Think hangover and what comes to your mind is one of the biggest Hollywood grossers starring Bradley Cooper and his pals. Male bonding has been an eternal theme in movies filling the theatres with mirth and laughter, yet Mollywood can’t boast of many films belonging to that genre. As the third film in the Hangover franchise is ready to hit screens this month, here comes a Malayalam film with the same title. “The film will be a total entertainer, a fun ride featuring four youngsters in the lead,” says Sreejith Sukumaran, who is making his directorial debut through the film.
The director says Hangover will be leagues apart from Mollywood’s run-of-the-mill films as it comes with a freshly-minted narrative and treatment. The film is neither a romantic tale zooming into the life of a couple nor a family drama. “It’s a buddy film where the four men from different background are thrown together and the film focuses on the comradery they share,” says the director who goes on to add that Malayalam has only a handful of films made on male bonding. “There are many women-oriented films in Malayalam, but when we go through the recent releases we find that films exploring the male world are few and far in between,” says Sreejith who has worked with director Kamal for many years.
The four heroes in Hangover belong to four different worlds. If Aby (Maqbool Salman) belongs to the affluent class and is used to all the luxuries, Kiran (played by debutant Govind Krishna) is from a lower middle class family which has financial issues. Appu (Bhagath Manuel) is the son of government servants and is from an entirely different background from the other three. Noor, the poorest of all, played by Shine Tom Chacko, has relocated to the city so that he can write movie scripts. “The film is all about the rapport they share and their adventures,” he adds.
Another highlight of the film is the presence of yesteryear star Jose who was very popular in the 80s. “After a long gap of twenty years the actor makes a comeback through Hangover. In the film he plays a key role, something integral to the development of the plot,” says the director. The film has two heroines - Archana Gupta and Shrida. A Mumbai-based model, Archana is quite popular for her Kalyan ad with Dileep. Sumesh V Robin, one of the writers of Karmayodha, has penned the screenplay.
The film with an interesting tagline ‘Avasanikkunne illa’ has nothing to do with the English film, insists the director. “The word hangover need not be linked to boozing. A piece of good music or a brilliant film can leave a lingering hangover. This film is based on an incident that happened in my life, so it’s definitely a slice out of real life. The storyline has absolutely no similarity with the English Hangover,” he says.
The film features four songs composed by Mejo Joseph. The film, produced by AOPL Ent Pvt Ltd after Violin, Second Show and Matinee will reach the theatres soon.