The New York Times, a bastion of cultural critique, has showered praises on the Malayalam movie 'Kaathal – The Core', highlighting the acting prowess of Mammootty, who plays the role of a gay man in it.
The superstar’s decision to act and produce the movie has given a lot of public acceptance to the film. The critically acclaimed and commercially successful movie has a serious theme that takes it to the global discussion table, captivating hearts worldwide. The spectators believe that this is a proud moment for Malayalam cinema, the NYT report said.
Apart from the glitz and noise of Bollywood movies, Malayalam films stand out because of the progressive stories they tell that are close to real human life and that are produced on a low budget, says writer Mujeeb Mashal. According to the report, the film is different from the usual Malayalam movies that trigger a rush of blood. Yet, it has been accepted in theatres.
This is the first time that such a detailed article about a Malayalam film has appeared in The New York Times.
Here, one can see that the film, made on a low budget, becomes noticeable all over the world due to the subject it deals with. The film was also screened at IFFI in Goa. Kaathal was also well received at the International Film Festival of Kerala. It was screened in the Malayalam Cinema Today section.
The film was released on November 23. Despite being a film dealing with such a subject, the film was a roaring success. The investment to make the film was recouped through theatre collections. The film earned crores of rupees from abroad as well.
Not only from Malayalam but from Tamil also many have come out praising the film. What amazes many is the courage shown by a great actor like Mammootty to do such a character. Kaathal is one of the best roles in Jyotika's career as well. Along with Jyotika and Mammootty, many actors like R S Panikkar, Sudhi Kozhikode, Chinnu Chandini, and Muthumani line up in the movie.
Adarsh Sukumaran and Paulson Scaria have written the script and screenplay of the film. Executive Producer: George Sebastian. Cinematography: Salu K. Thomas, Editing: Francis Lewis, Music: Mathews Pulikkan, Art: Shaji Naduvil, Line Producer: Sunil Singh, Production Controller: Dixon Potuthas, Sound Design: Tony Babu MPSE, Lyrics: Aleena, Costume: Sameera Saneesh, Make-up: Amal Chandran, Co-Director: Akhil Anandan, Chief Associate Director: Martin N Joseph, Kunjila Masilamani, Stills: Lebison Gopi, Design: Antony Stephen.
Kaathal is the latest example of Malayalam cinema getting noticed on the global stage. What differentiates Kaathal from other regional films is that it came up with brilliant performances in a great presentation style on a small budget.
