Malikappuram
Theatrical release poster
Directed byVishnu Sasi Shankar
Written byAbhilash Pillai
Produced by
Starring
Narrated byMammootty
CinematographyVishnu Narayanan
Edited byShameer Muhammed
Music byRanjin Raj
Production
companies
Kavya Film Company
Aan Mega Media
Distributed by
Release date
  • 30 December 2022 (2022-12-30)[1]
Running time
120 minutes[2]
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam
Budget₹3.5 crore (US$440,000)[3]

Malikappuram is a 2022 Indian Malayalam-language action adventure drama film directed by Vishnu Sasi Shankar and written by Abhilash Pillai. The film stars Unni Mukundan, Deva Nandha and Sreepath in lead roles, with Sampath Ram, Saiju Kurup, Ramesh Pisharody, T. G. Ravi, Sreejith Ravi, Manoj K. Jayan, and Renji Panicker in supporting roles.[4] The plot centres around Kallu, an eight-year-old girl who is a devotee of Ayyappan and desires to visit Sabarimala Temple.

The principal photography commenced in September 2022 and the film was wrapped up in November 2022. The film was shot in places like Konni, Kalleli, Lahai, Pamba, and Sabarimala Temple and Erumely. The Cinematography was done by Vishnu Narayanan, with editing handled by Shameer Muhammed. Ranjin Raj composed the soundtrack for the film.

Malikappuram was released theatrically on 30 December 2022 and received positive reviews from critics[1] and emerged as a box office success, becoming the highest grosser in Unni Mukundan's career. It was featured at the 54th IFFI Indian panorama section.[5]

Plot

Kalyani (Kallu) is a devotee of the famous deity Ayyappan and is enthusiastic to visit the Sabarimala temple. As per religious beliefs, Kallu has a small window of two years to visit the temple as she is 8 years old. Her grandmother narrates the life of Lord Ayyappan to her, which she loves a lot. Ajayan is Kallu's father who has mortgaged their house and it is on the verge of being seized by the bank. Furthermore, Ajayan has also borrowed a huge sum from a local usurer and acquaintance Ambadi, and is unable to repay both the loans.

The bank has issued a seizure notice, which Ajayan hides from his family. Ajayan promises Kallu to take her to Sabarimala and that both will do the initial rituals for the pilgrimage, which is supposed to happen a few weeks from thereon. Ambadi publicly harasses and roughs up Ajayan, which is witnessed by Kallu. A humiliated Ajayan subsequently commits suicide out of disgrace. The bank eventually seizes Ajayan's house and Kallu’s grandmother moves in with Ajayan’s elder sister. Kallu and her mother move in with Ajayan’s friend and neighbor Unni. Kallu becomes frustrated with the fact that she is unable to go to Sabarimala because of her father's death and yells at her classmate and Unni's son Piyoosh.

Piyoosh finds that it is impossible to dissuade Kallu from pursuing her journey to Sabarimala, and decides to accompany her. Both the kids board a bus to Pamba, and en route they meet Mahi, a local goon who is also a pedophile and trafficker. Under the pretext of heading to Sabarimala, he is on the lookout for young kids. His eyes fall on both Kallu and Piyoosh. Piyoosh senses that something is wrong and tries to persuade Kallu to stop the journey and head back home, but to no avail. Meanwhile, Unni and Kallu's mother informed the police about the missing children.

Later, a man named Ayyappan boards the bus, who also seems to be heading to Sabarimala, and gets acquainted with the kids. Mahi introduces himself as the kids’ guardian uncle to Ayyappan, which Ayyappan later finds out to be false and suspects that he has some malicious intentions. After hearing their story, Ayyappan promises the kids that he will accompany them to Sabarimala. Ayyappan intimidates Mahi and an infuriated Mahi is determined to incapacitate Ayyappan and kidnap the girl. On reaching Pamba, from where they have to walk to reach the shrine, the trio discovers that the police have restricted entry for the remainder of the day as a measure to control the crowd and they will not be able to visit the temple, but an adamant Kallu leaves Ayyappan with no choice except to take a route through the forest.

Mahi’s accomplice who has been following them, informs Mahi about their movements, and he sends all of his henchmen to beat up Ayyappan and kidnap Kallu. Ayyappan is alerted of impending danger, where he successfully overpowers Mahi and his people. During the fight, Kallu visualizes Ayyappan as the actual embodiment of the deity Ayyappan and later reveals to him that she has seen him in her dreams, and shows him the drawings she made from them, which shows a man who looks just like Ayyappan. The following day, Ayyappan disappears into the crowd and the kids enter the shrine. As Kallu begins to worry and look for him, he shows up and encourages her to climb the steps to fulfill her father's wish. Later, the police hand the kids over to Unni and they are taken home. Due to the circumstances which followed, the kids believe that he was the deity Ayyappan himself.

