Neru
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJeethu Joseph
Written by
  • Santhi Mayadevi
  • Jeethu Joseph
Produced byAntony Perumbavoor
StarringMohanlal
CinematographySatheesh Kurup
Edited byV. S. Vinayak
Music byVishnu Shyam
Production
company
Distributed by
  • Aashirvad Release (India)
  • Phars Film Company (overseas)
  • Aashirvad Cinemas Co. LLC (overseas)
Release date
  • 21 December 2023 (2023-12-21)
Running time
152 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam
Budget₹12 crores[1]
Box office₹84crores [2]

Neru (pronounced [n̪eːɾə]; transl. Truth) is a 2023 Indian Malayalam-language courtroom drama film directed by Jeethu Joseph, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Santhi Mayadevi. It was produced and distributed by Antony Perumbavoor of Aashirvad Cinemas. The film stars Mohanlal, Siddique, Anaswara Rajan along with Priyamani, Santhi Mayadevi, Jagadish, K. B. Ganesh Kumar and Sankar Induchoodan in the supporting roles. The music was composed by Vishnu Shyam.

Principal photography took place between August and October 2023 in and around Thiruvananthapuram. It was released in theatres worldwide on 21 December 2023.

Neru opened to positive reviews from critics with praise directed at Mohanlal, Anaswara Rajan and Siddique for their performances.

Plot

Sara Mohammed, a blind girl is raped. The police lose hope as there is no scope of identifying the offender. Sara, with her sculptor skills, make a statue of her rapist and based on the similarities, they arrest Michael Joseph, son of a major Mumbai-based business man. Michael's parents hire Advocate Rajashekhar, a renowned lawyer. Due to the public prosecutor being unprepared, alongside Rajashekhar’s twisting questioning tactics, Michael is granted bail, an unforeseen situation in cases like this. While Sara’s family receives a settlement offer from them, they decide to fight.

CI Paul Varghese, the investigating officer, suggests Vijayamohan, a brilliant lawyer as a special public prosecutor, as no other advocates will take the job owing to Rajashekhar’s influence. However, he is no long a practicing advocate. In the past, Vijayamohan was a junior advocate to Rajashekar alongside his daughter, who he got close to. Unhappy with their relationship, Rajashekar committed foul play that led to Vijayamohan getting disbarred for 5 years. Initially reluctant to fight the case, Vijayamohan meets Sara and decides to take it up.

As the trial begins, Rajashekar uses many tactics such as the character assassination of Sara’s parents, her father, Mohammed, was previously married, and left his first family for Sara’s mother. He also implies that Sara’s father was the culprit, and that this story was concocted to trap a rich boy. Vijayamohan’s key witness, Sara’s neighbor and Michael’s friend, who he stayed with the day of the rape, also changed his testimony, making the plaintiff’s case implausible. Additionally, no semen sample was found, leading to no scientific or eyewitness evidences available and making the case an open-and-shut one.

Rajashekar asserts that during the time of the incident, Michael was with his friends at a party in a different area. Surveillance footage of the places he visited alongside the cell tower locations corroborate this story, shocking the plaintiff. However, Vijayamohan discovers that the surveillance footage was edited by Rajashekar and Michael left his phone in the car of a company driver to make it seem like he was there. Media activists are also riled up due to this case, leading to Michael’s fiancé to break off their engagement. Enraged, Michael shows up at Sara’s house again and threatens her to withdraw the case.

Sara’s family, however, continue to fight the case. Witnesses who claimed to be with Michael at the time of the crime are proved to have not been with him by Vijayamohan, due to discrepancies in their story. Vijayamohan is still not convinced that this case can be won, as the plaintiff has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty, and the current eyewitnesses cannot prove that. The sculpture, which was her way of ‘sight’, is discredited, due to her father also being a skilled sculptor and possibly being the creator of the sculpture. Sara creates another sculpture based off of a random person in the courtroom to prove her sculptures are accurate. The person picked is Rajashekar, who tries to upset her so that the sculpture is messed up. Sara is still able to sculpt it perfectly, making an exact replica of Rajashekar. Michael is imprisoned for life, and Sara walks out of the courtroom with no cover, refusing to be anonymous and gaining respect from the media people around her (who refuse to film her) and the world.

