Mohanlal's Casanovva gears up for release

Director Rosshan Andrrews is known for his lavish filmmaking style. With Casanovva, he has been really extravagant: the producers claim it is the most expensive film ever made in Malayalam.

Casanovva has Mohanlal playing the eponymous hero, with Shriya Saran and Lakshmi Rai as the female leads. 

The film was announced a couple of years ago and has been shot extensively in foreign locations such as Dubai and Bangkok. The film was postponed several times but now this exorbitantly costly venture will finally hit the screens on January 26.

Produced by Dr C J Roy of Confident Group, Casanovva has been scripted by Bobby and Sanjay, the siblings who scripted Ente Veedu Appoontem, Note Book and Traffic.

The cast also includes Jagathy Sreekumar, Lalu Alex, Roma and Sanjana. Four new actors -- Abhishek, Shamsi, Arjun and Vikram -- are being introduced in the film.

The cinematographer is Jim Ganesh and the music composers are Gopi Sundar, Alphonse Joseph and Gowri Lakshmi.

The film's tagline is 'Come... Fall in Love' and according to Rosshan, "the story revolves around the power of romance.

There are not many in this world without romance in their minds. Casanovva, in our film, symbolises love. He loves women and, of course, they love him as well."

The character is obviously modelled on the legendary 18th century Italian adventurer whose womanising was so legendary that his name is synonymous with it.

Rosshan says that his earlier films have been profitable ventures for the producers and have also been appreciated by viewers and critics.

Rosshan won the state award for the best debutant director for his maiden venture, Udayananu Thaaram. Notebook won the National Award for the best Malayalam film. Ividam Swargmanu won the state award for the best popular film.

Casanovva has to live up to huge expectations and with Rosshan going on record saying that the film is more costly than even Pazhassi Raja and Urumi, it is all set to be a visual spectacle.

The film will release in more than 200 theatres.

Mohanlal, whose last release Oru Marubhoomikkatha had opened to mixed reviews, is currently in the news for all the controversies surrounding Padmashree Bharath Dr Saroj Kumar in which he was heavily targeted.

All eyes are on Casanovva now, as viewers wait to see what some of the best known names in the business have to offer.

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