Remakes are in vogue in Malayalam cinema

Get your lowdown on what's happening in Malayalam cinema.

The trend of remaking old films started with the remake of Lal Jose's Neelathamara (2009). The director had stated that he was not too keen on remaking an old movie but what excited him was that the movie was scripted by M T Vasudevan Nair.

The film did well at the box office which prompted producer Suresh Kumar to go ahead with Rathinirvedam, which became a sensational hit. Now, Chattakkaari (Julie in Hindi) Shankaran Nair's Kamal Haasan-Jayasudha starrer Rasaleela is being made.

But how will the average showing of Nidra affect this trend?

Sidharth Bharathan made his own version of his father's original, but the film has not set the cash registers ringing though it got good reviews.

Director P Balachandran's Ilvan Megharoopan, inspired by the life of well-known poet P Kunhiraman Nair, has been favourably previewed at various centres across south India, and is set to hit the big screens soon.

At the Kochi preview, director Siddique, who made the Hindi blockbuster Bodyguard last year, said, "The film is truly overwhelming and the film's cast has performed really well."

Prakash Bare plays the role of P K Madhavan Nair, who was a true genius but preferred to live life on his own terms.

Shwetha Menon, Padmapriya, Remya Nambeeshan, Anu, Jagathy Sreekumar and Chembil Asokan are part of the cast.

Rajeev Ravi is the cinematographer and Sharreth is the music director.

Film directors are remaking old movies, and music directors are rehashing old songs. New versions of old hits like Chettikkulangara..., Oru Madhurakkinavin... and Kannum Kannum... have featured in recent films.

The latest addition to the list is Pichakappoom Kaavukalkkumappuram... from the Mohanlal-Mammootty film No.20 Madras Mail. It is picturised on the lead stars Jayasurya, Asif Ali and Indrajith in director Saji Surendran's Husbands in Goa.

Innocent, who featured in the original song, is part of the new version, playing the same character of a ticket examiner in a train.

Saji Surendran had earlier used the well-known song Poomukha Vaathilkkal... in Ivar Vivahitharayal, and the Hindi song Yeh Dosti... in Fo(u)r Friends.

Rehashing old tunes could be marginally better than lifting whole tunes like M G Sreekumar did from Egyptian singer Amr Diab's collection in the recent Oru Marubhoomikkatha.