Cast

  • Mohanlal as Advocate Vijayamohan, the special public prosecutor appearing for Sara and Poornima's ex boyfriend
  • Siddique as Advocate Rajashekhar, the defense lawyer appearing for Micheal and Poornima's father
  • Anaswara Rajan as Sara Mohammed, a blind sculptor
  • Priyamani as Advocate Poornima, Rajashekhar's daughter and Vijayamohan's ex-girlfriend
  • Santhi Mayadevi as Advocate Ahaana, Vijayamohan's junior (old)
  • Jagadish as Mohammed, Sara's stepfather
  • K. B. Ganesh Kumar as CI Paul Varghese
  • Mathew Varghese as Judge
  • Haritha G. Nair as Advocate Aswathy, Vijayamohan's junior (new)
  • Sreedhanya as Parveen, Sara's mother
  • Sankar Induchoodan as Michael Joseph, the main culprit
  • Harikrishnan as Jayachandran, Michael's Friend
  • Aditi Ravi as Nikhila Jayachandran, Jayachandran's wife
  • Nandhu as Public Prosecutor (cameo appearance)
  • Sabitta George as Ancy, Micheal's mother
  • Dinesh Prabhakar as Robin
  • Krishna Prabha as Doctor
  • Kalesh Ramanand as Vinod, Michael's friend
  • Poojappura Radhakrishnan as Vijayamohan's clerk
  • Prashant Nair as CI Martin Joseph
  • Ramadevi
  • Resmi Anil as Seema, Mohammed's house servant
  • Antony Perumbavoor as Mohammed's neighbour
  • Santhi Antony as Mohammed's neighbour
  • Kalabhavan Jinto as junior advocate
  • Chef Pillai
  • Rajesh Hebbar
  • Anup Achuthath Unnikrishnan as advocate

Production

Development

I asked Shanti to write down in order as to how the legal procedures would unfold for such a case. But once she wrote it, I realised that it would be ideal for a series but there are different sets of challenges when you package it for a film. Also, there is a risk of monotony that can creep into the narrative. So the challenge was to keep it engaging and play to the gallery a bit without taking away the authenticity.

 – Jeethu Joseph about the challenges in writing.[3]

On 13 July 2023, producer Antony Perumbavoor officially announced an untitled film directed by Jeethu Joseph and starring Mohanlal. This project, with a working title Production No.33, signifies the 33rd production from Aashirvad Cinemas, with filming set to commence in August that year.[4] It was reported that Mohanlal would complete his work in a single short schedule before the commencement of the filming of Prithviraj Sukumaran-directed L2: Empuraan, which was postponed due to Prithviraj's leg injury, allowing Mohanlal to engage in Neru.[5]

The title was officially announced on 12 August with a moster featuring the tagline "seeking justice," along with the title presented in Braille inscription. Neru marks the fifth collaboration between Mohanlal and Jeethu. The film was authored by Santhi Mayadevi and Jeethu, with the former having previously collaborated with Jeethu as an actress in Drishyam 2.[6][7] Jeethu conceived the story several years ago. Santhi, a professional lawyer, was initially hired by Jeethu to assist him in writing the court scenes in Drishyam 2.[8] Impressed by her contributions, he invited her to co-write Neru.[3] Jeethu shared the story with her on the set of Drishyam 2. She characterized the genre of the film as a "courtroom drama". Santhi explained that they approached the courtroom scenes in a more realistic manner, deviating from the dramatic courtrooms typically portrayed in films.[9] According to Jeethu, his intention was to make an authentic courtroom drama that incorporates all technical procedures while maintaining a balance between dramatic elements and procedural tone. He said he was careful not to "stretch" the film with excessive realism. His objective was to offer a real courtroom experience to the majority of the audience who may not have encountered such a setting in real life.[3]

