Chaappa Kurish
Encyclopedia
Chaappa Kurish is a 2011 Malayalam thriller film co-written and directed by Sameer Thahir and starring Fahad Fazil
, Vineeth Sreenivasan
, Roma, Remya Nambeesan and Nivetha in the lead roles. The film started production in April 2011 at Ernakulam
and released on 14 July to notabily mixed reviews.
The film marks the directorial debut of Sameer Thahir who has cinematographed films like Big B
and Daddy Cool.
The film puts the scanner on the strangeness of reality in a busy city(Kochi
) in Kerala, teeming with life. It deals with issues that are real, contemporary and quite complex.
The film revolves around the lives of two persons in extremes. On the one end is Arjun (Fahad Fazil
), who is excavating riches by being in the booming construction business in Kochi
. He wants to be successful at any price. He moves around in plush chauffer driven cars, uses state-of-the-art phones, and flirts with the telemarketing ladies. And, has a full-fledged affair with his subordinate Sonia (Remya Nambeesan), even though he is preparing to be engaged to his family friend's daughter Ann (Roma
).
At the other end there is Ansari (Vineeth Sreenivasan
), who lives in a slum and works in a supermarket doing odd jobs that include cleaning toilets, sweeping floors and being an errand boy for his supervisor. He is diminutive, almost a dwarf and looks like he is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. His lifestyle is frugal and unchanging. A major chunk of his earnings go home by old fashioned money order. Ansari has a soft corner for his co-worker Nafiza (Nivetha), and she reciprocates his feelings.
The film reaches a turning point the moment Sonia learns that Arjun is getting engaged to Ann. A fight occurs between the two and in the heat of the moment he forgets to take his cell phone which had slipped out of his hand. The phone accidentally reaches the hands of Ansari and he keeps that as a treasure. Arjun gets upset over the loss of the phone. As the phone contains some obscene clips, Arjun tries to recover it from Ansari. He is afraid of a possible You Tube version of those photos. Arjun makes several calls to his missed phone but Ansari always kept it switched off. Arjun got terribly frustrated.
Finally, Ansari attends the call, but not ready to give the phone back to Arjun. Ansari undergoes a total change in his character after the phone incident and Nafeeza notices it. Under pressure from Nafiza, Ansari opens up. Realising the seriousness of the matter, Nafiza asks Ansari to return the phone to its owner.
Meanwhile, battery of the phone becomes empty. Ansari is financially incapable of buying a charger for the sophisticated handset. So he takes the phone to a shop. This is the turning point of the film. After tracing the clippings, the shop owner uploads the video on the You Tube. As it spreads like wild fire, it affects Arjun's marriage. At this stage, the film takes the main diversion.
It's a long winding chase that Arjun embarks on, since Ansari soon gets intoxicated by the dope of contentment that he derives from being in charge. The climatic showdown between the two is all the more vicious and bloody, as they literally tear themselves apart, before finally settling down and resignedly going their separate ways.
, 'Thalayum Valum' in Kottayam
, 'Raja Kozhi' in Thrissur
and 'Chaappa Kurish' in Cochin
. And I belong to Cochin."
at the 100th day function of Traffic. The film was produced by Listin Stephen who also produced Traffic. It was director Anwar Rasheed
who introduced Sameer Thahir to Listin. The film started production in April 2011 at Ernakulam
.
directed by Alejandro Gonz�lez I��rritu and written by Guillermo Arriaga
, released in 2003. The director says: "It was a blunder on my part. I did not give much thought to it while I adopted those lines. Now that it has been asked, it is actually doing good to the movie. So I really don�t mind.". Moreover, the film has been accused of stealing the idea from the Korean movie Handphone
Another controversy was a two-minute smooch between Remya Nambeesan and Fahad Fazil which was first ever on a Malayalam film. However, the scene is highly relevant to the context. Remya says: "An actress should always be ready to take risks if her character demands so. Even when I was aware that the two- minute intense scene could create waves, I was sure that it was inevitable as it suited the plot. A sense of necessity made me accept that scene. I think director Sameer Tahir brought out the best in me. In fact, I enjoyed doing the scene". The director says: "We live in the 21st century and this is no big deal any more. Kissing and making love is part of life. That scene is very relevant to the script. And it is very aesthetically done. It�s part of the movie�s soul. So there is no reason why I should not include that."