It is then revealed that Ayyappan is actually CPO D. Ayyappadas, working at the police station in Pamba. He was alerted of the missing children and knowingly boarded the bus after having seen Kallu's photo. After hearing out their stories, he decided to make their wish come true by visiting the Sabarimala temple. Meanwhile, the police apprehended Mahi and his men, who happened to be on Tamil Nadu criminal records.

Cast

Production

Development and Filming

Unni Mukundan announced the film on December 23, 2022 for its theatrical release on December 30.[6] The principal photography of Malikappuram commenced on 12 September 2022 following a pooja ceremony at Erumely Sree Dharmasastha Temple.[7][8] K. Ananthagopan, then president of the Travancore Devaswom Board, performed the switch-on ceremony, and S. Sudarshan gave the first clap.[9] Members of the Pandalam royal family had visited the shooting location shortly after it began.[9] The film was shot in places like Konni, Kalleli, Lahai, Pamba, and Sabarimala Temple in Pathanamthitta district and Erumely in Kottayam district.[10] The filming was completed in November 2022.[11]

Music

Malikappuram
Soundtrack album by
Ranjin Raj
Released17 December 2022 (2022-12-17)
GenreFeature Film Soundtrack
LabelAnto Joseph Film Company
ProducerRanjin Raj

The film score and the songs are composed by Ranjin Raj.[12] The lyrics are written by Santhosh Varma and B.K.Harinarayanan.[4] The album consists of eight songs.[13] The first song "Ganapathi Thunayaruluka" was released on 17 December 2022.[14]

Track listing
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Kaliyuga"Ranjin Raj1:04
2."Ayyappan - Intro"Ranjin Raj1:07
3."Boothanaadha"Ranjin Raj1:00
4."Ganapathi Thunayaruluka"Madhu Balakrishnan, Anthony Daasan3:39
5."Harivarasanam"Prakash Puthoor5:46
6."Ambadi Thumbi"Vineeth Sreenivasan, Theertha Subash, Vaiga Abhilash3:11
7."Nangeli Poove"Ranjin Raj3:46
8."Onnam Padi Mele"Vineeth Sreenivasan2:00
Total length:21:33

Release

Theatrical

The film was censored with a U certificate one week prior to its release.[15][16] The film was released in theatres on 30 December 2022.[17] Geetha arts bagged the distribution rights for the film in Andhra Pradesh and Telengana.[18] The Telugu and Tamil language dubbed versions were released on 26 January 2023.[19]

Home media

Malikappuram premiered on Disney+ Hotstar on 15 February 2023[20] in Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.[21] On the occasion of Vishu, it was shown on Asianet on 15 April 2023.[22][23] The film ran for more than 40 days post-pandemic. The film also had extended runs in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations and the United Kingdom.[24]

Reception

Critical reception

Malikappuram received positive reviews from critics.[1][25]

Gopika S of The Times of India gave a rating of 3 out of 5 and wrote that "Unni Mukundan was a good choice for the role and he easily gains a superhero image among the kids. The music by Ranjin Raj is apt for the setting".[26] 123Telugu stated that: "Malikappuram clicks here and there. The movie largely benefits from the lead cast’s superior performances, and emotions work in parts. Had the movie team designed a few more exciting moments, the film’s range would have been enhanced".[27]

Sanjith Sidhardhan of OTT Play rated the film 2.5 out of 5 and wrote, "Malikappuram qualifies as a timepass watch, thanks to its decent second half, elevated by a delightful performance by Unni Mukundan."[28] Mathrubhumi wrote, "Vishnu Narayanan's camera played a huge role in preparing the right frames and the film cannot be complete without talking about the performances of the children who played Kalyani and Piyush."[29]

Meera Manu of News 18 Malayalam "As a maiden film, director Vishnu Shashi Shankar is coming up with a film that will satisfy the core audience, the family audience. The camera and editing departments have done a good job in bringing the film to the screen without being monotonous."[30]

Box office

Malikappuram, which was made on a budget of ₹3.5 crore (US$440,000), was a commercial success at the box office. It grossed ₹40 crore (US$5.0 million) in the third week[31] and ₹50 crore (US$6.3 million) in the final week of January, becoming a commercial success.[32][33]

Accolades

Year Award Category Recipient Result Ref.
2022 Kerala Film Critics Association Awards Best Popular Film Malikappuram Won [34]
Best Child Artist Deva Nandha Won

