''Diwanjimoola Grand Prix'' is a 2018 Indian
Malayalam-language
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
sports
Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
directed by
Anil Radhakrishnan Menon
Anil Radhakrishnan Menon is an Indian film director working in Malayalam film.
Career
Anil Radhakrishnan Menon directed television commercials before venturing into feature films.
His first film North 24 Kaatham starring Fahadh Faasil and Ned ...
.
The screenplay was co-written by Menon and former Kozhikode District Collector
Prasanth Nair, fondly known as Collector Bro while dialogues are written by Riyas Marath.
The film features
Kunchacko Boban
Kunchacko Boban (born 2 November 1976) is an Indian actor and film producer. Sometimes referred to as Chackochan, he works in the Malayalam film industry and has acted in more than 90 films in more than two decades. He is a member of the List ...
,
Nyla Usha
Nyla Usha Gopakumar is an Indian actress, television host, and radio jockey from Trivandrum, Kerala. After working for nearly a decade as an RJ at Hit 96.7 in Dubai, she made her acting debut in 2013 with ''Kunjananthante Kada''.
Early life
...
,
Nedumudi Venu
Kesavan Venugopal (22 May 1948 – 11 October 2021), better known by his stage name Nedumudi Venu, was an Indian actor and screenwriter from Kerala, who predominantly worked in Malayalam cinema. He acted in more than 500 films, primarily in Ma ...
,
Siddique,
Vinayakan
Vinayakan T. K. is an Indian actor, playback singer, and composer who predominantly works in the Malayalam film industry. He has also appeared in some Tamil language films. He started his career with a cameo appearance in the 1995 film ''Maanth ...
, and
Sudheer Karamana
Sudheer Karamana (born 24 May 1971) is an Indian actor who appears mainly in Malayalam cinema. He is the son of veteran actor Karamana Janardanan Nair.
Personal life
He is the eldest son to actor Karamana Janardanan Nair and Jaya, at Karamana, ...
.
The film was released on theaters on 5 January 2018.
Plot
A newly appointed district collector of Thrissur takes up the task of cleaning up the city of its shortcomings and rallying people for a noble cause, by bringing back a bike race at the Diwanjimoola race track after three decades. The race serves as a platform to settle old scores and unearth new heroes for the residents of Diwanjimoola.
Cast
*
Kunchacko Boban
Kunchacko Boban (born 2 November 1976) is an Indian actor and film producer. Sometimes referred to as Chackochan, he works in the Malayalam film industry and has acted in more than 90 films in more than two decades. He is a member of the List ...
as Sajan Joseph IAS (Reprise name from
Kasthooriman
''Kasthooriman'' () is a 2003 Indian Malayalam-language romantic drama film written and directed by A. K. Lohithadas. The film shows the relationship developed between Sajan Joseph Alukka (Kunchako Boban) and Priyamvada (Meera Jasmine). Lohith ...
)
*
Nyla Usha
Nyla Usha Gopakumar is an Indian actress, television host, and radio jockey from Trivandrum, Kerala. After working for nearly a decade as an RJ at Hit 96.7 in Dubai, she made her acting debut in 2013 with ''Kunjananthante Kada''.
Early life
...
as Effy mol
*
Siddique as Jithendran
*
Nirmal Palazhi
Nirmal Palazhi (born in Kozhikode, Kerala) is an Indian actor who has worked predominantly in the Malayalam film industry known for his work on Puthan Panam, Diwanji Moola Grand Prix and Ira.
Personal life
Nirmal was born and settled in Ko ...
as Sivan
*
Shaheen Siddique
Shaheen Siddique (born 21 February 1989) is an Indian actor who appears in Malayalam films. The son of film actor Siddique, Shaheen made his debut with the Malayalam film ''Pathemari'' (2015) directed by National Award winner Salim Ahamed. He ...
as Young Jithendran
*
Sijoy Varghese
Sijoy Varghese (born 6 March 1971) is an Indian actor and advertising filmmaker. He has been involved in advertising and cinema for 20 years. As an actor he has portrayed characters in Malayalam films including: Bangalore Days, Avatharam, Jam ...
