Varane Avashyamund (transl.Groom wanted) is a 2020 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Anoop Sathyan, son of Sathyan Anthikad, in his debut. It was produced by Dulquer Salmaan. The film stars Suresh Gopi, Dulquer Salmaan, Shobana and Kalyani Priyadarshan. It has music by Alphons Joseph.[1] It also marked the comeback film of Suresh Gopi after a five-year hiatus from acting; actress Shobana's Malayalam comeback after a 7-year absence (since her last Mollywood film, Thira, which also marked the latter's 90th Malayalam film) as well as also Kalyani's Malayalam debut film .[2] Principal photography began on 1 October 2019 at Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The film was released on 7 February 2020 to mostly positive reviews.

Varane Avashyamund
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAnoop Sathyan
Written byAnoop Sathyan
Produced byDulquer Salmaan
Starring
CinematographyMukesh Muraleedharan
Edited byToby John
Music byAlphons Joseph
Production
companies
  • Wayfarer Films
  • M Star Entertainments
Distributed byPlay House Release
Release date
  • 7 February 2020 (2020-02-07)
Running time
145 Minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam

Plot edit

Neena is a divorced woman in Chennai trying to get hired as a French tutor and teaching classical dance, and she has a daughter Nikhitha aka Nikki. Her brother Manuel also resides in a flat in Chennai. Their next-door neighbors are Major Unnikrishnan, a retired Indian Army officer who has a pet dog, Jimmy (a brown doberman), and Bibeesh who lives with a serial-actress aunt and his young school-going brother, Kartik.

Nikki is looking for a groom through a matrimonial portal and she is very picky. She keeps on rejecting all the alliances that come to her. She casually tells her friends that she once really liked a guy named Aby but she did not pursue the relationship because his mom joked about her looks. Her friends message him from her phone when she was not around and then the two start seeing each other again. Nikki also gets really close with Aby's mom Dr. Sherly.

Major Unnikrishnan has anger management issues and he starts going to a Dr. Bose to get himself treated. Neena also goes to the same place to teach dance. Slowly they start a liking for each other. Noticing this their flatmates start to gossip and it reaches Nikki's ears as well. Nikki questions Neena and Neena does not deny this. Nikki tells her fiance about this and he immediately breaks up. Nikki starts hating her mother because of this. She tells Neena that more than her fiance, she misses his mom a lot.

Bibeesh is also in love with his colleague, but it does not work out. Turns out that she has a boyfriend. During this time, their flat becomes flooded, and Bibeesh and his brother shift to Nikki's house. Slowly they fall in love. One night Bibeesh and Kartik have a disgusting fight and Nikki stops the quarrel by taking Bibeesh to the top of the terrace.

Bibeesh opens up about his personal life to Nikki, recounting various incidents that have shaped his experiences. He recalls a time when his younger brother was born to their parents while they were still in 11th grade, leading to mockery from his friends due to their mother being their class teacher. Tragedy struck a year later when Bibeesh's father passed away in an accident, as he wasn't wearing a helmet. Bibeesh vividly describes the day of his father's death as the worst, remembering how he usually carried an extra set of keys but, unfortunately, had forgotten them that day. This forced him to wait at his neighbor's house, triggering a recollection of a nauseating experience when he vomited after drinking squash at their place. However, when the ambulance turned up at his house he was expecting to see his dad's body in the van. But he saw his mom and dad's dead bodies in the ambulance. Turns out both his parents had taken Kartik for a polio vaccination. They had got into an accident with a truck. But Kartik came home with a fracture only to which Bibeesh felt relieved on seeing his brother alive. Bibeesh reflects on how even the thought of that incident still evokes a sensation of nausea, illustrating the lasting impact it had on him.

His heart-wrenching narrative of losing his parents during his school years helps Nikki understand the depth of maternal love and leads to a reconciliation between them. Meanwhile, Major Unnikrishnan humorously remarks that Neena bears a resemblance to the attractive actress Shobana, offering a lighthearted moment.

