''Geethaanjali'' is a 2013 Indian
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...
-language
horror film directed by
Priyadarshan
Priyadarshan (born 30 January 1957) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer who works predominantly in Malayalam and Hindi films, while also having done six films in Tamil and two films in Telugu. He has done about 31 films in ...
and written by Abhilash Nair, with dialogue by
Dennis Joseph
Dennis Joseph (20 October 1957 – 10 May 2021) was an Indian scriptwriter and director known for his work in Malayalam films. He was active during the 1980s and early 1990s. He frequently collaborated with directors Joshi and Thambi Kannanthan ...
. Though promoted as
spin-off of the 1993 Malayalam film ''
Manichitrathazhu
''Manichitrathazhu'' () is a 1993 Indian Malayalam-language epic psychological horror film directed by Fazil, written by Madhu Muttam, and produced by Swargachitra Appachan. The film stars Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi and Shobana with Nedumudi Venu ...
'', it was an official remake of the 2007
Thai
Thai or THAI may refer to:
* Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia
** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand
** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand
*** Thai script
*** Thai (Unicode block ...
film ''
Alone'' which was loosely based on the novel ''
Elephants Can Remember''.
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Viswanathan (born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically app ...
reprises his role from ''Manichitrathazhu'' and
Suresh Gopi
Suresh Gopi (born 26 June 1958) is an Indian actor, politician, playback singer and television presenter. He works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and has also appeared in some Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Bollywood films. Suresh made his acti ...
appears in a cameo role. It also features
Nishan,
Keerthy Suresh
Keerthy Suresh (born 17 October 1992) is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Tamil and Telugu films, in addition to a few Malayalam films. She was recognised as Forbes 30 under 30 in 2021.She won the National Film Award for Best Act ...
, Swapna Menon,
Siddique,
Madhu
Madhu (Sanskrit: ) is a word used in several Indo-Aryan languages meaning ''honey'' or ''sweet''. It is ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European ''*médʰu'', whence English '' mead''.
Metaphorical use
''Madhu'' has been used for millennia si ...
,
Innocent
Innocence is a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence is to the lack of legal guilt of an individual, with respect to a crime. In other contexts, it is a lack of experience.
In relation ...
, and
K. B. Ganesh Kumar
Keezhoote Balakrishna Pillai Ganesh Kumar (born 25 May 1966) is an Indian actor, television host, and politician. Ganesh Kumar is a proposed cabinet minister for the last 2.5 years in the ongoing 2nd LDF govt in Kerala and he is also the curre ...
. In the film, psychologist Dr. Sunny Joseph (Mohanlal) arrives at a mansion to treat Anjali (Keerthy), who is haunted by her deceased twin sister Geetha (Keerthy), and investigates the paranormal activities. The film was originally planned to be shot in
3D and
Auro-3D formats but this was abandoned because the technology was time-consuming and only a few theatres in
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 ...
were equipped with
Auro sound equipment at that time.
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as a ...
commenced on 6 July 2013 at
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
and was completed in September. Most of the filming took place at the
Chitranjali Studio
Chitranjali ( ml, ചിത്രാഞ്ജലി) is a film production studio located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It was established in 1980s by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC).
The studio is located in the hil ...
and in and around Thiruvananthapuram. The
cinematographer was
Tirru
S. Thirunavukarasu (born 21 July 1966), better known mononymously as Tirru, is an Indian cinematographer who has worked in multiple languages across India. He won the National Film Award for Best Cinematography for '' 24'' (2016).
Personal ...
and editing was done by
T. S. Suresh. It marked the Malayalam and film debut of Keerthy Suresh, having previously worked in few films as a child artiste (in the early 2000s). ''Geethaanjali'' was released worldwide on 14 November 2013. The film being an official remake of ''Alone'' was undisclosed before release, as a result, it was criticised as an imitation of ''Alone'' and its source material, the novel ''
Elephants Can Remember'' and other Indian films adapted from the film or novel. Mohanlal's performance, the cinematography and the graphics received praise.