, Sathyan Anthikad and Lal Jose
called him over the phone and appreciated the performance. "Arjun � my character in Chappa Kurishu is not a role that an actor gets often. I am very lucky and very fortunate," says Fahad. He added the presence of a good director who chips in when needed and a good crew helped him a lot. "Any actor can come out big under such circumstances." Fahad defended the hot scenes in the movie, the first of it's kind in Malayalam: "I was not ashamed at all in acting that scene. Our tag line itself says based on 1000 true stories. Many people who called me said they knew people who became victims, by accident or other ways of such MMS. There is cinema in all experiences and there is scope for emotions everywhere. It is a great feeling that people accept when we capture such emotions and reflect it in the screen. The smooch was an essential part of Chappa Kurishu and we went on with it."
As of 16 Nov 2011 Chaappa Kurish holds a rating of 7.2 on IMDB.
treatment of the film. Keerthy Ramachandran of Deccan Chronicle gave the film a rating of 2 out of 5 stars saying "The film is a dark riveting account of the lives of two men who lead extremely contrasting lives. As the name suggests it is all about the heads and tails of life." Veeyen of nowrunning.com rated the film 2.5/5 and said "It's a brave and genuinely heartfelt directorial effort from a young director, who has clearly won the toss this time around." Rediff.com
gave the film a score of 2.5 out of 5 saying "Chaappa Kurishu, Samir Thahir's debut as a director holds promise but leaves us with a feeling that it could have been better." Sify
on its review said that "Chappa Kurishu shocks the viewers for sure, but sadly for all the wrong reasons." Indiaglitz rated the film 5/10 and wrote: "The generous dose of skin show sequence, violent action and the need for amore tighter scripts will tell on its business and restrict its appeal further to limited audiences."
Fahad fazil
Fahad Fazil is a Malayalam film actor who entered Malayalam Cinema with his debut in Kaiyethum Doorath. This film was directed by Fazil, his father -Biography:...
, Vineeth Sreenivasan
Vineeth Sreenivasan
Vineeth Sreenivasan is an Indian playback singer, film actor, director, and screenwriter. He is the son of actor Sreenivasan. He made his debut as a director with his film Malarvaadi Arts Club .- Biography :...
, Roma, Remya Nambeesan and Nivetha in the lead roles. The film started production in April 2011 at Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
and released on 14 July to notabily mixed reviews.
The film marks the directorial debut of Sameer Thahir who has cinematographed films like Big B
Big B (film)
Big B is a 2007 Malayalam action-thriller film co-written and directed by Amal Neerad, starring Mammootty in the title role. The cinematography was done by Samir Thahir, and the original score was composed by Gopi Sundar, with Alphons Joseph doing the songs....
and Daddy Cool.
Plot
The film puts the scanner on the strangeness of reality in a busy city(Kochi
Kochi
-Places:* Kochi, a city in the state of Kerala, India, formerly known as Cochin* Kingdom of Cochin, a former feudal city-state on Malabar Coast, India** Fort Kochi, one of the three main urban components which constitute the present day city of Kochi, Kerala, India...
) in Kerala, teeming with life. It deals with issues that are real, contemporary and quite complex.
The film revolves around the lives of two persons in extremes. On the one end is Arjun (Fahad Fazil
Fahad fazil
Fahad Fazil is a Malayalam film actor who entered Malayalam Cinema with his debut in Kaiyethum Doorath. This film was directed by Fazil, his father -Biography:...
), who is excavating riches by being in the booming construction business in Kochi
Kochi
-Places:* Kochi, a city in the state of Kerala, India, formerly known as Cochin* Kingdom of Cochin, a former feudal city-state on Malabar Coast, India** Fort Kochi, one of the three main urban components which constitute the present day city of Kochi, Kerala, India...
. He wants to be successful at any price. He moves around in plush chauffer driven cars, uses state-of-the-art phones, and flirts with the telemarketing ladies. And, has a full-fledged affair with his subordinate Sonia (Remya Nambeesan), even though he is preparing to be engaged to his family friend's daughter Ann (Roma
Roma (actress)
Roma Asrani is an Indian model-turned-actress who works mainly in Malayalam-language films. She made her début in the Telugu film Mr. Errababu in 2005. She has acted in Tamil and Kannada films too.- Family :...
).
At the other end there is Ansari (Vineeth Sreenivasan
Vineeth Sreenivasan
Vineeth Sreenivasan is an Indian playback singer, film actor, director, and screenwriter. He is the son of actor Sreenivasan. He made his debut as a director with his film Malarvaadi Arts Club .- Biography :...
