First Malayalam film to release in more than 100 screens outside Kerala.
By Tathagata Mitra
BANGALORE: Anjali Menon’s Bangalore Days, which released on May 30, is turning out to be one of the most successful films in the history of Malayalam cinema.
The film released in 98 screens in Kerala and 105 screens across the rest of the country, mostly metropolitan cities like Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai. This in itself is a very unique feat achieved by the film as most Malayalam films release in only about a dozen screens outside the state. The film has grossed 10 crores in its first week.
The film has an ensemble cast consisting Malayalam cinema’s young faces, Dulquer Salmaan, Fahadh Faasil, Nivin Pauly, Nazriya Nazim, Parvathy Menon, Isha Talwar and Nithya Menon. Salmaan and Nithya had earlier worked with Anjali Menon in the blockbuster Ustad Hotel. Menon had written Ustad Hotel for which she had won many accolades.
Bangalore Days is the story of three cousins, Arjun (Salmaan), Kuttan (Pauly) and Divya (Nazriya) all three of whom are from Kerala but end up in Bangalore in search of their identities. Bangalore is like a dream destination for an average Malayalee with the fast track life and high rise skyscrapers.
“For an average Malayalee guy or girl, Bangalore has got a connect as it is an aspirational city, a place offering a lot of hope. Bangalore Days is a very simple film at its core, about people we have come across, about dreams and relationships,” Menon told Firstpost. About her film she said, “Yes my films have strong family connections and the theme in Bangalore Days is ‘Friends are the family we choose’ and in the film they happen to be cousins. It is a beautiful blend of friendship and family bond that I have explored and it connected with today’s audiences because there is so much to remember as well as the optimism of the early 20’s as the narrative unfolds.”
Menon’s first directorial venture Manjadikuru was delayed in its release for years. It was one of the most well received films of the year upon its release although it was not a commercial hit. With Bangalore Days, Menon seems to have moved up a notch, with both critics and the crowd going all gaga over the film.
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