Plot
It is believed that Anjali's twin sister Geetha has committed suicide. Anjali is betrothed to Anoop, a member of a prominent family who works in Mumbai. When her mother falls from a terrace and is bedridden
paralysed
Paralysis (also known as plegia) is a loss of motor function in one or more muscles. Paralysis can also be accompanied by a loss of feeling (sensory loss) in the affected area if there is sensory damage. In the United States, roughly 1 in 50 ...
, Anjali and Anoop go to her house in
Arackal
Arackal is a village in Kollam district in the state of Kerala, India.
Demographics
As of the 2011 Census of India, Arackal had a population of 16739 with 7964 males and 8776 females.
References
Villages in Kollam district
{{Kollam- ...
, Kerala. Once there, Geetha's spirit begins to haunt Anjali, which disturbs her a lot. Within days, a series of horrifying incidents occur. Anoop contacts Nakulan; in order to reach Dr. Sunny Joseph. Sunny eventually arrives from
Machu Picchu to treat Anjali and to help her out of her crisis.
Since everyone believes the house to be haunted, the family buys a new house. The future owner of the house Vasu claims that he had seen Geetha in a car and wrote down the number on a file. He says that he could give it to them the next day, but he gets a phone call from Geetha's spirit asking him to meet her in the church next morning. He goes there and calls Sunny for help, but gets killed before Sunny could help him. Sunny then spots a car driving out of the church and follows it, but the killer already got out of the car before Sunny could spot him. Anjali tells Sunny that Geetha had committed suicide after she learned that Anjali and Anoop loved each other. Sunny then seeks help from Kadalikkattu Thirumeni who too discovered that Anjali was possessed by Geetha's ghost.
Gruesome events follow, including the death of Thambichayan, a caretaker at Arakal. Sunny tells everyone that the ghost haunting Anjali is just a psychological effect and not real. For some reason, he tries to postpone the marriage, but in vain. Anoop assumes that Sunny is trying to separate Anjali from him, and thus Anoop drives Sunny out of the house. It is then that he sees the death of Thambichayan who was caught in a fire from a cottage. On their engagement day, Sunny grabs Anoop and shoves him into his car. He drives to a small graveyard and tells Anoop that the so-called Anjali is actually Geetha, who has criminal intentions.
In a flashback, it is revealed that Anjali and Anoop fall in love with each other, but Geetha misunderstands that Anoop loved her and she loves him back. Geetha became angry that Anoop is going to marry Anjali and not her, and decided to take revenge on Anjali. Sunny then shows Anjali's grave to Anoop and tells him the whole truth about her. The feeling of guilt in her mind led her to see Anjali wherever she goes, and all the horrible incidents that happened were just illusions seen by Geetha. Vasu was actually killed by Thambi, the only person who knew the truth, apart from Geetha and her mother. It is also shown that it was Geetha who accidentally shoved her mother off the terrace, when she was told that Anjali's spirit was in the house. Thambi is later killed by Geetha so that there is no way anyone could unravel the truth. Sunny, still unsure, tried to postpone their marriage until he had collected enough evidence to reveal the truth.
Hearing this, Anoop storms into the house and accused Geetha of taking Anjali's name. Geetha tries to kill Anoop when he says that he does not want her anymore. She finally revealed that it was she who killed Anjali during the argument in the beach (while she conveniently concocted a different version when Sunny had earlier asked about the beach incident). Anoop almost gets paralyzed by Geetha and is about to be killed. Sunny breaks into the house and rescues Anoop, but she takes a gun and tries to aim at them but as the gun was not loaded, it didn't fire. An image of Anjali's spirit appears in Geetha's mind (on a mirror) and prevents her from shooting Anoop. Geetha is killed by a fire in the house, and Anjali's "spirit" watches over Geetha while she is dying. Later, Geetha's grave is built alongside Anjali's, and Anoop, his family, and Thankappan thank Sunny for helping them.