), who lives in a slum and works in a supermarket doing odd jobs that include cleaning toilets, sweeping floors and being an errand boy for his supervisor. He is diminutive, almost a dwarf and looks like he is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. His lifestyle is frugal and unchanging. A major chunk of his earnings go home by old fashioned money order. Ansari has a soft corner for his co-worker Nafiza (Nivetha), and she reciprocates his feelings.
The film reaches a turning point the moment Sonia learns that Arjun is getting engaged to Ann. A fight occurs between the two and in the heat of the moment he forgets to take his cell phone which had slipped out of his hand. The phone accidentally reaches the hands of Ansari and he keeps that as a treasure. Arjun gets upset over the loss of the phone. As the phone contains some obscene clips, Arjun tries to recover it from Ansari. He is afraid of a possible You Tube version of those photos. Arjun makes several calls to his missed phone but Ansari always kept it switched off. Arjun got terribly frustrated.
Finally, Ansari attends the call, but not ready to give the phone back to Arjun. Ansari undergoes a total change in his character after the phone incident and Nafeeza notices it. Under pressure from Nafiza, Ansari opens up. Realising the seriousness of the matter, Nafiza asks Ansari to return the phone to its owner.
Meanwhile, battery of the phone becomes empty. Ansari is financially incapable of buying a charger for the sophisticated handset. So he takes the phone to a shop. This is the turning point of the film. After tracing the clippings, the shop owner uploads the video on the You Tube. As it spreads like wild fire, it affects Arjun's marriage. At this stage, the film takes the main diversion.
It's a long winding chase that Arjun embarks on, since Ansari soon gets intoxicated by the dope of contentment that he derives from being in charge. The climatic showdown between the two is all the more vicious and bloody, as they literally tear themselves apart, before finally settling down and resignedly going their separate ways.
Cast
- Fahad FazilFahad fazilFahad Fazil is a Malayalam film actor who entered Malayalam Cinema with his debut in Kaiyethum Doorath. This film was directed by Fazil, his father -Biography:...
as Arjun - Vineeth SreenivasanVineeth SreenivasanVineeth Sreenivasan is an Indian playback singer, film actor, director, and screenwriter. He is the son of actor Sreenivasan. He made his debut as a director with his film Malarvaadi Arts Club .- Biography :...
as Ansari - Roma as Ann
- Remya Nambeesan as Sonia
- Nivetha as Nafiza
Title
"Chappa Kurishu" means Head or Tail in Malayalam. Sameer Thahir says: "While I was writing the script itself, giving shape to the main male leads, Arjun and Ansari, i knew that they were the two sides of the same coin. So I thought of �Heads and Tales� as the title. But I wanted it in the colloquial lingo. It's called 'Changum Chappayum' in KollamKollam
Kollam , often anglicized as ', is a city in the Indian state of Kerala. The city lies on the banks of Ashtamudi Lake on the Arabian sea coast and is situated about north of the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram...
, 'Thalayum Valum' in Kottayam
Kottayam
Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...
, 'Raja Kozhi' in Thrissur
Thrissur
This article is about the city in India. For the district, see Thrissur district. For the urban agglomeration area of Thrissur see Thrissur Metropolitan Area...
and 'Chaappa Kurish' in Cochin
Kochi
-Places:* Kochi, a city in the state of Kerala, India, formerly known as Cochin* Kingdom of Cochin, a former feudal city-state on Malabar Coast, India** Fort Kochi, one of the three main urban components which constitute the present day city of Kochi, Kerala, India...
. And I belong to Cochin."
Casting
The director says: "As the script took shape, Vineeth Seenivasan and Fahad Fazil, two wonderful actors, seemed to fit perfectly as the characters of Ansari and Arjun. In the movie they are one and the same but stand at two extremes just like the head and tail of a coin."Filming
Chappa Kurishu was launched by actor Kamal HaasanKamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting...
at the 100th day function of Traffic. The film was produced by Listin Stephen who also produced Traffic. It was director Anwar Rasheed
Anwar Rasheed
Anwar Rasheed is a Malayali Indian film director notable for his debut film Rajamanikyam starring Mammootty. His second feature film was Chotta Mumbai , which had Mohanlal in the lead role...
who introduced Sameer Thahir to Listin. The film started production in April 2011 at Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
.
Controversies
By the Release of the Trailer itself Chaappa Kurishu has kick started controversies. There is some similarities between trailer title insets of American drama film 21 Grams21 Grams
21 Grams is a 2003 American drama film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and written by Guillermo Arriaga. It stars Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Danny Huston, and Benicio del Toro....
directed by Alejandro Gonz�lez I��rritu and written by Guillermo Arriaga
Guillermo Arriaga
Guillermo Arriaga Jordán is a Mexican author, screenwriter, director and producer. Self-defined as “a hunter who works as a writer,” he authored Amores Perros, received a BAFTA Best Screenplay nomination for 21 Grams, and received the 2005 Cannes Best Screenplay Award for The Three Burials of...
