We spoke to a few Kochiites who have been opting for multiplexes these days, and here is what they think about it! Mathews Wilson, who works with a software firm in Kochi, says that he likes multiplexes mainly due to their cleanliness and hygiene. “When I hear the movie is good, I prefer watching it in a multiplex, whereas if it’s a mediocre one, I prefer the normal theatre. But today, most of them go to a multiplex due to the hype and publicity given to it”, said Mathews. “But honestly, I would go to a multiplex now, be it with family or friends”, added Mathews.

Terine Lewis, a resident of Kochi says that the switching over to multiplexes these days is due to the change in our lifestyles. “Youngsters prefer fancy places. So they wouldn’t go to the local theatres. Multiplexes are way better any day”, says Terine.

So now we understand that unless owners of the theaters take some smart initiatives, you would very soon find a city where theatres are not seen, and rather ruled by multiplexes!

Maybe he does not carry off the ‘angry young man’ image which was expected from this young superstar especially with the kind of role that was assigned to him in his debut movie. But he has made sure that his audience doesn’t get bored of him, not one bit. It has been just a few days (and not even a week!) since ‘Second Show’ has released, and Dulquar is already in the news for good reasons. Here is what Kochi youngsters think of Dulquar Salman, the budding superstar.

“I had very less expectations about this guy. Especially being Mammooty’s son, and so much of hype given, I thought he wouldn’t be up to the mark. But Dulquar was awesome in ‘Second Show’”, says Ashraf K., a resident of Kochi. “Dulquar needs to take more lessons on acting, but as a newcomer he has done a splendid job”, said Anand, an engineering student from Kochi. “The hype given to him is worth it. He is unique and good. And he has done quite a decent job as a newcomer”, added Anand.

I loved his performance. He needs to improve a bit when it comes to certain emotional scenes. He has the substance to become a hero, and we look forward for more from him. In a whole, Dulquar was awesome”, said Lakshmi, lecturer at Model Engineering College, Kochi. Dulquar seems to have captured the minds of men and women alike, and Malayali’s are waiting for more from this young superstar!

Starring Indrajith, Nishan, Murali Gopy, Anoop Menon, Mythili and Tanushree Gosh, the movie will be a treat for an audience who appreciates and welcomes uniqueness. Gopi Sunder’s music will add an extra charm to the movie. The trailer of the movie is out. The wait for EAK begins, but for now you can check out the trailer video! Here is the link!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=3248522094626

57 films which have been short listed by a jury from over 420 entries will be screened for the festival. Works of eminent film-makers like Avijit Mukul Kishore, Sanjeev Shivan and Aparna Sanyal will also be screened for ‘Script 2012’. Cash prizes and laurels await the winners for the fest. Movies, all the way from U.S.A, Pakistan, Italy, Germany, Japan, Lebanon, Norway and more, will be shown at the film festival. Movies of students from institutions like Centre for Media and Cultural Studies, National Institute of Design, Satyajit Ray Film Institute etc. will also be screened.

Eminent film-maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan will hand over the prizes to the winners on January 21^st 2012 at Casino Hotel. The screenings will begin at 8. 45 a.m on both the days. For more details, log onto www.scriptfilmfest.in or call them at 984034787.

The event will happen at AJ Hall, and will be on from 4. 15 p.m to 7. 30 p.m. There will be a live band performance which can entertain you all evening. A hand mime choreography which will be conducted is another attraction for the evening. A short film will be screened after the show, which concentrates on ‘hope’. The film named ‘New Year Ride’ is directed by Collins-Paul.

The event will highlight on hope and the importance of expecting a better brighter future. The organizers expect youngsters to take part in the event, and they believe the event will help in reviving youth. You can enter the event for free, but make sure that you carry the event passes. Contact Collin at 9633476469 to get the passes.

Malayalam movie-buffs, we have some great news for you too. If you are Asif Ali fan, you would not want to miss ‘Asuravithu’, Everyone has been waiting for the release of this movie, and with Samvritha Sunil, Lena etc. playing the lead roles, you would love watching this. The movie is directed by A. K. Sajan and Asif Ali plays the role of Don Bosco, a young religious man who works for a seminary. Certain incidents change the life of this young man. Go watch it yourselves to know where the movie can take you!