Cast
*
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Viswanathan (born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically app ...
as Dr. Sunny Joseph, a psychiatrist
*
Keerthy Suresh
Keerthy Suresh (born 17 October 1992) is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Tamil and Telugu films, in addition to a few Malayalam films. She was recognised as Forbes 30 under 30 in 2021.She won the National Film Award for Best Act ...
as Geetha / Anjali, Anoop's love interest
*
Nishan as Anoop, Geetha's and Anjali's love interest
*
Madhu
Madhu (Sanskrit: ) is a word used in several Indo-Aryan languages meaning ''honey'' or ''sweet''. It is ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European ''*médʰu'', whence English '' mead''.
Metaphorical use
''Madhu'' has been used for millennia si ...
as Babychayan
*
Innocent
Innocence is a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence is to the lack of legal guilt of an individual, with respect to a crime. In other contexts, it is a lack of experience.
In relation ...
as Thakappan
*
Seema as Anamma
*
Siddique as Thampichayan
*
Nassar
Nassar ( ar, نصار, lit=helper, protector, supporter, victory-maker), is a given name and surname, commonly found in the Arabic language. Alternative spellings of this name, possibly due to transliteration include Naser, Nasser, Nasir, Naseer ...
as Kathalikaattu Thirumeni
*
K. B. Ganesh Kumar
Keezhoote Balakrishna Pillai Ganesh Kumar (born 25 May 1966) is an Indian actor, television host, and politician. Ganesh Kumar is a proposed cabinet minister for the last 2.5 years in the ongoing 2nd LDF govt in Kerala and he is also the curre ...
as Vasu
*
Harisree Ashokan
Harisree Ashokan is an Indian actor and director who is known for his comedy roles in Malayalam films. Ashokan has acted in more than 200 Malayalam films. He started his career as a mimicry artist in the troupe Harisree and then worked in Kala ...
as Exorcist Kochu Kuttadan
* Swapna Menon as Mary
*
Mahesh Padmanabhan as Koshy
* Sunil Kumar as Roy
* Ajayan as Johny
* Maya Vishwanath as Moly
*
Ambika Mohan as Gracie
*
Pradeep Chandran Pradeep is a Diya lamp, used in Puja (religious ceremonies) in Hinduism, Jainism, & Buddhism. It is related to the name Pradip.
Notable people with the name include:
Pradeep Dahal* Pradeep (actor)
* Kavi Pradeep
* Vidya Pradeep
* Pradeep Kumar
...
as Doctor
* Arun Benny as Keshavan, a servant
* Soniya Malhaar as Bindu, a servant
* Safa as young Geetha
* Marwa as young Anjali
* Daniel Moorehead as Englishman
*
Suresh Gopi
Suresh Gopi (born 26 June 1958) is an Indian actor, politician, playback singer and television presenter. He works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and has also appeared in some Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Bollywood films. Suresh made his acti ...
as Nakulan (
Cameo appearance
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
)
Production
Development
Priyadarshan
Priyadarshan (born 30 January 1957) is an Indian film director, screenwriter and producer who works predominantly in Malayalam and Hindi films, while also having done six films in Tamil and two films in Telugu. He has done about 31 films in ...
had earlier worked as a second-unit director, along with
Siddique,
Lal
Lal ( fa, لعل, hi, लाल, bn, লাল, ur, لال, ps, Lāl) is an Indo-Iranian surname and given name, which means "darling", "precious", or "beloved", from the Sanskrit ''lala'' ("cajoling").''Dictionary of American Family Names''F ...
, and
Sibi Malayil
Sibi (Sindhi: سيوي ur, ) is a city situated in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. The city is the headquarters of the district and tehsil of the same name.
Etymology
The origin of the town's name is attributed to Rani Sewi, a Hindu lad ...
, on ''
Manichitrathazhu
''Manichitrathazhu'' () is a 1993 Indian Malayalam-language epic psychological horror film directed by Fazil, written by Madhu Muttam, and produced by Swargachitra Appachan. The film stars Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi and Shobana with Nedumudi Venu ...