, released in 2003. The director says: "It was a blunder on my part. I did not give much thought to it while I adopted those lines. Now that it has been asked, it is actually doing good to the movie. So I really don�t mind.". Moreover, the film has been accused of stealing the idea from the Korean movie Handphone
Handphone (film)
-Plot:Talent manager Seung-min sees YOON Jin-ah, a rising actress, as his one last hope to turn his life around. Just as Jin-ah is on the path to stardom, he receives a threat from her former lover and gets her sex clip on his phone. Seung-min tracks down the culprit and retrieves the tape but ends...
Another controversy was a two-minute smooch between Remya Nambeesan and Fahad Fazil which was first ever on a Malayalam film. However, the scene is highly relevant to the context. Remya says: "An actress should always be ready to take risks if her character demands so. Even when I was aware that the two- minute intense scene could create waves, I was sure that it was inevitable as it suited the plot. A sense of necessity made me accept that scene. I think director Sameer Tahir brought out the best in me. In fact, I enjoyed doing the scene". The director says: "We live in the 21st century and this is no big deal any more. Kissing and making love is part of life. That scene is very relevant to the script. And it is very aesthetically done. It�s part of the movie�s soul. So there is no reason why I should not include that."
Reception
The film received notably mixed reviews, but men from the film field and industry did not forget to praise the movie as a whole since it was the first of its kind in the Malayalam film Industry. Speaking to Fahad, he said that lot of directors including PriyadarshanPriyadarshan
Priyadarshan is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter. In a career spanning over two decades, Priyadarshan has directed over 80 films in several Indian languages including Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu...
, Sathyan Anthikad and Lal Jose
Lal Jose
Lal Jose is an Indian film director. His debut film as a director is Oru Maravathoor Kanavu . His popular films include Meesa Madhavan , Classmates and Arabikkatha .- Biography :...
called him over the phone and appreciated the performance. "Arjun � my character in Chappa Kurishu is not a role that an actor gets often. I am very lucky and very fortunate," says Fahad. He added the presence of a good director who chips in when needed and a good crew helped him a lot. "Any actor can come out big under such circumstances." Fahad defended the hot scenes in the movie, the first of it's kind in Malayalam: "I was not ashamed at all in acting that scene. Our tag line itself says based on 1000 true stories. Many people who called me said they knew people who became victims, by accident or other ways of such MMS. There is cinema in all experiences and there is scope for emotions everywhere. It is a great feeling that people accept when we capture such emotions and reflect it in the screen. The smooch was an essential part of Chappa Kurishu and we went on with it."
As of 16 Nov 2011 Chaappa Kurish holds a rating of 7.2 on IMDB.
Critical Reception
Chaappa Kurish received mixed reviews from critics. However everyone praised the Off beatParallel Cinema
The Indian New Wave, commonly known in India as Art Cinema or Parallel Cinema as an alternative to the mainstream commercial cinema, is a specific movement in Indian cinema, known for its serious content, realism and naturalism, with a keen eye on the sociopolitical climate of the times...
treatment of the film. Keerthy Ramachandran of Deccan Chronicle gave the film a rating of 2 out of 5 stars saying "The film is a dark riveting account of the lives of two men who lead extremely contrasting lives. As the name suggests it is all about the heads and tails of life." Veeyen of nowrunning.com rated the film 2.5/5 and said "It's a brave and genuinely heartfelt directorial effort from a young director, who has clearly won the toss this time around." Rediff.com
Rediff.com
Rediff.com India is a news, information, entertainment, and shopping portal. It was founded in 1996 as "Rediff On The NeT" and is headquartered in Mumbai, India with offices in New Delhi and New York City, USA....
gave the film a score of 2.5 out of 5 saying "Chaappa Kurishu, Samir Thahir's debut as a director holds promise but leaves us with a feeling that it could have been better." Sify
Sify
Sify Technologies Limited is an Internet service provider established in 1998, based in Chennai, India.-Company profile:...
on its review said that "Chappa Kurishu shocks the viewers for sure, but sadly for all the wrong reasons." Indiaglitz rated the film 5/10 and wrote: "The generous dose of skin show sequence, violent action and the need for amore tighter scripts will tell on its business and restrict its appeal further to limited audiences."