This weekend will see more South Indian films release than Hindi movies.
The Hindi remake of director RS Prasanna’s Kalyana Samayal Saadham is releasing, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar and titled Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. Vijay Sethupathi’s Puriyatha Puthir is also finally releasing, long after it was launched in 2013. There’s also Baadshaho, Paisa Vasool, Velipadinte Pusthakam, and Njandukalude Naattil Oridavel, and Pullikkaaran Staraa.
Here’s our preview of this weekend’s biggest releases:
Baadshaho (Hindi)
Badshaho
Milan Luthria’s Baadshaho is a thriller set in the 1975-77 Emergency years. Starring Ajay Devgn, Ileana D’Cruz, Emraan Hashmi, Vidyut Jammwal, Esha Gupta, and Sanjay Mishra, the film focuses on a royal family of Rajasthan and how their property is looted when the Emergency is declared.
Luthria has elsewhere said that he believes that casting different stars would generate more interest. The film also has actress Sunny Leone featuring in a special dance song “Piya More”.
Ileana D’Cruz, who plays a princess in the film, told IANS that shooting in the suffocating space of a jail actually enhanced her performance:
“My character Geetanjali is based on a real character from Rajasthan’s royal family…..[O]ne of the memorable shooting experiences was during the shoot in a filthy jail. It was quite a suffocating space where we shot. Interestingly, my character was also going through a suffocating phase of her life in the film. So I think shooting in the filthy prison added to my performance in the film.”
Ankit Tiwari is the music director.
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (Tamil)
Shubh Mangal
It’s a good year for actor Ayushmann Khurrana. His third film this year, directed by RS Prasanna, releases only two weeks after Bareily Ki Barfi.
Shubh Mangal Saavdhan is the latest Hindi film to touch upon the topic of sex. The trailer gives viewers a glimpse of a soon-to-be married couple’s lives and the erectile dysfunction problem that plays havoc with their pre- and post-nuptial plans. Ayushman plays Mudit Sharma, engaged to Sugandha, played by Bhumi Pednekar.
The film is also a remake of Prasanna’s 2013 film — Kalyana Samayal Saadham, starring Lekha Washington and Prasanna.
Speaking about why he chose this film, Ayushmann Khurrana, in an interview with Silverscreen, said that director Prasanna knew how to derive humour from the familiar.
“Director RS Prasanna once told me that when you place an unusual topic in a usual setting, humour will emanate from the resultant chaos and awkwardness. That’s what performance anxiety and the middle-class setting do for this film. Besides that, the average age of the team was 30. It’s the youngest team I’ve worked with. It’s also the first time I’ve called a director by name — every other director I’ve worked with has been older than me!”
With music composed by Tanishk-Vayu, the project is bankrolled by Colour Yellow Productions, Eros International, and Y Not Studios.
Puriyadha Puthir (Tamil)
Gayathrie and Vijay Sethupathi in Mellisai Movie Stills
Mellisai Movie StillsVijay Sethupathi and Gayathrie Shankar’s long-delayed film, Puriyatha Puthir (previously titled Mellisai), is finally released. Directed by Ranjit Jeyakodi, the film is billed to be a psychological thriller.
The film’s production began in December 2013, and was completed in mid-2014. The audio launch of the film was held in 2015. The film has music composed by Sam CS, cinematography by Dinesh Krishnan, and is produced by Rebel Studio.
Kurangu Bommai (Tamil)
P Bharathiraja and Vidharth in Kurangu Bommai Movie Stills
Kurangu Bommai Movie StillsKurangu Bommai is a drama written and directed by Nithilan Swaminathan. The film features Vidharth, Delna Davis, and Bharathiraja in the lead roles. Vidharth and Bharathiraja play father and son, Sundaram and Kathir respectively, with the son concerned about his father working for a smuggler named Ekambaram (PL Thenappan).
Made on a budget of Rs 2.5 crores, the film is produced by Shreya Sri Movies LLP, and has music by Kannada composer B Ajaneesh Loknath.
Paisa Vasool (Telugu)
Paisa Vasool
Paisa Vassol is Balakrishna’s 101st film, and he even sings a song in it.
Directed by Puri Jagannadh, Paisa Vasool stars Nandamuri Balakrishna, Shriya Saran, Kyra Dutt, Kabir Bedi, and Vikramjit Virk. This is Balakrishna’s first film with Jagannadh.
An action-comedy where Balakrishna plays a hitman named Theda Singh, Paisa Vasool promises eye-catching stunts and good comedy. It has music composed by Anup Rubens, with Balakrishna singing one song, “Mama Ek Peg La“.
Velipadinte Pusthakam (Malayalam)
VP
Directed by Lal Jose, Velipadinte Pusthakam‘s title was officially announced a few months ago on Mohanlal’s 57th birthday.
Anna Reshma (Angamaly Diaries) plays the female lead in the film. The supporting cast includes Anoop Menon, Siddique, Salim Kumar, Kalabhavan Shajon, Shivaji Guruvayoor, Sharanya, Arun, and Swapna.
Antony Perumbavoor is the producer, and lyricists Vayalar Sarathchandravarma, Rafeeq Ahmed, Santhosh Varma, Anil Panachooran and Manu Manjith have worked on the songs.
Benny P Nayarambalam has written the script.
Other Malayalam releases include Njandukalude Naattil Oridavel and Pullikkaaran Staraa
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