Call it the new generation wave crossing borders, Malayalam films are increasingly being remade into Tamil. TOI probes...
Malayalam cinema has always enjoyed a place of prominence, with filmmakers and artistes from other industries speaking high of its rich content and rooted-to-reality subjects. Interestingly, at a time when the new-generation wave is sweeping across filmdom, there has been an influx in the number of Malayalam films being remade into Tamil, like never before. TOI probes Kollywood's rising interest in Malayalam cinema.
The ever-expanding list Incidentally, Malayalam films released over the past few years have caught the fancy of Tamil filmmakers, to be remade in K'wood. While the 2011 superhit Traffic will hit the Tamil screens as Chennail Oru Naal in some time, Ordinary goes to Kollywood as Jannal Oram. Reportedly, the Fahadh Faasil-Vineeth Sreenivasan starrer, Chappa Kurishu, is the latest entrant from Mollywood to hit the Tamil screens, with actress Radhika Sharathkumar said to helm the project. Prakash Raj takes Aashiq Abu's Salt 'N Pepper to Kollywood as Uluvacharu Biriyani, with him stepping into Lal's shoes and Tabu essaying the role of the middle-aged woman Shwetha Menon played in the original. Buzz is that Anoop Menon's Beautiful will also go on floors in a Tamil avatar soon, besides his Cocktail, with the Tamil version apparently starring Bollywood actress Radhika Apte and Telugu actor Randhir Reddy.
Why Mollywood?
It's the season of remakes in tinselville; however, Malayalam has not entirely fallen into the remake wave sweeping across most film industries, and mostly sticks to home-grown subjects. This might be a major reason why Tamil filmmakers are choosing Malayalam films over other languages, experts point out. "Kollywood filmmakers mostly prefer remakes of Hindi, Telugu and Malayalam films. While the first two industries cater mostly to commercial entertainers, it's Malayalam films that they look up to for convincing storylines. Further, the Malayali and Tamil audience share a number of similarities, just as the two languages do. So it takes just a minimal tweaking of the script to suit the sensibilities of the Tamil audience," a prominent Malayalam filmmaker says.
Interestingly, directors Siddhique and Faasil have helmed most of the Tamil remakes of their Malayalam films. Siddhique's Dileep-Nayanthara starrer Bodyguard was a sleeper hit in M-Town, while its Tamil remake, Kaavalan, with Vijay and Asin in the lead, was a blockbuster. Similarly, Faasil's hit film, Aniyathipraavu, also enjoyed a good run at the Kollywood BO as Kadhalukku Mariyadhai.
Malayali stars in Tamil remakes
Interestingly, two of the recent Tamil remakes from Malayalam stars Mollywood actresses who have had a successful innings in K-Town. Malayali actress Ineya, who stars in Chennail Oru Naal, the Tamil remake of the Malayalam superhit, Traffic, says, "Malayalam films are known for their substance. Traffic is one of the most-discussed films in recent times and Tamil is just one of the languages that the film is being remade into. There has not been any major change in the script as such. I play the role essayed by Remya Nambeesan in the original."
While Remya's negative role in the film opened a new path in her career, with Chennail Oru Naal, Ineya is looking forward to breaking free from the village belle roles she's mostly been seen in, in Tamil cinema. Shamna Kasim aka Poorna stars in Jannal Oram, the Tamil remake of Ordinary. "I come in Ann Augustine's role in the remake. The film's location plays a major part in taking the story forward; so the makers have stuck to the same premises for the Tamil version as well," she states.
Malayalam cinema has always enjoyed a place of prominence, with filmmakers and artistes from other industries speaking high of its rich content and rooted-to-reality subjects. Interestingly, at a time when the new-generation wave is sweeping across filmdom, there has been an influx in the number of Malayalam films being remade into Tamil, like never before. TOI probes Kollywood's rising interest in Malayalam cinema.
The ever-expanding list Incidentally, Malayalam films released over the past few years have caught the fancy of Tamil filmmakers, to be remade in K'wood. While the 2011 superhit Traffic will hit the Tamil screens as Chennail Oru Naal in some time, Ordinary goes to Kollywood as Jannal Oram. Reportedly, the Fahadh Faasil-Vineeth Sreenivasan starrer, Chappa Kurishu, is the latest entrant from Mollywood to hit the Tamil screens, with actress Radhika Sharathkumar said to helm the project. Prakash Raj takes Aashiq Abu's Salt 'N Pepper to Kollywood as Uluvacharu Biriyani, with him stepping into Lal's shoes and Tabu essaying the role of the middle-aged woman Shwetha Menon played in the original. Buzz is that Anoop Menon's Beautiful will also go on floors in a Tamil avatar soon, besides his Cocktail, with the Tamil version apparently starring Bollywood actress Radhika Apte and Telugu actor Randhir Reddy.
Why Mollywood?
It's the season of remakes in tinselville; however, Malayalam has not entirely fallen into the remake wave sweeping across most film industries, and mostly sticks to home-grown subjects. This might be a major reason why Tamil filmmakers are choosing Malayalam films over other languages, experts point out. "Kollywood filmmakers mostly prefer remakes of Hindi, Telugu and Malayalam films. While the first two industries cater mostly to commercial entertainers, it's Malayalam films that they look up to for convincing storylines. Further, the Malayali and Tamil audience share a number of similarities, just as the two languages do. So it takes just a minimal tweaking of the script to suit the sensibilities of the Tamil audience," a prominent Malayalam filmmaker says.
Interestingly, directors Siddhique and Faasil have helmed most of the Tamil remakes of their Malayalam films. Siddhique's Dileep-Nayanthara starrer Bodyguard was a sleeper hit in M-Town, while its Tamil remake, Kaavalan, with Vijay and Asin in the lead, was a blockbuster. Similarly, Faasil's hit film, Aniyathipraavu, also enjoyed a good run at the Kollywood BO as Kadhalukku Mariyadhai.
Malayali stars in Tamil remakes
Interestingly, two of the recent Tamil remakes from Malayalam stars Mollywood actresses who have had a successful innings in K-Town. Malayali actress Ineya, who stars in Chennail Oru Naal, the Tamil remake of the Malayalam superhit, Traffic, says, "Malayalam films are known for their substance. Traffic is one of the most-discussed films in recent times and Tamil is just one of the languages that the film is being remade into. There has not been any major change in the script as such. I play the role essayed by Remya Nambeesan in the original."
While Remya's negative role in the film opened a new path in her career, with Chennail Oru Naal, Ineya is looking forward to breaking free from the village belle roles she's mostly been seen in, in Tamil cinema. Shamna Kasim aka Poorna stars in Jannal Oram, the Tamil remake of Ordinary. "I come in Ann Augustine's role in the remake. The film's location plays a major part in taking the story forward; so the makers have stuck to the same premises for the Tamil version as well," she states.
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