Clash of the titans
SREEDHAR PILLAI
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With both `Pothenvava' and `Photographer' likely to be released on the same day, fans of superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal are expecting fireworks at the box office.
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The last time their films clashed was during Onam in 2001 when Mohanlal's `Ravanaprabhu' took on Mammootty's `Rakshasa Rajavu.'
STAR CHARISMA: Mohanlal in `Photographer,'
Fans of superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal are gearing up for the big fight this weekend (October 21) as `Pothenvava' and `Photographer' clash at the Kerala box office. It is after a long hiatus that films of both the superstars are releasing on the same day. Their fans are excited and the trade says it will be fireworks all the way if both the films release as slated.
The last time their films clashed was during Onam in 2001 when Mohanlal's `Ravanaprabhu' took on Mammootty's `Rakshasa Rajavu.' The last two releases of Mammootty - `Prajapathy' and `Bhargava Charitham Moonam Khandam' - did not live up to expectations. The same was the case with Mohanlal's Onam release `Mahasamudram.' So both the actors are under pressure to deliver hits to safeguard their superstardom.
This clash of the titans comes at a time when Lal Jose's `Classmates' is turning out to be a mega blockbuster that is breaking all existing box office records. `Classmates' continues its dream run and is still doing 85 to 100 per cent collections during weekends and is rock steady. Trade pundits feel that the film will run till New Year in most of the releasing stations! They feel that a churning is taking place and youth films like Roshan Andrews' forthcoming `Notebook' may change the trend further.
Veterans of the game
But Mammootty and Mohanlal are veterans who have a solid fan base at the grass root level. The trouble is that they are doing too many films and scriptwriters are letting them down with half-baked storylines that lack freshness and in most cases are rehashed from their own earlier hits.
However, for the last two years, their films generate 65 to 75 per cent of the total box office takings in the Malayalam film industry. They have survived flops and come out stronger if the content of their films satisfied the audience. Their star charisma assures a super opening for their films and ultimately in commercial cinema, only the box office matters.
Last year Mammootty's mega hit `Rajamanickam' opened on Ramzan day to take the biggest ever opening.
Mammootty in `Pothenvava' are banking on their Ramzan releases to safeguard their superstardom.
So will `Pothenvava' repeat history? At the moment, industry analysts say that `Pothenvava' has an edge as it is distributed by Lal Creations, the number one distributors in Kerala.
They are coming out with nearly 52 prints, including 10 in digital format. Added to that, Mammootty in a family-based entertainer, anchored on mother-son sentiments and laced with action and comedy, is touted to be a sure winner.
`Pothenvava' is directed by Joshy, who knows Mammootty's strengths at the box office as they have done 32 films together. The highlight of `Pothenvava' is Usha Uthup who plays Mammootty's mom and the cast also has Gopika, Nedumudi Venu and Sai Kumar with music by Alex Paul.
Mohanlal is working with a new director Ranjan Pramod in `Photographer.' Ranjan had written his super hit `Naran.' Mohanlal plays a wildlife photographer on an assignment in Wayanad, who gets involved with the problems of the Adivasis there. The film is said to be loosely based on the Muthanga incident and is distributed by Dream Team, a new distribution concern of Howly Pottur, a non-resident Indian based in the United States.
The cast has Nityasree, Saranya Bhagyaraj, Biju Menon and Rajan P. Dev with music by Johnson.
In the final analysis, the films are crucial for the superstars. As far as Mammootty is concerned, he has three off-beat films after `Pothenvava,' for which commercial success is not guaranteed. At the same time, Mohanlal too needs `Photographer' to click to ensure his hold over the box office.
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