'' (1993), which was directed by his friend
Fazil. Priyadarsan said
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Viswanathan (born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically app ...
wanted to revive Sunny and was looking for a suitable subject and storyline. He said, "I had been telling
riyadarshanthat he should revive Sunny as I felt that he was a character with immense potential for a new film; someone who can fit into any background or period. In this movie, Sunny reappears, a little older, but no less wacky than in his previous outing." The film is not an official sequel to ''Manichitrathazhu'', but Mohanlal portrays the psychiatrist Dr. Sunny Joseph, the character he acted in ''Manichitrathazhu''.
About the genre, Priyadarshan described: "It is more of a
thriller and a
whodunit
A ''whodunit'' or ''whodunnit'' (a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus. The reader or viewer is provided with the c ...
. To maintain the feel of the theme, there is no
slapstick comedy
Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such a ...
or forced attempts at humor. At the same time, I have infused humour into some of the scenes to ease the tension".
According to the director, ''Geethanjali'' is a psychological thriller set in a supposedly-haunted bungalow. Since the story has a Christian backdrop, he engaged screenwriter
Dennis Joseph
Dennis Joseph (20 October 1957 – 10 May 2021) was an Indian scriptwriter and director known for his work in Malayalam films. He was active during the 1980s and early 1990s. He frequently collaborated with directors Joshi and Thambi Kannanthan ...
to help with the dialogue.
Shobana
Shobana Chandrakumar Pillai (born 21 March 1970) is an Indian actress and Bharatanatyam dancer. She acts predominantly in Malayalam films along with Telugu and Tamil films with few Hindi, Kannada and English films. She has won two National Fil ...
, who played Ganga in ''Manichitrathazhu'' was to make a guest appearance to introduce Dr. Sunny as the psychiatrist who cured her.
However, that plan did not work out. ''Geethaanjali'' was an official remake of the 2007
Thai
Thai or THAI may refer to:
* Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia
** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand
** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand
*** Thai script
*** Thai (Unicode block ...
film ''
Alone''.
Casting
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Viswanathan (born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically app ...
reprised the role of Dr. Sunny Joseph, the protagonist in ''Manichithrathazhu''. The production team were looking for a heroine; they shortlisted a few people from the
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
,
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
, Malayalam, and
Hindi
Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...
film industries during pre-production in June 2012.
Keerthy Suresh
Keerthy Suresh (born 17 October 1992) is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Tamil and Telugu films, in addition to a few Malayalam films. She was recognised as Forbes 30 under 30 in 2021.She won the National Film Award for Best Act ...
, daughter of veteran actress
Menaka and producer Suresh Kumar was selected for her debut lead role; she has earlier appeared as a child artiste in films ''
Pilots'' (2000), ''
Achaneyanenikkishtam'' (2001), and ''
Kuberan'' (2002), and in a tele-film by Suresh Krishna. Her father Kumar is a family friend of Mohanlal and Priyadarshan.
Nishan K. P. Nanaiah
Nishan K. P. Nanaiah, known mononymously as Nishan, is an Indian actor who has predominantly worked in Malayalam cinema along with Hindi, Bengali, Kannada,Tamil and Telugu films. Born in Coorg, Karnataka and brought up in Calcutta, Nishan is a g ...
was cast as Anoop, the fiancée of the character acted by Keerthy Suresh. Actor
Innocent
Innocence is a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence is to the lack of legal guilt of an individual, with respect to a crime. In other contexts, it is a lack of experience.
In relation ...
made a comeback to films with ''Geethanjali'' after his cancer treatment, he agreed to act on the insistence of Priyadarshan and Mohanlal and allotted ten days for the shoot.
