Introducing the Desi SuperHero, Minnal Murali!

Strap tight! Basil Joseph’s Tovino starrer Minnal Murali soon on Netflix.

Historic
Weekend Blockbusters (Sophia Paul) productions have brought to the Indian audience, making history, our very own native superhero. Now we needn’t be satisfied with forged Chilanthi Mappilais and you know the rest. Basil Joseph, the first to bring this genre from and amidst the Malayalam world, claims that this brand new Murali is a relatable guy. Means, he could look and feel like any other well-built young man we’ve come across in our tea-junctions, puddled roads or engineering colleges except that he has survived, for better or worse, a flash of lightning that struck him.

The show is set in the 90s and unravels in the fictitious Kurukkanmoola village. The filmmaker seems quite proud of his work when he remarks,
“Doing just any kind of film isn’t exciting. Doing films we think we cannot; that’s exciting”. And some wonder why one is impatient for the film’s release!

Super Team

Director: Basil Joseph (Godha, Kunjiramayanam)

Producer: Weekend Blockbusters, Sophia Paul (Bangalore Days, Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol)

Stunt: Vlad Rimburg (One night in Miami, Batman: The Tell Tale series, Gemini Man, Bahubali 2)

Music: Shaan Rahman (Godha, Thattathin Marayathu, Urumi) and Sushin Shyaam (Kumbalangi Nights, Varathan, Kismath)

Writers: Justin Mathew (Yes, Kanayile madhyapanikal) and Arun Aniruddin (Padayottam)

Cinematography: Sameer Thahir (Kali, Chappa Kurishu, 5 Sundarikal)

Editor: Livingston Mathew (Kala)

Art Director: Manu Jagath (Bahubali, Ee Ma Yau)

It’s Tovino Thomas as Jaison (Minnal Murali) opposite Guru Somasundar (Maara, Joker) as Selvan (Vellidi Venkiti), Harishree Ashokan, Femina George (newbie), Aju Varghese, Mammukkoya, Biju Kuttan, Jude Anthony, P. Balachandran, Sneha Babu, Azees etc.

Movie Set Vandalism and Other Troubles

Since the conception of the movie in 2018, their 3 year journey was full of hurdles including the multiple lockdowns, Tovino’s Covid-19 infection, the blind goons, the rising number of Covid cases in Kerala etc. On 25 th May 2020, some right-wingers vandalised Minnal Murali’s makeshift huge church set (approx. Rs.50 lakh) which was located opposite to a temple thereby allegedly mocking the temple’s God. The accused warriors of the Almighty identify themselves as Rashtriya Bajrangdal members. The event was scorned by many including Pinarayi Vijayan, the Kerala CM. After this unfortunate event at Kalady Aluva Manappuram they shifted the set to Karnataka. During the making, they halted and restarted the shooting, multiple times. Minnal Murali’s posters and teasers are promising with regard to the content and as it comes out in Malayalam, Tamil (Minnal Murali), Kannada (Minchu Murali), Telugu (Merupu Murali) and Hindi (Mister Murali) on Netflix, while we cradle Baby Jesus, let’s hope that its non-theatrical release mayleast affect its reception.