Tovino Thomas

Review : Minnal Murali – Malayalam(Telugu dub) film on Netflix

by 123telugu January 6, 2022

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

Click Here For Telugu Review

January 6, 2022

OTT Review : Darbaan -Hindi Film on Zee 5

by 123telugu December 9, 2020

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

Click here for Telugu Review

December 9, 2020

OTT Review : Nipah Virus – Telugu film on AHA

by 123telugu December 6, 2020

Cast: Revathi, Kunchacko Boban, Tovino Thomas, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Soubin Shahir, Indrajith Sukumaran, Madonna Sebastian and others.

Music : Sushin Shyam

Cinematography : Rajeev Ravi and Shyju Khalid

Editor : Saiju Sreedharan

Producers : Rima Kallingal and Aashiq Abu

Director : Aashiq Abu

When the deadly Novel Coronavirus outbreak began in India, acclaimed Malayalam medical thriller, Virus, was much-talked-about all over the country. The film, released in July, 2019, was based on the deadly Nipah Virus that wreaked havoc on Kerala in 2018. The film has been dubbed in Telugu as Nipah Virus and had its digital premiere on Aha on December 4. Let’s see how the film is.

Story:

The story is set in Kozhikode, Kerala, where the outbreak of Nipah Virus gripped the entire state. Zachariah Mohammad gets admitted to the Government Medical College with severe cough and vomitings. He passes away even before the doctors could identify his virus. After a few days, Nurse Akhila (Rima Kallingal) gets admitted to the hospital with similar symptoms. This gets the entire government machinery, including the state Health Minister and District Collector, get into the mission of tracing the root cause. How the government contains the virus outbreak and the issues the victim’s families faced in the society make for a thrilling and emotional watch.

Plus Points:

Director Aashiq Abu‌ comes up with a riveting thriller around the invisible virus that claimed scores of lives in Kerala’s Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. The way he realistically showcases the emotional turmoil of the victims and their families, the relentless determination of the doctors in saving their lives and the government’s mission to prevent the virus spread deserves a special mention.

Coming to the actors, even though most of the lead actors are new to Telugu audiences except Revathi, they arrest the viewers with their earnest and natural performances.

Minus Points:

Even though Aashiq Abu‌ chose a terrific storyline, the screenplay and treatment he followed to narrate the story should have been more pacy to make for an engaging experience. Certain scenes in the first half should have been trimmed to add some pace to the proceedings.

Technical Aspects:

All the technicians have done their best in assisting the director’s vision. Especially, music composer Sushin Shyam’s poignant background score adds to the pensive mood. Rajeev Ravi is one of the best cinematographers in India and he proves it yet again with his visuals, perfectly assisted by Shyju Khalid. The production values are decent even though most of the film is centred around hospitals and government offices.

Verdict:

Nipah Virus was a huge test to humanity. The director’s thought behind coming up with an emotional thriller that faced this greatest adversary must be appreciated. Barring the slow pace in certain portions, the film is quite riveting. Nipah Virus is recommended for those who appreciate emotional medical thrillers. The film will make a lasting impression especially when the Coronavirus pandemic has the entire world at its feet.

123telugu.com Rating : 3/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click here for Telugu Review

December 6, 2020

Newer Posts

Older Posts