K. B. Ganesh Kumar
Keezhoote Balakrishna Pillai Ganesh Kumar (born 25 May 1966) is an Indian actor, television host, and politician. Ganesh Kumar is a proposed cabinet minister for the last 2.5 years in the ongoing 2nd LDF govt in Kerala and he is also the curre ...
was also signed in a role. Although Innocent and Ganesh appeared in Manichitrathazhu, they portrayed two new characters in ''Geethaanjali''.
[ Swapna Menon was cast as the daughter of Thankappan (Innocent); her characterisation was similar to that of the female version of Chanthu ( Sudheesh) in ''Manichithrathazhu''. Late actor-director Cochin Haneefa's twin daughters Safa and Marwa played the childhood of Geetha and Anjali. They have no dialogue and are only seen in a song sequence. ]Suresh Gopi
Suresh Gopi (born 26 June 1958) is an Indian actor, politician, playback singer and television presenter. He works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and has also appeared in some Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Bollywood films. Suresh made his acti ...
reprised his role as Nakulan in a cameo appearance. It was the first time Priyadarshan worked with veteran actors Madhu
Madhu (Sanskrit: ) is a word used in several Indo-Aryan languages meaning ''honey'' or ''sweet''. It is ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European ''*médʰu'', whence English '' mead''.
Metaphorical use
''Madhu'' has been used for millennia si ...
, Siddique, and Harisree Ashokan
Harisree Ashokan is an Indian actor and director who is known for his comedy roles in Malayalam films. Ashokan has acted in more than 200 Malayalam films. He started his career as a mimicry artist in the troupe Harisree and then worked in Kala ...
.[
]
Filming
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as a ...
commenced on 6 July 2013 at Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
. Priyadarshan began initial filming with two units—one at Kovalam
Kovalam is a region in the city of Trivandrum, around 13 km southwest of the city center, whose beaches are a tourist destination.
Etymology
Kovalam means " coconut grove," after the coconut trees which are common there.
History
Koval ...
and another on a set at the Pothencode
Pothencode, is a rapidly developing town and a developing area of Thiruvananthapuram District in the Indian state of Kerala. Spiritual leaders Brahmasree Jagadguru Swami Sathyananda Saraswathi, Sree Rama Dasa Mission, Karunakara Guru and founde ...
palace. He tried to finish the shoot by 20 August, which left three weeks to complete post-production. The film was shot on locations in and around Thiruvananthapuram and Chitranjali Studio
Chitranjali ( ml, ചിത്രാഞ്ജലി) is a film production studio located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It was established in 1980s by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC).
The studio is located in the hil ...
.[ Ninety percent of it was shot in Thiruvananthapuram and the remaining ten percent was shot in ]Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
and New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...
.[ In early September, Mohanlal announced he had completed shooting and had moved on to another film.
The film's makers had initially planned to make the film in 3D format, but this was abandoned because of the cost of production and the technology was time-consuming and filming would take much longer than planned.][ Priyadarshan also intended to use the Auro sound format, but no theatre in ]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 ...
was equipped with that technology at that time, so he abandoned that idea too. Tirru
S. Thirunavukarasu (born 21 July 1966), better known mononymously as Tirru, is an Indian cinematographer who has worked in multiple languages across India. He won the National Film Award for Best Cinematography for '' 24'' (2016).
Personal ...
was the director of photography
The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...
. The music for the film was provided by Vidyasagar and the film was edited by T. S. Suresh. Lalgudi N. Ilaiyaraja was in charge of the art department.
Release
''Geethaanjali'' was awarded a U/A certificate by the Central Board of Film Certification
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory film-certification body in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of the Government of India. It is tasked with "regulating the public exhibition of films under the provision ...
