Few Malayalam movie teasers have caught YouTube’s imagination in recent times the way Love Action Drama has. It has clocked more than two million views within just two days of its release.
Expectations are indeed high about the film that features two hugely popular stars in the lead: Nivin Pauly and Nayanthara. It also marks the directorial debut of actor Dhyan Sreenivasan.
The film had made news when the actor-turned-director said that the film’s main protagonist would have shades of Thalathil Dineshan, the hero of Vadakkunokkiyanthram , a 1989 film that became a classic though it had no pretensions about being one.
Dhyan’s father Sreenivasan had played that role — of an average-looking man fighting with insecurities after marrying a beautiful woman — with remarkable finesse. It marked his debut as a director, too. He had also written the script, which remains one of the finest and funniest in Malayalam cinema till date.
In Love Action Drama , Nivin’s character is called Dinesh (a modernised version of Dineshan), while Nayanthara is Shobha (the name of the heroine in Vadakkunokkiyantharam , a role in which Parvathy excelled).
Those who have seen Vadakkunokkiyanthram — that means most of the Malayali population — would certainly have been reminded of the classic while watching the trailer of Love Action Drama , which will reach cinemas on September 5.