as Christo
*
Rahul Rajasekharan
Rahul Rajasekharan Nair is an Indian model, actor and the winner of Mister Supranational India 2021 beauty pageant title. He represented India at Mister Supranational 2021 held on 22 August 2021 at Nowy Sącz, Poland and made it to the Top 10 fi ...
as Saththan
*
Ketaki Narayan as Peeli Mol
* Rajeev rajan as Elluminungi
* Jithin Paramel as Para
* Ravi menon as Alavi
*
Nedumudi Venu
Kesavan Venugopal (22 May 1948 – 11 October 2021), better known by his stage name Nedumudi Venu, was an Indian actor and screenwriter from Kerala, who predominantly worked in Malayalam cinema. He acted in more than 500 films, primarily in Ma ...
as Davisettan
*
Vinayakan
Vinayakan T. K. is an Indian actor, playback singer, and composer who predominantly works in the Malayalam film industry. He has also appeared in some Tamil language films. He started his career with a cameo appearance in the 1995 film ''Maanth ...
as Vareedh
*
Rajeev Pillai
Rajeev Govinda Pillai is an Indian actor from Malayalam cinema. His acting debut was in the movie ''City of God (2011 film), City of God'' directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery (2011) where he played one of the heroes. His popularity further increa ...
as Gunman PP Shibu
*
Assim Jamal
Assim Jamal is an Indian actor who mainly works in Malayalam films. His debut movie was Kurukshetra directed by Major Ravi in which he appeared as a Pakistani official. He is known for his Villain roles. He did notable roles in Kurukshetra, Anwa ...
as CA Kunjahammad
*
Manikandan Pattambi
Manikandan Pattambi ( ml, മണികണ്ഠൻ പട്ടാമ്പി) is an Indian television, stage, and film actor. He's best known for his roles in Malayalam television. He became famous for his character ''Sathyasheelan'' in the si ...
as Anirudhan
*
Hareesh Kanaran
Hareesh Perumanna , known by his stage name Hareesh Kanaran, is an Indian comedian and film actor who appears in Malayalam films. He is best known for his stock character Jaliyan Kanaran which first appeared in ''Comedy Festival'', a comedy r ...
as Ganeshan
* Abraham Koshy as Accomplice
*
Ashokan as Rishi ''(Reprise name from
Thoovanathumbikal
''Thoovanathumbikal'' () is a 1987 Indian Malayalam-language romantic drama film written and directed by P. Padmarajan, based partly on his own novel ''Udakappola''. It revolves around Jayakrishnan (Mohanlal), who falls in love with two women; R ...
)''
*
Sudheer Karamana
Sudheer Karamana (born 24 May 1971) is an Indian actor who appears mainly in Malayalam cinema. He is the son of veteran actor Karamana Janardanan Nair.
Personal life
He is the eldest son to actor Karamana Janardanan Nair and Jaya, at Karamana, ...
as Leaf Vasu ''(From
Sapthamashree Thaskaraha
''Sapthamashree Thaskaraha'' ( ''Seven Good Thieves'') is a 2014 Malayalam-language heist comedy film directed and written by Anil Radhakrishnan Menon. The film features an ensemble cast of Prithviraj Sukumaran, Asif Ali, Nedumudi Venu, Sudhee ...
)''
*
Tini Tom
Tini Tom is an Indian actor, comedian and mimicry artist from Kerala. He works in Malayalam films and television.
Early life
Tini was born in North Paravoor, Kerala, India. His father Tomy T.D. is an engineer. He has a sister Tincy. Tom comp ...
as Subhran ''(From
Pranchiyettan and the Saint
''Pranchiyettan & the Saint'' is a 2010 Indian Malayalam-language satirical comedy film written, directed, and produced by Ranjith. The film centres on the fictitious conversation between the Thrissur based businessman C. E. Francis a.k.a. Pra ...
)''
* Umar payyanur as taxi driver
Production
Menon co-writes the film with Prashant M. Nair, the former
Kozhikode
Kozhikode (), also known in English as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala in India. It has a corporation limit population of 609,224 and a metropolitan population of more than 2 million, making it the second la ...
district collector.
