There have been only a few anthologies in the Malayalam cinema space that have distinguished themselves from the usual cinema we watch on the big or small screens. Kerala Café and 5 Sundarikal are among them as they contain stories that are still a part of the discourse years after being released. Adding to that is the up-and-coming Zee5 Global Malayalam film anthology, Manorathangal, which could be loosely translated to “chariots of the mind.” This one is special. For the first time, all the best directors, storytellers, and actors from the Malayalam industry come forward to pay tribute to one of the most legendary novelists and screenplay writers, MT Vasudevan Nair.
To those who are unaware of MT Vasudevan Nair’s bibliography and filmography, the stories he has written over the years have been adapted into countless films. The standout ones are Nirmalyam (1973), Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989), Sadayam (1992), Parinayam (1994), and Oru Cheru Punchiri (2000). There are countless films otherwise written by him or based on his short stories that have been successful commercially and received critical acclaim. Manorathangal is a brand-new series that adapts nine stories of MT Vasudevan Nair and is presented in a series form for the current generation to enjoy the work of the renowned man who has enthralled audiences with engaging writing throughout the years. The trailer begins with Kamal Haasan describing how MT Vasudevan Nair sir’s stories were way ahead of their time. These stories are such that they can be enjoyed by every generation. By the looks of it, the trailer suggests there is something for every generation in the stories that have been selected and showcased in the anthology series.
The series boasts all the prominent actors from the industry, starting from the two powerful actors, Mammootty and Mohanlal, and the current favorite Fahadh Faasil and Parvathy. Biju Menon, Madhu, Indrajith Sukumaran, Vineeth, Nadia Moidu, Asif Ali, Ann Augustine, Siddique, and many more join the anthology to make for an ensemble cast. The anthology has everything to offer when it comes to the star cast, and the trailer makes sure to convey that just to increase the intrigue around what roles these actors have taken up. From the trailer, what can be assumed is that the stories are vivid. There is one set in Sri Lanka, while one’s in America or some other cold country. Some shots indicate there will be period stories as well, and with one being in complete black & white. The Mohanlal starrer black and white film will aim to replicate the impact of Brahmayugam on the viewers. All the directors that have worked on this series have seen commercial and critical success all these years.
Priyadarshan is the only director of the lot who has seen success in the comedy genre in the Malayalam and Hindi film industries. The man throughout his career has been known to have redefined Malayalam cinema, especially in the comedy genre. He has made very few films that are focused solely on family or political drama. It will be interesting to watch what Priyadarshan has to offer. Jayaraj is the OG director in the commercial space that explored Shakespearean stories, way before Vishal Bharadwaj attempted the same. Jayaraj is known for his serious and emotion-filled stories for which he has won several Indian National Awards. Shyamaprasad films focus on a lot of taboo stories, mental health subjects, and off-beat topics that are hardly touched by any other filmmaker. Shyamaparasad has always been an odd duck, but his films stood out for the right reasons.
Santosh Sivan is a veteran cinematographer who is famous for his brilliant skills with the camera and is the man behind capturing the train sequence of the ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ song in the film Dil Se. He has seen success as a cinematographer and director throughout the years, especially in Malayalam cinema with his two popular films; Ananthabhadram and Urumi. Almost all the directors are Malayalam cinema veterans and have a brilliant filmography under their name ever since they started their work. Especially Priyadarshan, Jayaraj, and Shyamaprasad. By the looks of it, there are stories of love, loss, heartache, war, and despair. The trailer does a good job of not giving away much about what the stories will involve to get the attention of the audience. The directors and the actors are the selling point, and the trailer makes sure to put that across for the viewers to comprehend what they can expect from the series.
Nine extraordinary tales of MT Vasudevan Nair with experimentation written all over it. The seasoned directors get a chance to present the story in a unique way, which can also be considered the USP of Manorathangal. As the title suggests from the trailer, the anthology series intends to tickle the mind instead of spoon-feeding the audience, and by the looks of it, each short film will tackle a different subject. There will be different forms of love that will be explored, going by what the trailer of Manorathangal indicates. Several filmmakers from the Malayalam industry have approached love in various forms, and that kind of storytelling is visible from certain glimpses of the shots. With Santosh Sivan joining the team of directors, his film is expected to have some great visuals, which is the legendary cinematographer’s selling point. Manorathangal looks like the celebration of stories from different parts of the world with a human interest connection. MT Vasudevan Nair’s stories have those qualities.
As Manorathangal is slated to release by August 15th, on Zee5 Global, the trailer brings a lot of anticipation about the kind of stories that will be presented by basically some of the best actors in the country.
