Release Date : May 26, 2023
123telugu.com Rating : 3.25/5
Starring: Tovino Thomas, Lal, Narain, Aparna Balamurali, Kalayirasan, Aju Varghese, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Kunchacko Boban and others
Director: Jude Anthany Joseph
Producers: Venu Kunnappilly, CK Padma Kumar and Anto Joseph
Music Director: Nobin Paul
Cinematography: Akhil George
Editor: Chaman Chakko
Related Links : Trailer
123telugu.com Rating : 3.25/5
Starring: Tovino Thomas, Guru Somasundaram
Director: Basil Joseph
Producers: Sophia Paul
Music Director: Sushin Shyam
Cinematography : Sameer Thahir
Edited : Livingston Mathew
Minnal Murali is one of the most talked-about Malayalam films in recent times. The superhero film starring Tovino Thomas is streaming on Netflix with Telugu dubbing as well. Let’s see how it is.
Story:
Minnal Murali is set in the late 80s of a small town in Kerala. Jaison(Tovinno Thomas) is a tailor who is in love with Bincy. But she dumps him for a richer man leaving Tovino heartbroken. On the other hand, Shibu(Goru Somasundaram) works at a tea shop and still has feelings for Usha who once eloped with her boyfriend. One fine day, lighting strikes the village and hits both Jaison and Shibu. Both these men attain superpowers but Jaison uses them for good and Shibu comes in the way of Jaison. How this face-off happens is the story.
Plus Points:
The best part of Minnal Murali is the way the hero and villain are given superpowers. These powers are not over the top and it’s rare that you see a superhero in a lungi running over cars, bashing the bad guy, and saving village folk.
Lead actor, Tovino Thomas is superb in his role and showcases the transformation of an ordinary man who possesses superpowers in a beautiful way. In a way, what the character Jaison is going through inside is brought out so well by Tovino. The comedy scenes in the film are also decent.
The backdrop, screenplay, and the manner in which the superhero angle is brought in with proper logic make this film quite sensible. Guru Somasundaram who plays the fake Minnal Murali is also amazing in his role. The way he brings out his selfish side in the character looks good.
Minus Points:
The screenplay drops in a few areas. The way Jaison remembers his father and the manner in which scenes are showcased looks forced and do not bring out proper emotions.
There are a few portions where the VFX could have been better to create more impact. By the end of the film, things become a bit predictable as well. A few action sequences look a bit lengthy.
Technical Aspects:
Malayalam films are known for their solid technical aspects and Minnal Murali is no different. The BGM, different songs, and the manner in which they are placed in the narrative are good. The best part of the film is the stunning camerawork by Samir Thahir as it gives a new world to the audience. The dialogues, editing, and production design are also impressive.
Coming to the director Basil Joseph, he gets full credit to make an original superhero film and set it up in a small village. The way he extracts performances and neatly unleashes the hero-villain confrontation is quite good.
Verdict:
On the whole, Minnal Murali is a well-made superhero flick that has the right dose of action, drama, and comedy. Tovino Thomas and Guru Somasundaran nail it with their performances and the setup is endearing. Barring the slow pace, this film has some very interesting moments and ends as a good OTT watch. Go for it.
123telugu.com Rating: 3.25/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team
Cast: Sharib Hashmi, Sharad Kelkar, Rasika Dugal, Flora Saini, Harsh Chhaya, Suneeta Sengupta, Varun Sharma
Music : Amartya Bobo Rahut
Cinematography : Amalendu Chaudhary
Editor : Jayant Jathar, Vandita Chakradeo
Producers : Bipin Nadkarni, Yogesh Beldar
Director : Bipin Nadkarni
So, continuing the series of reviewing OTT shows and films, our today’s pick is the Hindi film Darbaan. The film is available on Zee 5 and let’s see how it is.
Story :
The film starts off in the late 1960s by showcasing Raicharan, the most trusted servant of the mining tycoon Naresn Tripathi(Harsh Chayya) in Dhanbad being so close to Ankul(Sharad Kelkar), who is Tripathi’s son. But in the ’70s, the mining is taken over by the government, and the Tripathi’s are left bankrupt and leave the city. Years later, Ankul, who grows up to become this family man comes back to Raicharan and asks him to take care of his family once again. Raicharan happily agrees but a crazy event lands Ankul’s son in problems. What is that problem and how did it create a rift between Ankul and Raicharan is the story.
What’s Good
Sharib Hashmi, who is becoming quite popular these days gets the central role and he excels in it. He has two phases to showcases in his age and the actor emotes quite well in the old age part. His emotional outbursts were lovely to see on screen.
Sharad Kelkar is also neat in his supporting role and adds weight to the film. The narration is soothing and simple in spite of the film being predictable. The flawless camera work and editing elevate the film well.
The BGM and the production design was good. Rasika Duggal, as always is amazing in this film as well. The way story is established in a detailed manner looks good on screen. The bygone era has been showcased so well.
What’s Bad
The story is quite old and has been narrated in many old films already. The setting is new and novelty wise, one should not expect anything here. Also, the climax looks a bit forced and could have been better. Too much time is taken to enter into the main conflict point in the second half and this is where the narration has no time to establish the issues of the protagonist well.
Verdict :
On the whole, Darbaan is a film that has a very old and predictable plot and is adapted from Khokababur Pratyabartan, a short story by Rabindranath Tagore. Though it takes its own sweet time to grow on you, the performances are the ones that will hold you together in this emotional drama.
123telugu.com Rating : 3/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team
