Manjadikuru

Manjadikuru
Film official poster
Directed byAnjali Menon
Written byAnjali Menon
Produced byVinod Menon
Anjali Menon
Starring
Narrated byPrithviraj Sukumaran
CinematographyPietro Zuercher
Edited byB. Lenin
Music byRamesh Narayan
Francois Gamaury (BGM)
Production
company
Little Films
Distributed byAugust Cinema
Release dates
  • December 2008 (2008-12) (Kerala)[1]
  • 18 May 2012 (2012-05-18)
Running time
137 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam

Manjadikuru (English: Lucky Red Seeds) is a 2008 Indian Malayalam-language film written and directed by Anjali Menon. A shorter video version of the film was premiered at the 2008 International Film Festival of Kerala, and won the FIPRESCI Award for best Malayalam film and Hassankutty award for Best Debutant Indian director.[2] In 2009, it received awards at the South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF) at New York, winning five Grand Jury Awards - Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematographer and Best Emerging Talent.[3][4][5][6]

Plot

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Manjadikuru is a story of homecoming from late 1980s, when 10-year-old Vicky arrives at his grandparents home in rural Kerala to attend his grandfather's funeral. The disjointed family gathers together for the sixteen-day-long funeral period. During this period, Vicky discovers more about himself, his family and culture than he had expected to. The journey is narrated through the memories of an adult Vicky who returns to the same house to recount the experience. After some years the boy returns as a young man, to visit old grounds, and finds the 'Lucky red seeds' scattered away.[7]

Cast

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  • Sidharth as Vicky
  • Vyjayanthi as Roja
  • Rejosh as Kannan
  • Arathi Sasikumar as Manikutty
  • Thilakan as Appukuttan Nair (Vicky's grandfather)
  • Kaviyoor Ponnamma as Devayani (Vicky's grandmother)
  • Murali as Sanyasi Maaman / Murali
  • Jagathi Sreekumar as Unni
  • Bindu Panicker as Ammu
  • Urvashi as Sujatha (Vicky's mother)
  • Sagar Shiyaz as Hari (Vicky's father)
  • Rahman as Raghu
  • Sharran Puthumana as Ravi
  • Sridevika as Latha
  • Praveena as Sheela
  • Sindhu Menon as Sudhamani
  • Thrissur Chandran as Vasudevan Nair
  • Firosh Mohan as Balu
  • Julia George as Sindhu
  • Shrevya Kannan as Baby Seetha
  • Poojappura Ravi as Lawyer
  • Kannan Pattambi as Marimuthu
  • Venu Machad as Vishnu/Shop owner
  • Sreekumar as Police Inspector

Release

[edit]

The film released in theatres in May 2012, after winning awards in film festivals. For the commercial release, songs and additional scenes are added to the film to make it more appealing to people.[8]

Soundtrack

[edit]
Manjadikuru
Soundtrack album by
Ramesh Narayan
Released2012
LabelUniversal Music India

All lyrics are written by Kavalam Narayana Panicker; all music is composed by Ramesh Narayan

No.TitleArtist(s)Length
1."Ariya Vazhikalil"K. J. Yesudas 
2."Maargazhi Manjil"K. S. Chithra, Madhushree Narayan 
3."Manchaadipenne Vaadi"Shweta Mohan, Choir 
4."Chaadi Chaadi"Vijay Yesudas, Choir 
5."Manne Nampi"Kavalam Narayana Panicker, Anil, Sathish 
6."Kadamkadha - Mannile Thullikkum"Prithviraj Sukumaran 
7."Keralam Daivathinte Swantham"Prithviraj Sukumaran 

Awards

[edit]
Kerala State Film Awards 2012
13th International Film Festival of Kerala 2008
6th South Asian International Film Festival 2009
  • Grand Jury award for Best Film
  • Grand Jury award for Best Director - Anjali Menon.
  • Grand Jury award for Best Screenplay - Anjali Menon.
  • Grand Jury award for Best Cinematography - Pietro Zuercher.
  • Grand Jury award for Best Emerging Talent - Vyjayanthi.[12]
Other awards

Critical reception

[edit]

