role, Pallavur Devanarayanan. The music for the film was composed by Raveendran and the lyrics were penned by Gireesh Puthenchery. One of the songs was sung by Mammootty himself.

<i>Asuravithu</i> (2012 film) 2012 Indian film

Asuravithu is a 2012 Indian Malayalam-language action thriller written and directed by A. K. Sajan, starring Asif Ali and Samvrutha Sunil in the lead roles. The film is a sequel to 2002 Indian Malayalam-language action gangster-thriller drama film Stop Violence starring Prithviraj Sukumaran in the leading role. The film opened to mixed reviews and was a box-office flop. This was the debut film of actor Mammootty's nephew Maqbool Salmaan. This Movie Was Dubbed In Hindi As Duniya Meri Mutthi Mein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dulquer Salmaan</span> Indian actor, playback singer, film producer

Dulquer Salmaan is an Indian actor, playback singer and film producer who predominantly works in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in business management from Purdue University and worked as a business manager in Dubai before pursuing a career in acting. Salmaan is a recipient of several awards including, five Filmfare Awards South, a South Indian International Movie Award, a Kerala Film Critics Association Award and a Kerala State Film Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nazriya Nazim</span> Indian actress and producer (born 1994)

Nazriya Nazim Fahadh is an Indian actress, producer and singer who primarily works in Malayalam and Tamil films. Known for her strong women portrayals, Nazriya is a recipient of several accolades including two Kerala State Film Awards, one Tamil Nadu State Film Award and one Filmfare Award South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maqbool Salmaan</span> Indian film actor

Maqbool Salmaan is an Indian actor who appears in Malayalam films.

<i>Varsham</i> (2014 film) 2014 film by Ranjith Sankar

Varsham (Rains) is a 2014 Malayalam drama film written and directed by Ranjith Sankar. The film stars Mammootty and Asha Sarath in the main roles, T. G. Ravi as the antagonist, along with Mamta Mohandas, Govind Padmasoorya and Master Prajwal in major supporting roles. It features a film score and soundtrack by Bijibal. Varsham released worldwide on 6 November 2014. The film received generally positive reviews from critics.

Aneesh Upasana is an Indian film director, screenwriter and photographer. His feature films include Matinee (2012) and Seconds (2014).

<i>Punchirikku Parasparam</i> 2015 Indian film

Punchirikku Parasparam is a 2015 Indian Malayalam-language short film directed by Hari P. Nair and produced by Ramesh Pisharody. It stars Mohanlal, Renji Panicker, Pearle Maaney, Dharmajan Bolgatty, and Pisharody. There are no dialogues in the film, instead it features musical score composed by Rahul Raj. The film had an initial release on YouTube on 31 October 2015, and was released in social media on 1 November in the day of Kerala Piravi.

<i>Out of Range</i> (film) 2016 Indian film

Out of Range is a 2016 Indian Malayalam-language comedy drama film directed by Johnson V. Devassy. The film stars Vishnu Unnikrishnan, Askar Ali, Sumith Samudra, and Ajayaghosh in the lead roles with Swamty, Nila Raj, and Anjali Aneesh Upasana in supporting roles. It is produced by Suresh Kumar T. under the banner of Malavika Cine Creations. Anish Babu Abbas does the cinematography while Rakesh Kesavan and Lonely Doggy score the music. The screenplay is written by Devassy along with Shafeek Mohammed and Fahad Shan.

<i>The Great Father</i> 2017 film by Haneef Adeni

The Great Father is a 2017 Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller film directed by Haneef Adeni and jointly produced by Prithviraj Sukumaran, Arya, Santhosh Sivan, and Shaji Nadesan under the banner of August Cinema. It stars Mammootty, Arya, Sneha, Anikha, Malavika Mohanan, Santhosh Keezhattoor, Balaji Sharma and Kalabhavan Shajon, with Shaam in a guest appearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niranjana Anoop</span> Indian actress

Niranjana Anoop is an Indian actress who appears in Malayalam films. Niranjana is also a trained Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer.

<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>Pullikkaran Staraa</i> 2017 Indian film

Pullikkaran Staraa is a 2017 Indian Malayalam-language comedy film written and directed by Syamdhar and starring Mammootty, Deepti Sati and Asha Sarath. The film released on 1 September 2017, coinciding with Onam and Bakrid festivals.

Amith Chakalakkal Saju, known as Amith Chakalakkal, is an Indian actor in Malayalam cinema. He lives in Kochi, Kerala. He is known for his roles in the movie Honey Bee (2013) and Vaarikkuzhiyile Kolapathakam (2019).

<i>Abrahaminte Santhathikal</i> 2018 Indian Malayalam-language action thriller film

Abrahaminte Santhathikal is an Indian Malayalam-language action thriller film released in 2018, directed by debutant Shaji Padoor and written by Haneef Adeni. The film stars Mammootty and Anson Paul in the lead roles and pivotal roles of Kaniha, Tarushi, Renji Panicker, Yog Japee and Kalabhavan Shajon. Shot in Ernakulam, principal photography began on 5 January 2018 and ended in March. Gopi Sundar scores music for the film, and Mahesh Narayan handles editing.

<i>The Priest</i> (2021 film) 2021 film by Jofin T. Chacko

The Priest is a 2021 Indian Malayalam-language supernatural horror mystery film directed by debutant Jofin T. Chacko. The film stars Mammootty, Nikhila Vimal and Baby Monica. Manju Warrier appears in an extended cameo role in the second half of the film. Produced jointly by B. Unnikrishnan and Anto Joseph, the film features original score and soundtrack composed and produced by Rahul Raj.

Dooram (transl. Distance) is a 2016 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film directed by Manu Kannamthanam starring Maqbool Salmaan, Shine Tom Chacko and Bhagath Manuel. Twin sisters Aina Elsmy Sebastian and Aima Rosmy Sebastian played the female leads.

References

  1. ↑ "AOPL presents Maqbool Salman"
  2. ↑ "Matinee may be delayed"
  3. ↑ "Review: Matinee is an interesting film"
  4. ↑ Dalton L. (17 December 2012). "A drama with split personality". Deccan Chronicle. Kozhikode. p. 2.
  5. ↑ "Matinee Review"
  6. ↑ "'Matinee' Review: This Malayalam film stands out for its realistic approach"
  7. 1 2 Kiran Tom Sajan (17 December 2012). "Row over Maithili's Matinee show". Deccan Chronicle. Kochi, India. p. 3.
  8. ↑ "മൈഥിലിക്കെതിരെ കേസെടുത്തു" [Case registered against Mythili]. Deshabhimani . 19 December 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
  9. ↑ "Malayalam actress Mythili sizzles in Matinee"
  10. ↑ "Music of Malayalam film Matinee was released by Universal Music - a leading music company" Archived 30 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine
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.