Casting

Mohanlal plays a lawyer in the film.[10] Priyamani was cast in an important female role.[11] She joined the sets in September 2023.[12] Anaswara Rajan was cast as Sara, a blind sculptor, around whom the story unfolds.[13] Santhi Mayadevi, who initially had no plans to act in her own screenplay, eventually took on a role in the film at the invitation of Jeethu.[9] The cast also includes Jagadish, K. B. Ganesh Kumar, Siddique, Aditi Ravi, Nandhu, Dinesh Prabhakar, Sankar Induchoodan, Mathew Varghese, Kalesh Ramanand, Ramadevi, Sreedhanya, Kalabhavan Jinto, Resmi Anil, and Prashant Nair.[14]

Filming

Principal photography commenced on 17 August 2023, coinciding with the commencement of the Malayalam month of Chingam, considered an auspicious day. It began with a customary pooja function held at the Freemasons Club in Vazhuthacaud, Kerala. Subsequent filming took place in and around Thiruvananthapuram.[15][16] Mohanlal joined the sets in Chitranjali Studio in early September.[14] Filming was wrapped up on 4 October 2023. Satheesh Kurup was the cinematographer.[17] Art director was Boban, while costumes were designed by Jeethu's wife Linta Jeethu.[7]

Music

The film's music was composed by Vishnu Shyam with lyrics for the songs written by Vinayak Sasikumar.[7] A pre-release single, "Roohe", was released on 19 December 2023, sung by Karthik along with a chorus by Shyam and Cathy Jeethu. The Times of India called it an "evocative composition" that showcases the "emotional ambiance of the narrative" which "further cemented the film's genre as an emotional drama".[18]

Release

Theatrical

Neru was released in theatres worldwide on 21 December 2023.[19] According to the media, the slot, initially reserved for Mohanlal's directorial debut, Barroz, was reassigned to Neru due to delays in post-production.[20] The film competed with other major Christmas releases, such as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Dunki, and Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire.[21]

Home media

The streaming rights of the film were acquired by Disney+ Hotstar.[22]

Reception

Critical response

Neru opened to positive reviews from critics praising the cast performances (particularly Mohanlal, Siddique and Anaswara Rajan), direction, screenplay, and editing.

Neru allegedly have similarities with the plot and certain scenes of the English movie "Sketch Artist II: Hands That See".[23]

Anna Mathews of The Times of India gave 4.5 out of 5 stars and wrote that Mohanlal's and Siddique's David-Goliath battle "keeps viewers on the edge of their seats and emotional for the full 152-minute duration of the film. You will barely take your eyes off the screen" and noted that the film merits from its realistic story, "nonetheless, it is no less massy, and will appeal to all audiences". She also praised the cast, particularly Mohanlal's "superb subdued performance".[24] Sajin Shrijith of The New Indian Express rated 3.5 out of 5 stars, describing it a "sensitive, insightful legal drama with an unwavering focus", acknowledging the makers for ensuring "Mohanlal's presence doesn't take the limelight away from Anaswara and the issues addressed". He singled out the performances of Mohanlal, Anaswara and Siddique, and praised the makers for exploring "various intricacies of the legal system" and its call for increased sensitivity from the public.[25]

Sowmya Rajendran of Moneycontrol stated that "the screenplay is so fast-paced and the performances so superlative that Neru is almost always riveting even when it takes cinematic liberties".[26] K. Janani of India Today gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Neru is a riveting courtroom drama that holds your attention throughout. And to have Mohanlal belting out dialogues on consent, women's rights and victim-shaming makes this film a worthy addition to the long list of women empowerment films."[27] S. R. Praveen of The Hindu said the film "almost delivers a cathartic high" and that "Mohanlal is back to form with an understated performance, while Jeethu Joseph has found his mojo in this mostly riveting legal drama".[28]