Aswin J. Kumar from The Times of India gave the movie 3.5 stars saying that "Manjadikuru is a beautifully shot film that can be loved for its sheer earnestness and sense of belonging.".[15] Chris Fujiwara from Federación Internacional de la Prensa Cinematográfica said that "It is a lesson in the ways of society but a metaphorical lesson for the audience, the kind of lesson that (as one imagines, or remembers, while watching Lucky Red Seeds) the cinema was invented to teach."[16] Ben Umstead from Twitch Film said that "Manjadikuru is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful films about childhood I've seen. ".[17]

Veeyen from Nowrunning gave the movie 3 stars saying that "Anjaly Menon's Manjadikuru is an ode to the inherent innocence that once existed in us. Appealing equally to viewers of all ages, the flight of fancy that she offers to this incredible world that once was, is certainly not to be missed! ".[18] Metromatinee said "The film has been kept simple, highlights relationships and family values, and has to be seen with the whole family. Verdict: Small But Beautiful & Nostalgic ...!"[19] Parvathy Anoop from Deccan Herald stated that "Anjali Menon leaves no stone unturned as she explores elements of hypocrisy, love, sympathy and sorrow inside a large Nair family."[20]

Paresh C. Palicha from Rediff.com gave the verdict of 3 stars saying that "Manjadikuru is enchanting. In this film, Anjali Menon succeeds in giving us a charming view of the adult world seen through the eyes of a child."[21] Sify gave the movie a verdict of Good stating that "Manjadikuru comes as a whiff of fresh air. Enjoy this fabulous debut of a new talent called Anjali Menon straightaway!".[22] IndiaGlitz gave the movie a rating of 6.5 in 10 stating that "Manjadikuru is a right addition to the list of well made films that came out this year. Just have a go into this scent of fresh air."[23]

Home media

[edit]

The VCDs and DVDs were released by Satyam Audios on 17 June 2013.

References

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  1. ^ "Manjadikuru Movie Duration: Film Length, Worldwide Release Date & Tech Specs".
  2. ^ "Parque Via wins best film award". The Hindu. 20 December 2008. Archived from the original on 25 January 2009. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  3. ^ "Malayalam film wins big at New York festival". Sify. 11 November 2009. Archived from the original on 2 December 2014.
  4. ^ "Seeds of a success story: Award-winning director Anjali Menon talks about her feature film, 'Manjadikurru,' and her love for cinema". The Hindu. 26 December 2008. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012.
  5. ^ Manjadikuru, Lucky Red Seeds cinemaofmalayalam.net.
  6. ^ "Mistress of composure". Express Buss, Indian Express. 28 May 2009.
  7. ^ Manjadikuru Summary South Asian International Film Festival, New York.
  8. ^ "Manjadikuru goes commercial". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  9. ^ ":: IFFK 2008 ::". Iffk.keralafilm.com. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  10. ^ "Awards - Festival Awards 2008". Fipresci. Archived from the original on 8 October 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  11. ^ "Festival Reports - Kerala 2008 - "Lucky Red Seeds"". Fipresci. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
  12. ^ "മഞ്ചാടിക്കുരുവിന് അഞ്ച് അമേരിക്കന്‍ അവാര്‍ഡ്". Movieraga.
  13. ^ "അഞ്‌ജലിയുടെ മഞ്ചാടിക്കുരു ഫ്രാന്‍സിലേക്ക്". Movieraga. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
  14. ^ "A Panorama of choice" Archived 20 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Khaleej Times. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  15. ^ timesofindia.indiatimes.com (20 May 2012). "Manjadikkuru". The Times of India.
  16. ^ Chris Fujiwara (19 August 2011). "Lucky Red Seeds:The Double Look". Archived from the original on 16 October 2013.
  17. ^ Ben Umstead (30 October 2009). "MANJADIKURU Review".
  18. ^ www.nowrunning.com (24 May 2012). "Manjadikuru Review".
  19. ^ www.metromatinee.com (19 May 2012). "Manjadikuru Movie Review".
  20. ^ Parvathy Anoop (18 October 2012). "A slice of life seen through innocent eyes".
  21. ^ Paresh C Pillai (21 May 2012). "Review: Manjadikuru is enchanting".
  22. ^ Moviebuzz. "Manjadikuru is a whiff of fresh air". Sify. Archived from the original on 1 July 2013.
  23. ^ www.indiaglitz.com (23 May 2012). "Manjadikuru Movie Review". Archived from the original on 24 May 2012.
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