References

  1. 1 2 3 "'Malikappuram' Twitter review: Netizens call the Unni Mukundan starrer 'Mollywood's 'Kantara'". Times of India. 30 December 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  2. ↑ "Malikappuram". British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  3. ↑ "'Malikappuram' box office collection: Unni Mukundan starrer enters the 100- crore club". The Times of India. 2023-01-22. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  4. 1 2 "Unni Mukundan's next 'Malikappuram' starts rolling". The Times of India. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  5. ↑ "Indian Panorama 2023 Announces Official Selection for 54th IFFI, 2023". Press Information Bureau. 23 October 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023 – via press release.
  6. ↑ "Unni Mukundan Announces Release Date Of His Next Malayalam Film Malikappuram". News18. 2022-12-24. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  7. ↑ "Makers of 'Malikappuram' launch the first look poster on Unni Mukundan's birthday!". The Times of India. 2022-09-22. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  8. ↑ "Unni Mukundan to headline Malikappuram". Cinema Express. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  9. 1 2 "Pandalam royal family visits sets of Unni Mukundan-starrer 'Malikappuram'". OnManorama. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  10. ↑ "'മാളികപ്പുറം"നൂറ് കോടി ക്ലബ്ബിലേക്ക് മല കയറുന്നു". Konni Vartha. 2023-01-24. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  11. ↑ "'മാളികപ്പുറ'ത്തിന് പാക്കപ്പ്; സഹപ്രവര്‍ത്തകര്‍ക്കൊപ്പം ചുവടുവച്ച് ഉണ്ണി മുകുന്ദന്‍: വീഡിയോ". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd (in Malayalam). 2022-11-02. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  12. ↑ "History of Malikappuram: Mammootty lends his voice to the Unni Mukundan starrer". India Times. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  13. ↑ "Malikappuram (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Youtube Music. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  14. ↑ "NEWSFirst song of Unni Mukundan movie Malikappuram released". Kerala Kaumudi. 17 December 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  15. ↑ "Unni Mukundan's Malikappuram With A Clean U Certificate; Film All Set To Hit Theatres". xappie News. 23 December 2022.
  16. ↑ "ക്ലീൻ യു സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് നേടി ഉണ്ണി മുകുന്ദൻ ചിത്രം 'മാളികപ്പുറം' ; ഡിസംബർ 30നു തിയേറ്ററുകളിൽ". Zee News. 24 December 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  17. ↑ "Unni Mukundan Announces Release Date Of His Next Malayalam Film Malikappuram". News 18. 24 December 2022. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  18. ↑ "Malikappuram: Allu Arjun to distribute Unni Mukundan's film on Sabarimala in Telugu, release date out". OTTPlay. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  19. ↑ "Unni Mukundan starrer 'Malikappuram' Telugu version gets a release date". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  20. ↑ "Malikappuram, The Romantics, African Queens, The Night Manager, Unlocked: OTT releases this week". The Week. Retrieved 2023-02-21.
  21. ↑ "Malikappuram gets OTT release date". The Indian Express. 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
  22. ↑ "Vishu 2023 Television Premieres: മലയാള ടെലിവിഷൻ ചാനലുകളിലെ വിഷുകാല ചിത്രങ്ങൾ". Indian Express Malayalam (in Malayalam). 2023-04-14. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  23. ↑ KS, Anish (2023-04-12). "Alone & Malikappuram Are The Vishu Day Premiers Of Asianet On April 15 , Saturday". Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  24. ↑ "Malikappuram OTT release: Date, OTT platform and all other details here". The Economic Times. 2023-02-10. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  25. ↑ nirmal. "ഉണ്ണി മുകുന്ദനൊപ്പം മല കയറുന്ന പ്രേക്ഷകര്‍; 'മാളികപ്പുറം' റിവ്യൂ". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd (in Malayalam). Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  26. ↑ "Malikappuram Movie Review : Kids' movie on faith". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  27. ↑ "Malikappuram Telugu Movie Review". 123Telugu. 2023-01-26. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  28. ↑ "Malikappuram review: Unni Mukundan's 'divine act' is the saving grace". OTTPlay. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  29. ↑ "അയ്യപ്പനോടൊപ്പം കുട്ടികളുടെ സുന്ദരമായ യാത്ര: പ്രേക്ഷകമനസ്സ് നിറച്ച് മാളികപ്പുറം | Movie Review". Mathrubhumi. 2022-12-30. Retrieved 2023-11-03.
  30. ↑ "Malikappuram review | മാളികപ്പുറം: വിഷ്വൽ എഫക്ടും ത്രീ ഡിയും ഇല്ലാതെയൊരു സൂപ്പർ ഹീറോയും കുട്ടി ഹീറോകളും". News18 മലയാളം (in Malayalam). 2022-12-30. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  31. ↑ "'Malikappuram' box office day 17: Unni Mukundan starrer crosses Rs 40 crore, amidst big-ticket releases 'Thunivu' and 'Varisu'". The Times of India. 2023-01-17. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  32. ↑ "മുടക്ക് 3.50 കോടി; ബോക്സ്ഓഫിസിൽ 50 കോടി വാരി മാളികപ്പുറം". ManoramaOnline (in Malayalam). Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  33. ↑ "'മാളികപ്പുറം' 50 കോടി ക്ലബ്ബിൽ; ഉണ്ണി മുകുന്ദന്റെ കരിയറിലെ ഏറ്റവും വലിയ ഹിറ്റ്". Mathrubhumi. 2023-01-21. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  34. ↑ "Kerala Film Critics Awards: Darshana Rajendran, Kunchacko Boban are best actors; B 32 Muthal 44 Vare and Headmaster named best film". The Indian Express. 2023-05-23. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
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