As the film nears its conclusion, Bibeesh and Nikki arrange to go on a date. However, their plans are disrupted when Nikki's ex-fiancé, a dedicated traffic police officer, unexpectedly shows up. This officer, who was previously rejected by Nikki for asking her to pay traffic fines during a date, unintentionally creates tension during their outing

Cast edit

Production edit

On 12 April 2019, The Times of India reported that Suresh Gopi, Shobana and Nazriya Nazim will be starring in a drama film directed by debutant Anoop Sathyan, son of veteran filmmaker Sathyan Anthikad.[17] It marked the comeback of the superstar Suresh Gopi, after a brief hiatus. Later, Nazriya was replaced by Kalyani Priyadarshan.[18] On 17 September 2019, The New Indian Express reported that Dulquer Salmaan will also be starring in the film and producing it. Urvashi was also confirmed to play an important role.[18] Filming was said to begin by October 2019 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.[19] The film also marked the on-screen collaboration of Suresh Gopi and Shobana after a period of 14 years, after working together in Makalkku (2005).[20]

The principal photography of the film began on 1 October 2019 in Chennai, with both Dulquer and Kalyani shared pictures from sets on their social media accounts. The filming was officially launched by filmmaker Lal Jose.[1] On 4 October 2019, Suresh Gopi began shooting his portions.[21] Dulquer joined the sets for filming on 11 October 2019.[22] On 26 November 2019, Urvashi's shooting for the film commenced.[23] Filming was completed on 21 December 2019, with Dulquer shared a picture expressing thanks on Instagram.[24] Bhagyalakshmi dubbed for Shobhana and Singer Anne Amie for Kalyani Priyadarshan.[6]

Soundtrack edit

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicSingerLength
1."Ne Va En Arumukha..."Santhosh Varma, Dr. KritayaAlphons JosephK. S. Chithra, Karthik03:32
2."Kuttikkurumba..."Santhosh Varma, Anoop SathyanAlphons JosephK. S. Chithra 
3."Mullapoove ..."Santhosh varmaAlphons JosephHaricharan02:50
4."Muthunne Kannukalil ..."Santhosh varmaAlphons JosephSwetha Mohan, Swetha Somasundaran 
5."Mathi kanna Ullathu Chollan ..."Santhosh varmaAlphons JosephAlphons Joseph, Sherdhin, Shelton Pinheiro, ThirumaLi 
6."Oh En Eesa Song ..."Dr:KritayaAlphons JosephAlphons Joseph 
7."Aadyamorillam ..."Santhosh varmaAlphons JosephAnn Amie 
8."Muthunne Kannukalil ..."Santhosh varmaAlphons JosephSwetha Mohan 
9."Oh En Eesa ..."Dr:KritayaAlphons JosephAlphons Joseph 

Release edit

The film was released on 7 February 2020. The movie was released on Netflix and Sun NXT on 20 April 2020 with English subtitles.[25][26]

Reception edit

The Times of India critic rated 3 out of 5 stars and wrote that the film's strengths lie "in the moving moments when each of the four characters talk about their past.... Varane Avashyamund is a feel-good movie for all audience and probably all seasons, because it is all heart."[27]

Box office edit

In the overseas opening weekend, it grossed US$93,932 (₹67.06 lakhs) from 44 screens in the United States, US$13,215 (₹9.44 lakhs) from 8 screens in the Canada, NZ$16,353 (₹7.52 lakhs) from 6 screens in New Zealand[28] and S$7,920 (₹4.07 lakhs) from 2 screens in the Singapore.[29] It grossed US$174,538 (₹1.3 crore) in United States in five weeks,[30] US$22,537 (₹16.27 lakhs) in Canada in two weeks, £62,690 (₹58.25 lakhs) in United Kingdom in two weeks, A$4,016 (₹1.91 lakhs) in Australia in three weeks, NZ$22,849 (₹10.39 lakhs) in New Zealand in two weeks,[29] €3,240 (₹2.59 lakhs) in Germany in three weeks[31] and S$12,450 (₹6.67 lakhs) in Singapore in three weeks.[32]