.[ The film's theatrical release, which was earlier planned for October 2013, was postponed until 14 November because of a delay in graphics works. ''Geethanjali'' was released in over 300 theatres worldwide on 14 November 2013, including 90 theatres in Kerala, distribution was done by Seven Arts Release in India.] PJ Entertainments bought the distribution rights for Europe; they released in the United Kingdom in 61 theatres, Austria, Finland, Germany, Sweden, and Italy. The release in Singapore was delayed until 16 November; there it was distributed by Singapore Coliseum. The film also had a release in Japan. The television satellite rights were purchased by Asianet Asianet may refer to:
Disney Star channels
*Asianet Communications, an Indian media company wholly owned by Disney Star
**Asianet (TV channel), a Malayalam language general entertainment channel
**Asianet Plus, a Malayalam language general entertai ...
before release.
Reception
Critical reaction
Veeyen of ''Nowrunning.com'' rated the film two stars out of five, and said, "Very rarely does the film rise above the conventions of a horror film that seem to be stuck on its back like a duct tape. No amount of incredible performances or stunning cinematography by Thiru can save 'Geethanjali' from collapsing into another cluttered film that bites the dust". He also said the story is similar to that of ''Chaarulatha
''Chaarulatha'' (also spelled as ''Charulatha'') is a 2012 Indian horror film made in Kannada and Tamil. The film was directed by Pon Kumaran, a former associate to K. Bhagyaraj and K. S. Ravikumar, and features Priyamani in the lead role. The ...
'' (2012). ''Sify.com
Sify Technologies Limited (formerly Satyam Infoway) is an Indian information and communications technology company providing end-to-end ICT solutions including telecom services, data center services, cloud & managed services, transformation in ...
'' criticised the film's similarity to the 2007 Thai film
The cinema of Thailand dates back to the History of film, early days of filmmaking, when Chulalongkorn, King Chulalongkorn's 1897 visit to Bern, Switzerland was recorded by François-Henri Lavancy-Clarke. The film was then brought to Bangkok, wher ...
'' Alone'' and its Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
-Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
bilingual remake film ''Chaarulatha
''Chaarulatha'' (also spelled as ''Charulatha'') is a 2012 Indian horror film made in Kannada and Tamil. The film was directed by Pon Kumaran, a former associate to K. Bhagyaraj and K. S. Ravikumar, and features Priyamani in the lead role. The ...
'' (2012). Sify.com also said, "Even if you haven't watched the original, this film is badly written and is barely engaging". Paresh C. Palicha of ''Rediff.com
Rediff.com (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City.
, it had more than 300 e ...
'' awarded it two stars out of five stars; he said the story is borrowed from many sources including the Thai film ''Alone'' and its Indian adaptation ''Chaarulatha'', and also noted a "striking" similarity to the 2007 Malayalam film '' Nadiya Kollappetta Rathri''. Ajin Krishna of '' Filmibeat.com'' awarded two stars out of five, he appreciated Mohanlal's performance and the cinematography, he said, "Geethanjali fails to entertain and horrify, even by following the same path of the usual horror movies. Priyadarshan could have worked better on this movie, at least to do justice to the tagline of a horror movie."
Aswin J. Kumar 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 ...
'' gave the film two-and-a-half stars out of five, and stated, "Geethanjali plays around a script that is constantly unsteady, giving away hints far too quickly or getting immersed in trifles just for the purpose of stretching the narrative. Even without comparisons, the movie never attains the arresting enigma of a psychological narrative." ''IndiaGlitz.com'' rated it four-and-a-half stars out of ten, and said it is a "rip-off" of ''Alone'', ''Chaarulatha'', and ''Nadiya Kollapetta Rathri''; he said, "'Geethanjali' stands on a weak script, which scares and shocks in bits and spurts. The film rides on Mohanlal's brand value, but its writing plays the spoilsport." however, the reviewer gave a special mention to the makeup and prosthetics. Raj Vikram of ''MetroMatinee.com'' gave a mixed review, saying, "The script of Abhilash Nair has loopholes dime a dozen but the directorial experience of Priyadarshan supported by some excellent camera work by Tirru and well crafted graphics do make the movie a watchable one", and, "As a standalone horror thriller 'Geethanjali' has its moments and Dr. Sunny's presence indeed may prove to be its backbone!".