Principal photography commenced on 12 April 2017 in
Thrissur
Thrissur (), formerly Trichur, also known by its historical name Thrissivaperur, is a city and the headquarters of the Thrissur district in Kerala, India. It is the third largest urban agglomeration in Kerala after Kochi and Kozhikode, and t ...
,
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
. The film was shot in different locations in and around Thrissur town.
Some parts were shot in
Ernakulam
Ernakulam () is the Central Business District of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation a ...
. Many of the actors were selected after an extensive audition. The film marks the debut of many of these actors.
A motion poster of the film was released on 18 Oct 2017 Diwali day.
''
Sudheer Karamana ''reprises the role of Leaf Vasu from the director's earlier film
Sapthamashree Thaskaraha
''Sapthamashree Thaskaraha'' ( ''Seven Good Thieves'') is a 2014 Malayalam-language heist comedy film directed and written by Anil Radhakrishnan Menon. The film features an ensemble cast of Prithviraj Sukumaran, Asif Ali, Nedumudi Venu, Sudhee ...
, Ashokan as Rishi of
Padmarajan
P. Padmarajan (23 May 1945 – 23 January 1991) was an Indian film maker, screenwriter and author who was known for his works in Malayalam literature and Malayalam cinema. He was the founder of a new school of film making in Malayalam cinema, a ...
's
Thoovanathumbikal
''Thoovanathumbikal'' () is a 1987 Indian Malayalam-language romantic drama film written and directed by P. Padmarajan, based partly on his own novel ''Udakappola''. It revolves around Jayakrishnan (Mohanlal), who falls in love with two women; R ...
and
Tini Tom
Tini Tom is an Indian actor, comedian and mimicry artist from Kerala. He works in Malayalam films and television.
Early life
Tini was born in North Paravoor, Kerala, India. His father Tomy T.D. is an engineer. He has a sister Tincy. Tom comp ...
as Subramanian of
Ranjith
Ranjit or Renjith may refer to:
Religion
* Anton Ranjith Pillainayagam (born 1966), Sri Lankan Tamil Catholic priest, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Colombo
* Malcolm Ranjith (born 1947), Sri Lankan Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, C ...
's
Pranchiyettan & the Saint
''Pranchiyettan & the Saint'' is a 2010 Indian Malayalam-language satirical comedy film written, directed, and produced by Ranjith. The film centres on the fictitious conversation between the Thrissur based businessman C. E. Francis a.k.a. Pra ...
. The film score and songs were composed by
Gopi Sundar
Gopi Sundar C. S. (born 30 May 1977) is an Indian music director, programmer, playback singer, songwriter, actor and performer who works prominently in Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil film industries. He started his career composing music for tele ...
.
Critical reception
Rating the film , Meenakshy Menon of ''
Cinema Express
''Cinema Express'' was an Indian Tamil-language entertainment fortnightly magazine published from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It was a part of The New Indian Express Group, which also publishes ''Samakalika Malayalam Vaarika'' weekly as well as '' Din ...
'' stated, "Diwanjimoola has the right focus, steady flow and when the film ends, it feels complete and fills us with positivity." Sanjith Sasidharan of ''
The Times of India
''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
'' rated the film
said that "The film is a lighter and the satire has its heart in right place – discussing issues of false promises by politicians, youth without purpose, neglecting the travails of the voiceless and significance of culture. However, it tries to highlight too much without really thrusting on any. That would have packed some power to the film".
Filmibeat
Oneindia.com is an Indian website established in January 2006 by BG Mahesh. The website provides news updates, information on sports, events, travel, entertainment, business, lifestyle, videos, and classifieds in seven different Indian language ...
rated and stated: "the film is definitely a watchable one for its characters, performances and the light humor which is there in the film in abundance".
Soundtrack
The background score and songs have been composed by
Gopi Sunder
Gopi Sundar C. S. (born 30 May 1977) is an Indian music director, programmer, playback singer, songwriter, actor and performer who works prominently in Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil film industries. He started his career composing music for tel ...
. The lyrics have been written by Harinarayanan.
References
External links
* {{IMDb title, 6774126
2018 films
2010s Malayalam-language films
Films shot in Thrissur
Films shot in Kochi