Awards edit

At 10th South Indian International Movie Awards, Shobana won Best Actress, Anoop won Best Debut Director, Kalyani won Best Debut Actress, and Antony won Best Actor in a Comedy Role.[33]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Onmanorama Staff (3 October 2019). "Dulquer Salmaan back to Mollywood, launches his next with Kalyani Priyadarshan". Malayalam Manorama. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  2. ^ "Varane Avashyamund: Five reasons why you should not miss Suresh Gopi, Shobana, Kalyani Priyadarshan and Dulquer Salmaan-starrer". The Times of India. 6 February 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2021.
  3. ^ "Major Unnikrishnan says hi!". Times of India. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  4. ^ "'വരനെ ആവശ്യമുണ്ട്' പോസ്റ്റുമായി ദുൽഖർ സൽമാൻ; ആർക്കെന്നല്ലേ?". News18 Malayalam. 1 January 2020. Archived from the original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Shobana talks about her comeback film 'Varane Avashyamund'". The Times of India. 1 May 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Singer Anne Amie: I was offered the opportunity to dub for Kalyani in 'Varane Avashyamud, while I was in Chennai for Filmfare Awards". The Times of India. 16 February 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  7. ^ George, Anjana (1 June 2020). "When Urvashi was asked to improvise a scene for Varane Avashyamund". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  8. ^ "Did you know KPAC Lalitha's real name is Maheshwari Amma?". The Times of India. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  9. ^ Changanassery, Santhosh (25 April 2020). "After acting in Dulquer Salmaan's movie, Johny Antony is waiting for Mammootty's opinion". On Manorama. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  10. ^ a b c "It's a heart-warming film, Dulquer on 'Varane Avashyamund'". Mathrubhumi. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  11. ^ "Santhosh Sivan's son to essay a part in Anoop Sathyan directorial 'Varane Avashyamund'". Times of India. 9 January 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  12. ^ George, Nina C (13 February 2020). "'Had to unlearn many things when I decided to act'". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  13. ^ MP, Abin (8 February 2020). "മാധവന്‍റേയോ ദിവ്യ ഉണ്ണിയുടെയോ, അതോ...; പ്രേക്ഷകരെ കണ്‍ഫ്യൂഷനാക്കിയ 'കുക്കറമ്മ' ആര്?". Samayam Malayalam. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  14. ^ Soman, Deepa (2 March 2020). "Wafa Khatheeja Rahman: Anoop used to brief me the scenes and I'd form my own lines in Beary for them". Times of India. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  15. ^ Mathews, Anna (17 March 2020). "Siju Wilson: I have been able to do a wide range of roles this year". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
  16. ^ "ഒറ്റ രംഗത്തില്‍ മിന്നി മാധവ് സുരേഷ്, അച്ഛന്റെ അനുഗ്രഹം തേടി സെറ്റില്‍; വീഡിയോ". Mathrubhumi. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  17. ^ Anjana George (12 April 2019). "Nazriya, Shobana and Suresh Gopi to team up for Anoop Sathyan's debut directorial". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  18. ^ a b Express News Service (17 September 2019). "Suresh Gopi-Shobana film to go on floors next month". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  19. ^ Sanjith Sidhardhan (1 September 2019). "Anoop Sathyan ropes in Dulquer and Kalyani for a family-drama". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  20. ^ Timesofindia.com (7 October 2019). "Suresh Gopi and Shobana reunite after 14 years for Anoop Sathyan's directorial debut". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  21. ^ Timesofindia.com (4 October 2019). "Suresh Gopi joins Anoop Sathyan's directorial debut!". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  22. ^ Sanjith Sidhardhan (11 October 2019). "Dulquerstarts shooting for Anoop Sathyan directorial". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  23. ^ Express News Service (26 November 2019). "Urvashi joins Suresh Gopi-Shobana film". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  24. ^ Samayam Malayalam (22 December 2019). മനസ് നിറഞ്ഞ് ദുൽഖര്‍ സൽമാൻ; ഏവര്‍ക്കും നന്ദി പറഞ്ഞ് താരം: ഇൻസ്റ്റാഗ്രാം കുറിപ്പ് വൈറൽ! [Dulquer Salmaan feels overjoyed; Expresses thanks to everyone; Instagram post goes viral!]. The Times of India (in Malayalam). Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  25. ^ "Varane Avashyamund | Netflix". www.netflix.com. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  26. ^ "Varane Avashyamund | Sunnxt". www.sunnxt.com. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  27. ^ "Varane Avashyamund Movie Review {3.0/5}: Critic Review of Varane Avashyamund". The Times of India. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  28. ^ "Love Aaj Kal collects 1.1 mil. USD [Rs. 7.85 cr.] in overseas". Bollywood Hungama. 18 February 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  29. ^ a b "Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan collects approx. 900k USD [Rs. 6.48 cr.] in overseas". Bollywood Hungama. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  30. ^ "Baaghi 3 collects approx. 3.30 mil USD [Rs. 24.39 cr.] in overseas". Bollywood Hungama. 17 March 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  31. ^ "Thappad collects approx. 600k USD [Rs. 4.37 cr.] in overseas". Bollywood Hungama. 2 March 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  32. ^ "Baaghi 3 collects approx. 2.32 mil USD [Rs. 17.23 cr.] in overseas". Bollywood Hungama. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  33. ^ "SIIMA awards: Check out Malayalam winners of 2020". Onmanorama. Retrieved 20 September 2021.

External links edit