Theatrical run
''Geethanjaly'' was released in around 300 theatres worldwide on 14 November. Seven Arts Release distributed the film in India.[ The film collected on the opening day in Kerala; it grossed from Kerala and from other Indian states within four days of its release, totalling gross from four days in India. In the UK, ''Geethanjaly'' grossed £14,403; considering the theatrical revenue, it was unsuccessful at the box office in its final run. In 2016, the film was dubbed into Tamil as ''Vennila Minnala'', with the makers hoping to gain revenue from ]Keerthy Suresh
Keerthy Suresh (born 17 October 1992) is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Tamil and Telugu films, in addition to a few Malayalam films. She was recognised as Forbes 30 under 30 in 2021.She won the National Film Award for Best Act ...
's new-found popularity in the Tamil film industry.movie was flop
Alleged influences
Although it was an official remake of ''Alone'' it was kept under wrap. The screenplay of ''Geethaanjali'' was criticised for its similarity to the films '' Alone'' (2007), ''Chaarulatha
''Chaarulatha'' (also spelled as ''Charulatha'') is a 2012 Indian horror film made in Kannada and Tamil. The film was directed by Pon Kumaran, a former associate to K. Bhagyaraj and K. S. Ravikumar, and features Priyamani in the lead role. The ...
'' (2012), and '' Nadiya Kollappetta Rathri'' (2007).[ ''Geethanjali'' was mentioned in an online article published by '' International Business Times'' in 2014 which described that the film was partially inspired by the detective novel '' Elephants Can Remember'' written by Agatha Christie. The ]Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
-Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
bilingual film ''Chaarulatha'' was released in 2012 as an official remake of the 2007 Thai film
The cinema of Thailand dates back to the History of film, early days of filmmaking, when Chulalongkorn, King Chulalongkorn's 1897 visit to Bern, Switzerland was recorded by François-Henri Lavancy-Clarke. The film was then brought to Bangkok, wher ...
''Alone''. Both ''Alone'' and ''Nadiya Kollappetta Rathri'', released in the same year, were loosely based on ''Elephants Can Remember'', which was published in 1972.
Soundtrack
The film's soundtrack was composed by Vidyasagar, with lyrics written by O. N. V. Kurup
Ottaplakkal Neelakandan Velu Kurup (known as O. N. V. Kurup; 27 May 1931 – 13 February 2016) was a Malayalam poet and lyricist from Kerala, India, who won the Jnanpith Award, the highest literary award in India for the year 2007. He receive ...
. The tracks "Koodilla Kuyilamme" and "Pavizha Munthiri" were revisions of "Jaana Hai Tujhko" and "Maine Hawa Ke Paron" from Priyadarshan's 2008 Hindi film ''Mere Baap Pehle Aap
''Mere Baap Pehle Aap'' (translation: ''My father, You first'') is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film directed by Priyadarshan. The film stars Akshaye Khanna, Genelia D'Souza, Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Manoj Joshi, Archana Puran Si ...
''. The original soundtrack album of the film was officially released at a function held at Dreams Hotel, Kochi
Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
, in November 2013.
See also
* Manichitrathazhu
''Manichitrathazhu'' () is a 1993 Indian Malayalam-language epic psychological horror film directed by Fazil, written by Madhu Muttam, and produced by Swargachitra Appachan. The film stars Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi and Shobana with Nedumudi Venu ...
, original film of the spin-off
* Elephants Can Remember, a detective novel by Agatha Christie
* List of Malayalam horror films
This is the chronological list of horror films produced in Malayalam cinema.
''Bhargavi Nilayam'', released in December 1964, is considered as the first true horror film in the language. The film was scripted by writer Vaikom Muhammed Basheer b ...
References
External links
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{{Dennis Joseph
2013 films
2010s Malayalam-language films
Indian horror films
2013 horror films
Indian sequel films
GNagavalli2
Films scored by Vidyasagar
Films shot in Thiruvananthapuram
Indian remakes of Thai films
Films directed by Priyadarshan