Nirmal Narayanan of International Business Times India commented that "Neru is not a fully-fledged commercial entertainer. But it is an emotional courtroom drama which will make you thrill until the credit starts rolling". He particularly praised the acting of Mohanlal and Anaswara, and the background score.[29] Pavithra A. of The Week called it an "engaging courtroom drama" and concluded that "Jeethu Joseph's touch is evident throughout the film, reminding me of Drishyam and its sequel". She praised Mohanlal, Anaswara, and Siddique and rated 3 out of 5 stars.[30] Rating 3 out of 5 stars, Cris from The News Minute described it a "poignant court drama" and added that "despite its amateurish setting, Neru becomes an important film with a few careful arguments, strongly worded and delivered by its key actors, from Mohanlal to Anaswara Rajan".[31]

Swathi P. Ajith of Onmanorama wrote, "Neru is undeniably a satisfying and enjoyable watch, marking a successful return for Mohanlal in more serious roles. Witnessing Mohanlal portraying a lawyer and participating in thrilling courtroom debates for the case is truly refreshing."[32] Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote that Mohanlal's performance makes the "150-minute runtime feel less prolonged. By fully immersing himself in the narrative and the filmmaker’s vision, Mohanlal avoids letting his star persona become a burden to the story. He adeptly portrays the role of Vijayamohan with precision, balancing the character’s vulnerability and abilities without overshadowing Vijayamohan’s ordinary nature".[33]

Sequels and spin-offs

In a pre-release promotional discussion in December 2023, Mohanlal, Jeethu, Santhi, and Antony disclosed that potential sequels to Neru might happen if the first film proves successful at the box office. These sequels would explore additional cases handled by advocate Vijayamohan.[34] Mohanlal also mentioned the possibility of spin-offs centered around other characters.[35]

