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19 March 2024

Dubai residents star in latest Mammootty thriller

(Supplied)

Published
By VM Sathish

Malayalam superstar Bharath Mammootty is staging a major come back after a series of recent flops. Even his young son Dulkhar Salman has been soaring in popularity due to a number of recent hit movies like Banglore Days, Vikramadityan, etc.

Mammootty had bad times which seemed to be reversing with the latest crime thriller 'Munnariyippu', now running in packed theatres across Kerala.

Mammootty seems to be thrilled again thanks to the applause for his role as CK Raghavan, in 'Munnariyippu', (Deadline - meaning Warning in English) which is getting good reviews and revenues. After watching the movie, many viewers said they were haunted by the character, Raghavan, well played by Mammootty, perhaps after his last hit movie, Pranchiyettan.

Mammootty is one of the most popular Malayalam superstars who has played many diverse characters in the Malayalam film industry.

However, he had a series of flops in recent times, especially the underworld movie, Gangster, that received criticism from many corners for it unwarranted high dose of crime and violence.

While the new thriller movie 'Munnariyippu' from the trio -- Venu-Renjith and Mammootty – team is making waves in Kerala theatres, immediately after Manglish, another hit movie made record collections in recent weeks, film enthusiastic in the Middle East are eagerly waiting for its release here because two actors with strong Dubai connections play important roles in the movie.

Termed as one of the most intriguing films in recent times, Munnariyippu is focusing on the murky world of media and publishing industry. It is an accidental coincidence that two leading Indian journalists from Dubai have important roles to play in this two hours media focused thriller movie.

Some of the recent Mammootty movies have been of special interest to the Gulf viewers, because budding actors and actresses from the UAE have played important roles with the megastar.

While all the major newspapers, magazines and television channels from Kerala say Mammootty is back in the limelight, playing the challenging lead role of C K Raghavan, an ex convict in jail for 20 years allegedly double homicide, and the movie is all about a journalists attempt to unravel the mystery behind Raghavan’s conviction.

JJoy Mathew, formerly a journalist in Dubai and Kris Iyer (Krishnan Venugopal) a Media Consultant and former head of two radio stations here play important roles representing typical characters from the new murky world of media and publishing industry.

While the lead role in Mammootty’s underworld movie, Gangster, was played by Nyla Usha, a Dubai based popular RJ who is now an established name in the Malayalam film industry, in the successful Munnariyippu, Kris Iyer, a multifaceted actor, anchor, singer, fashion stylist, dubbing artist, commercial movies actor, commentator and a Radio personality for many years in Dubai plays a crucial role.

“The movie was released on 21st August 2014)and we are getting good feedback. I feel thrilled because even in a small role, I could become part of a successful Mammootty movie,” said Kris Iyer, Dubai based Media Consultant and formerly Head of Programmes at Radio Me, Dubai based FM Malayalam station and RJ with Hit 96.7 Malayalam station.

He shortened his name to Kris and is now planning to direct his debut Tamil Movie and act in another movie next month. Graduating from the short film industry and acting in a couple of Malayalam movies including Radio Jockey and Munnariyippu, Kris is working on his new avatar as the director of a Tamil movie, his first directorial debut for which he has resigned his full time job as Head of Programmes in a leading Malayalam Radio Station. Kris is active in the Malayalam television, entertainment and radio field by playing multiple roles simultaneously and his foray into films is the realization of long lost fantasy on the silver screen and small screens.

Speaking to Emirates 24|7 Kris said he had travelled to Dubai about 10 years ago, when he was busy playing the role of an investigation officer in a popular television serial.

“I did a number of roles, mainly as villain, for the Malayalam television serials. When I was playing the role of a police investigator in a serial, as Stalin, I got a job offer in Dubai and I had to abruptly stop acting. The smart serial script writer made a twist in the storyline and from the next episode onwards, a new investigation officer appeared.  He included a line that the investigation officer was transferred and Rimi Tomy, now a popular Malayalam film actor and Mimic artist, continued to play the role earlier played by me,” he said.

Even after coming to Dubai, I did not lose contact with the Malayalam film industry. I could interview about 500 celebrities including superstars and heroines on Air for Dubai radio stations In fact the chance to act in two movies, Radio Jockey and Munnariyippu, came to me quite accidentally. “When I was doing a Face to Face Interview with film director Raja Senan, he told me his next movie will be about a Radio Jockey. After six months, I got a call from the director saying there is a character, Head of Programmes for a Radio Station and he wanted to know whether I would be ready to do that role. I accepted the invitation and I liked my role in Radio Jockey as the head of programme at a radio station, something that I did in real life too,” Kris added.

While big stars like Mammootty always attract crowd and some of his movies are big hits, Kris Iyer has all reason to cheer about Munnariyippu, because this is the first time that he is getting a small break in the Malayalam film industry.

Even though he started acting in lead roles in Television serials and sop operas back home around 20 years ago and acted in a couple of Malayalam movies after becoming a Non Resident Indian in Dubai, two important roles that he played in recent movies, Radio Jockey and Munnariyippu, indicates that Kris will continue in the South Indian film industry, while continuing his various activities in the television, entertainment and media field.

“It was one year ago that I did an important role in Radio Jockey. That chance came to me quite accidentally too from a Radio Interview. When I was interviewing Renjit on air, he told me his next movie will be about Radio Jockeys. And When the script was written, there was a character with the same name as Kris and he offered me the role.”