Latest news with #AlappuzhaGymkhana
Hindustan Times
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Alappuzha Gymkhana actor Sandeep Pradeep on whether trolls affected his bond with Naslen
Sandeep Pradeep is among the new crop of Malayalam actors who has been hogging much attention these days, thanks to two of his latest releases – Naslen-starrer Alappuzha Gymkhana and Padakkalam. But as Padakklam started getting more traction online, it led to online discussions and trolls that Sandeep could pose a challenge to Naslen, who has already established himself as a young Malayalam star with Premalu. Yet to watch Alappuzha Gymkhana and Premalu? Tune into OTTplay Premium and catch all the fun Malayalam films right now Naslen leads the 2025 Malayalam film Alappuzha Gymkhana, which features Sandeep Pradeep as his friend Valuth Sharif. In a recent chat with The Cue Studio, Sandeep addressed the trolls that drew comparisons with the two young actors. Reacting to this, Sandeep said that there are a lot of such discussions on social media, but he doesn't delve too much into it. Explaining further, 'Naslen is a very popular star, and he has been around for quite some time now. I just came now. When a new person comes in, it would naturally lead to comparisons.' Naslen, who made a mark with his debut as a schoolboy in Thanneer Mathan Dinangal, went on to do notable roles in films such as Home before catapulating to fame with Premalu, which also starred Mamitha Baiju. Reacting to his Alappuzha Gymkhana star's popularity, Sandeep said, 'Naslen is in the frontline of heroes in the teenage category. After that only, we all came. I hope more people come. Anyways, our friendship hasn't been affected in any way because of all this.' Sandeep Pradeep joined Naslen in director Khalid Rahman's film, Alappuzha Gymkhana, a buddy sports comedy. The film revolves around Jojo (Naslen) who along with his friends try to secure college admission by participating in sports competition after failing in their plus-two exams. You can stream Alappuzha Gymkhana on SonyLiv and OTTplay Premium in multiple languages, including Hindi. Sandeep also played one of the lead roles in Padakkalam, which also featured Malayalam actors Suraj Venjaramoodu, and Sharaf U Dheen. The film, which weaves in fantasy elements, is streaming on JioHotstar.
Hindustan Times
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Prince and Family director Binto Stephen explains why he is not worried about criticism after OTT release
A month after its theatrical release, Dileep's latest film, Prince and Family, has now dropped online. The Malayalam movie, which is directed by debutante Binto Stephen, is now streaming on ZEE5 and OTTplay Premium in Malayalam and Tamil. In an interview with OTTplay, Binto discussed his views regarding the film's successful run in theatres for more than 40 days and why he is not concerned about any criticism after its digital release. From Alappuzha Gymkhana to Prince and Family, Maranamass and more, stream Malayalam's latest movies on OTTplay Premium The young director expressed his joy at Prince and Family's more than 40-day successful run in theatres. "I am not as concerned about the response Prince and Family will receive now that it is making its digital debut. OTT has a distinct audience or a much bigger group of moviegoers,' he remarked. He stated that it will undoubtedly produce a variety of feedback, and I would prefer to handle them all in a constructive way. "I am completely content with the love that people had for the movie in theatres," he continued. Instead of worrying about generating a box office blockbuster, Binto stated that his main goal was to create an enjoyable family entertainer. "After the first day of release, I wanted to know how people were responding. I used to go to movie theatres and ask people what they thought about the movie," he said. He also mentioned how much he liked working on more family entertainers, which Malayalis love revisiting once in a while. Binto underlined that Dileep and the film's producer Listen Stephen's unwavering support was essential to all of this success. "Trusting a debutante filmmaker is kind of difficult. Their support made it possible for this movie to be a box office hit, and I am glad I was able to provide a positive outcome," he said. The director also expressed his happiness at the opportunity to have offered Dileep a role that Malayalis enjoy to see him portray. Also Read: Prince and Family review: Dileep is back with a hearty family entertainer that tackles a relevant subject He also expressed gratitude after receiving praise and feedback on the film from a large number of people. "I received compliments from directors like Lal Jose. Additionally, I was pleased to receive a call from A K Sajan, the director of Asuravithu, where I was a part of the director's team, my first job. He praised me for giving Dileep a deserving comeback," he continued. To his delight, Binto added, several of his old school friends with whom he had lost contact years ago reached out to him to share their opinions about the movie. Also Read: Prince and Family director Binto Stephen: 'Dileep as Prince was in our mind from the beginning' | Exclusive
India Today
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
7 new Malayalam films on OTT
7 new Malayalam films on OTT 17 Jun, 2025 Credit: Instagram/mohanlal Mohanlal's 'Thudarum' is a family thriller, directed by Tharun Moorthy. The film grossed Rs 200 crore at the worldwide box office. THUDARUM - JIOHOTSTAR Starring Naslen Gafoor and Anagha Ravi, Alappuzha Gymkhana features a bunch of students proving themselves in the boxing ring. ALAPPUZHA GYMKHANA - SONYLIV Maranamass is a psychological black comedy featuring Basil Joseph, Anshima, Sinju Sunny and Rajesh Madhavan in important roles. MARANAMASS - SONYLIV Directed by Arun D Jose, Bromance is an action comedy featuring Mathew Thomas, Mahima Nambiar, Sangeeth Prathap and Arjun Ashokan in crucial roles. BROMANCE - SONYLIV Directed by Shaji Kailas, 'Hunt' is an horror thriller featuring Bhavana, Renji Panicker and Chandunadh. HUNT - PRIME VIDEO Starring Suraj Venjaramoodu and Sharaf U Dheen, the supernatural comedy is written and directed by Manu Swaraj. PADAKKALAM - JIOHOTSTAR Directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, L2: Empuraan features Mohanlal, Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas and others in lead roles. L2: EMPURAAN - PRIME VIDEO These films have received great reviews from critics and audiences alike. Which is your pick?