‘Kunjaliyan’ starring Jayasurya is the next one. A complete family entertainer, this movie would not fail to entertain. The movie is directed by Saji Surendran who has gifted us with some great flicks like ‘Happy Husbands’, ‘Ivar Vivahithatayal’ and ‘Four Friends’. ‘Orkut oru Ormakoottu’ will be something which you would not want to miss. With Rima Kallingal in the lead role, and more than four young fresh faces making their entry to Malayalam cinema through this movie, ‘Orkut oru Ormakoottu’ would not fail to amuse you.

And yes, we do have many more running in our theatres including Oru Marubhoomi Katha, Don- 2, Beautiful etc. If you haven’t watched them, make sure you try them out this weekend itself. In the mood for Hollywood? Then watch Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol or Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

Well, this looks like some real great treat! Who would want to miss this? Make sure you check the new flicks this weekend itself.

We are bidding good-bye to 2011. Were 2011 more of goods or bads’ for you?

I got to work with some great directors and real good movies in 2011. That includes Sevens, Doctor Love and Innanente Kalyanam. I could taste the bitter side of flop flicks as well. This year offered me a mix! Doing good movies makes me happy. Of course, 2011 offered me more of goods than bads. And what more!? Being a part of CCL, the celebrity cricket club, I could meet maestros like Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan! I got a wider platform this year.

Some of your movies did not do well in the Box office. Do you regret having chosen them?

Not really. So far, I’am happy with all my roles and characters except for the one I did for the movie ‘Holidays’. That movie was an experimental one though. Throughout my career till date, I could work with great directors and experts. I have done seven movies in the last four years. It was a roller coaster ride. But I did enjoy it!

How was your entry into movies?

I was always passionate about cinema, and wanted to become a script writer someday. Once I had gone to the location of the movie ‘Karuthapakshikal’, directed by Kamal sir. That is when his assistant noticed me, and asked me if I’am interested to do a movie. I was thrilled and gave my number too. Very soon I got a call from Kamal sir. That is ‘Goal’ happened.

Competition in the industry is a little too high, especially amongst young actors. Isn’t it a little too difficult to fit into the gap?

Of course competition is inevitable in any field. I believe unless there is healthy competition, there won’t be growth. We all look for good opportunities. I take up movies which I’am comfortable working in. But yea, competition is good.

You aren’t seen in ads and videos. Not interested?

Well, I got a couple of offers. But it was more of doing the marketing for them than being the ambassador. Also, the brands I got weren’t that great. I would work for ads for sure. Let something better come by my way.

Tell us something about your personal life.

My dad and mom are settled in Abu Dhabi. My sister is married and she too stays there with her husband. I did a major chunk of my schooling from Abu Dhabi and Thrissur also. I was in Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Thrissur from my 9^th standard. I’am currently pursuing my MBA along with movies! I think education comes first than anything else.

All the girls out there want to know if you are single?

I’am very much single, and ready to mingle.

Which are your forthcoming movies?

I have signed three films for now. One of them is a movie directed by newcomer Rajesh. I also have a Tamil movie which will start its shoot sometime early next year.

You are a part of Kerala’s celebrity cricket team. How does it feel being a part of this prestigious team?

It is an ‘adipoli’ experience. This is a great platform for actors to come together. Actors don’t get to see each other unless there is a marriage or some function happening. Here, we all got to get together and have loads of fun. Being with Lalettan is awesome. It’s all about fun and entertainment.

Message to Kochivibe readers!?

Luck is inevitable in any field. I work in an industry where you cannot do it without a good destiny and prayers. So please keep supporting me and pray for me. Please do not download movies from torrent and Youtube. Don’t buy duplicate CD’s also. Make sure you watch movies from theatres only. Thank you so much!