References

  1. ↑ https://ndtv.in/bollywood/this-63-year-old-actor-film-released-amid-dunki-and-salaar-noise-earned-seven-times-more-than-budget-4833694
  2. ↑ https://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/movie-news/2024/01/08/neru-enters-8-crore-club-within-its-third-week.html
  3. 1 2 3 Menon, Neelima (14 December 2023). "Jeethu Joseph: 'Mohanlal's fans are used to larger-than-life characters of the actor'". Moneycontrol.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  4. ↑ ETimes.in (13 July 2023). "Mohanlal and Jeethu Joseph to collaborate for Production No. 33". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  5. ↑ Team Newsable (13 July 2023). "Malayalam superstar Mohanlal to star in Jeethu Joseph's next film; read details". Asianet News. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  6. ↑ Chakraborty, Saikat (14 August 2023). "Mohanlal teams up with Drishyam director Jeethu Joseph for legal drama Neru". Telegraph India. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 ETimes.in (12 August 2023). "Mohanlal and Jeethu Joseph team up for 'Neru'; here's the first look poster". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  8. ↑ Prajith, P. (17 December 2023). "'ദൃശ്യം 2-ന്റെ സമയത്ത് കേട്ട കഥ, കോർട്ട് റൂം ഡ്രാമയാണ്, സസ്പെൻസും ട്വിസ്റ്റും പ്രതീക്ഷിക്കരുത്'". Mathrubhumi (in Malayalam). Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  9. 1 2 നായർ, ഗ്രീഷ്മ എസ്. (19 October 2023). "'ലിയോയിലേക്ക് വിളിച്ചത് വീൽ ചെയറിലിരിക്കുമ്പോൾ'; മമ്മൂട്ടി മുതൽ വിജയ് വരെയുള്ളവരുടെ വക്കീലായി ശാന്തി മായാദേവി" (in Malayalam). The Fourth. Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  10. ↑ Indo-Asian News Service (25 November 2023). "Mohanlal looks serious in legal robes in latest 'Neru' poster". Daiji World. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  11. ↑ Prakash, B. V. S. (25 September 2023). "Priyamani doing courtroom drama with Mohan Lal". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  12. ↑ Goud, Priyanka (13 September 2023). "After Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan, Priyamani bags her next with a big superstar; Details inside". Pinkvilla. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  13. ↑ Manu, Hridyambika A. (6 December 2023). "Neru - Anaswara Rajan is a visually-challenged sculptor in Mohanlal-Jeethu Joseph's film? Find out here..." OTT Play. Archived from the original on 21 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  14. 1 2 Correspondent (4 September 2023). "Mohanlal begins shooting for Jeethu Joseph's 'Neru'". OnManorama. Archived from the original on 4 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  15. ↑ Entertainment desk (17 August 2023). "ജിത്തു ജോസഫ് മോഹന്‍ലാല്‍ ടീം വീണ്ടും; ആശിർവ്വാദ് സിനിമാസിന്റെ നേരിന് പൊന്നിൻ ചിങ്ങത്തില്‍ തുടക്കം; ഏറെ കാലത്തിനു ശേഷം ലാല്‍ സിനിമയുടെ ഷൂട്ടിംഗ് തിരുവനന്തപുരത്ത്". India Today Malayalam (in Malayalam). Archived from the original on 25 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  16. ↑ Local News Desk (17 August 2023). "Mohanlal-Jeethu Joseph's Upcoming Film Neru Goes On Floors". CNN-News18. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  17. ↑ ETimes.in (6 October 2023). "It's a wrap for Mohanlal-Jeethu Joseph's 'Neru'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  18. ↑ ETimes.in (19 December 2023). "Mohanlal's 'Neru' strikes emotional chords with the release of the track 'Roohe'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  19. ↑ ETimes.in (2 November 2023). "Mohanlal-Jeethu Joseph's film 'Neru' gets a release date". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  20. ↑ Team OTTplay (2 November 2023). "Confirmed! Mohanlal's Neru will clash with Salaar and Dunki after all". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  21. ↑ ETimes.in (14 December 2023). "Christmas 2023: From 'Salaar' to 'Neru,' dive into the holiday movie extravaganza". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  22. ↑ Krishna, Gayathri (16 December 2023). "Mohanlal could only watch Jailer and Joaquin Phoenix's Napoleon this year; here is why". OTT Play. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  23. ↑ "Is Mohanlal starrer 'Neru' strangely similar to the Hollywood movie 'Sketch Artist II'?". OnManorama. Archived from the original on 31 December 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  24. ↑ Mathews, Anna (21 December 2023). "Neru: Seeking Justice Movie Review : Mohanlal-Jeethu combo delivers superb legal drama". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 21 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  25. ↑ Shrijith, Sajin (22 December 2023). "'Neru' film review: Sensitive, insightful legal drama with an unwavering focus". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  26. ↑ Rajendran, Sowmya (22 December 2023). "Neru review: Jeethu Joseph and Mohanlal are back with a satisfying courtroom drama". Moneycontrol. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  27. ↑ Janani, K. (21 December 2023). "Neru Movie Review: Mohanlal delivers compelling courtroom drama with few misses". India Today. Archived from the original on 21 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  28. ↑ Praveen, S. R. (21 December 2023). "'Neru' movie review: Jeethu Joseph and Mohanlal's courtroom drama almost delivers a cathartic high". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 21 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  29. ↑ Narayanan, Nirmal (21 December 2023). "Neru Malayalam movie review: Mohanlal and Anaswara Rajan shines in courtroom drama". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  30. ↑ A., Pavithra (22 December 2023). "'Neru' review: An engaging courtroom drama". The Week. Archived from the original on 21 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  31. ↑ Cris (21 December 2023). "Neru review: Mohanlal is no-nonsense in Jeethu Joseph's poignant court drama". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  32. ↑ P. Ajith, Swathi (21 December 2023). "'Neru': Mohanlal's courtroom drama explores the emotional turmoil of legal battles | Movie review". Onmanorama. Archived from the original on 21 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  33. ↑ Suresh, Anandu (21 December 2023). "Neru movie review: Mohanlal has started his journey back". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 21 December 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  34. ↑ Aashirvad Cinemas (17 December 2023). "Truth Unveiled - With The Cast Of Neru | Mohanlal | Jeethu Joseph | Antony Perumbavoor | Anaswara". YouTube. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  35. ↑ Menon, Akhila (17 December 2023). "Mohanlal confirms Neru spin-off – 5 Malayalam film franchises that brought back famous characters to the silver screen". OTT Play. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
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