The success of his first movie attempt has given this young man immense confidence and he says that the support he has been receiving is overwhelming. “Karmacode has been screened for a few movie festivals. I’am glad people accepted it. Karmacode is an official selection at IFFA 2011 at Ahmedabad and at the ‘Show me Justice’ film festival at Kansas City in U.S.A. Two other festivals that gave positive feedback were Bodega Film Festival (U.S.A) and HOLLYSHORTS (Hollywood). They couldn’t include our film due to the erroneous audio quality”, says Vinod.

Vinod has been professionally trained in short-film making from the reputed Copenhagen Media School. He has done five short films in Denmark even before his venture ‘Karmacode’. Vinod makes sure his passion is not solely money-oriented. “I make films to educate myself, and not to mint money out of them. Funds are required. But for me, cinema has been a passion. My starts who acted in Karmacode including Ronnie Daniel, Vinay Fort, Ahmed Shaheen, Suraj Ramakrishnan all did the work for free”, added Vinod.

Vinod is all set to work full-fledged for ‘Karmacurrency’, and he says he has just 15 days to complete the movie. “I’am in Kochi now for ‘Karmacurrency’. I have to start my work, right from finding the cast and crew to post-production work, all in 15 days”, says this young director.

The movie is being funded through ‘Crowd Funding’. Oh yeah, the term is pretty new to most of us. Crowd funding is a system where people can donate money through websites. In return, their names appear on the credits or they get a small percentage of the movie profit etc. “There are two websites through which you can do Crowd funding now. IndieGoGo and Kickstarter. Mine is being done through IndieGoGo. So you can also be part of the team by funding for our film”, added Mr. Vinod.

Vinod says that good friends and his love for the city are the pioneer reasons which draw him to Kochi always. With his new movie on the go, let us wish Vinod Bharathan, all the best! We hope to see more of lovely flicks from you. Good Luck!

The festival is organized as part of the memorial of Late Shri Sarath Chandran, a renowned Documentary maker. 20 short films and 5 documentaries will be screened at the event.  For more details, contact sreenathk17296@gmail.com

V.K. Prakash, through ‘Beautiful’ proved that movies can be narrated in style. Maybe his last flick ‘Three Kings’ proved to be a disaster for the audience who had to forcefully hold tight to their seats for solid 2-3 hours. ‘Beautiful’ breaks all stereotypes. The brilliant performances of Jayasurya, Anoop Menon and Meghna Raj add double splendour to the movie. Anoop Menon, as a script-writer, has done a remarkable job.

Stephen Louis (Jayasurya) is the son of a deceased land owner and millionaire. Stephen is paralysed, and has been remaining a vegetable ever since birth. John (Anoop Menon) enters his life as a friend/comrade/singer/employee (watch the movie to know what we are talking about here with so many synonyms attached J) to make his life brighter and happier. They find solace in each other’s company transgressing deteriorates life offers. Anjali (Meghna Raj), the home-nurse to Stephen is the personification of enchantment. And the story moves forth….

Another noteworthy aspect would be the cinematography by Jomon. T. John. This new young talent promises to be a blessing to Malayalam cinema, hence ensuring his place in the industry. Music by Rathesh Vegha has already fetched a huge fan following. The song ‘Mazhathullikal’ was a super hit on Youtube and social networking sites even before release of the movie.

The character Stephen (Jayasurya) is all about positives, a characteristic or feature which finds tremendous trouncing in the contemporary times. Remember ‘Guzarish’ where Ethan (Hrithik Roshan) was pleading for mercy killing because he was paralyzed. OH! This is quite different, and all about having the zest and vigour to live life. No matter how much we ask ourselves to ‘B POSITIVE’, we realise that we fail in implementing it. Look at how Stephen views life!!!

Each and every actor in the movie has put forth a splendid performance and the movie is a lovely watch. Life is complicated. Relationships get strange. All we can do is live life to the fullest, and in the meantime enjoy. No matter where you come from or what age you are, it’s all about ‘being happy’.

Let us hope we get to see more such flicks in Malayalam! Congratulations ‘Beautiful’ crew!