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Alappuzha Gymkhana: Bollywood directors keep talking about ‘rooted cinema', but they have no idea what it even means
In recent years, several Bollywood big-shots with varying degrees of wealth and intelligence have said that South Indian movies are performing better than their Hindi counterparts because they're more 'rooted'. The word has become a part of the lexicon, alongside terms such as 'elevation scene' and 'BGM'. Anurag Kashyap has said it; Javed Akhtar has said it; if they'd asked the women, they'd have said it as well. But what does the word 'rooted' even mean? The one movie that perfectly captures all the ingredients that are missing from Hindi cinema these days, the one movie that Bollywood would do well to emulate, is the Malayalam-language sports comedy Alappuzha Gymkhana, which debuted recently on SonyLIV after an excellent theatrical run. It's as rooted as they come. But the definition of this kind of cinema could vary. While Kashyap thinks that 'rooted' cinema refers to stories of the heartland, Akhtar has complained that Hindi filmmakers are losing touch with the language. He forgets that his own children write in English and have their scripts translated. For most Bollywood producers, 'rooted' is merely a code word for a very specific kind of big-budget movie; the chauvinistic and bombastic sort of cinema popularised by the Telugu industry and bastardised by the north. Also read – Chhaava: Vicky Kaushal's worrisome streak hits an all-time low; who'll take responsibility for inciting violence? Were something like Alappuzha Gymkhana pitched in Bollywood, it would be laughed out of the room. It has no major stars, it has neither scale nor stakes, and most surprisingly (for a sports movie), it has no villain. Directed by Khalid Rehman, Alappuzha Gymkhana is a hang-out movie, where the characters dictate which direction the plot should go in, and not the other way around. It follows a group of teenage boys in the Alappuzha district of Kerala, who concoct the kind of plan that only teenagers staring at an uncertain future can. After flunking their class 12 boards, they decide to enrol at the local sports club and become boxers. This way, they figure, they could probably get into a college through the sports quota. At the same time, they could impress all the girls they have crushes on, get away from their nagging parents for several hours a day, and have a new excuse to chill out with each other. Led by Jojo, the boys aren't defending the world; they're defending their pride. Forget delivering 'larger-than-life' action and spectacle, Alappuzha Gymkhana barely leaves its district. It goes against all the rules that Bollywood has convinced itself it must follow in the post-pandemic era. And this isn't the first time that the Malayalam industry has proven that smaller stories have just as much of a chance at the box office than those hyper-masculine revenge epics that Hindi filmmakers have devoted themselves to aping. Speaking of hyper-masculine cinema, there's a scene in Alappuzha Gymkhana in which Jojo invites his buddies for a house party. He takes the girl he's been talking to up to the bedroom, where she throws him off balance by asking what kind of kiss he'd prefer they get things started with. After panicking for a second, he tells her that he's too nervous to make out, and promptly gets dumped. If this was Rocky Bhai, he'd have physically restrained the girl from leaving the room despite her protests. In case you'd forgotten, this is exactly what happens in the first KGF movie. The blockbuster Kannada film has proven to be incredibly influential, paving the way for a new wave of angry cinema in which everybody shouts at each other. Just because their protagonists hail from villages doesn't make stuff like Kantara and Pushpa 'rooted'. Naslen, who plays Jojo in Alappuzha Gymkhana, broke out with the similarly lowkey Premalu last year. But when Bollywood tries to make small scale films these days, they typically end up being inauthentic farces. Even when they're competently made, like the film Laapataa Ladies, they tend to have a condescending gaze. Heck, Hindi filmmakers can't even be bothered to go shoot in real-life locations, because the people making them have no idea what separates one culture from the other. It's some strange form of reverse racism, where the entirety of the 'north' is presented as a place populated by Thar-driving, pakoda-popping loudmouths. The films Jayeshbhai Jordaar and The Great Indian Family — both were headlined by A-list movie stars and produced by YRF — were shot entirely on indistinguishable soundstages. Read more – Chandu Champion: Kabir Khan's hollow biopic can't stop humiliating its own protagonist The thing that really stands out in Alappuzha Gymkhana, besides the cultural specificity, is how tactile it all seems. Although most of the second half is set inside a stadium and filmed with the sort of music video-style flashiness that Rehman displayed in Thallumala a couple of years ago, the first half unfolds on the streets of Alleppey. It gives the movie character; you can see the post-rain dampness on the narrow lanes, and the paint chipping off the walls of old homes. Jojo and his gang feel like real people, experiencing real growing-pains. They aren't invulnerable superheroes bashing up their enemies. In fact, the inciting incident of the film — the moment that pushes Jojo to enrol at the gymkhana — is when one member of the gang gets sucker punched for flirting with another guy's girlfriend. Rahman's Thallumala kicked off on a similar note, when someone stepped on the protagonist's brand-new sneakers. Malayalam cinema seems to have cracked the code. Even when they make a big-budget superhero movie Minnal Murali, it feels intimate. In Alappuzha Gymkhana, Jojo and his friends' inadequacies manifest during the boxing competition that takes up much of the film's second half. It wouldn't be a spoiler to reveal that Jojo doesn't magically become a heavyweight champion at the end. But he scores something far more valuable: a purpose. A road that could've led him towards drunkenness and despair is, hopefully, avoided. Jojo and his buddies could've very easily turned into Pepe and his gang from Angamaly Diaries, but it seems like they'll turn into the Manjummel Boys instead. Hallelujah. Post Credits Scene is a column in which we dissect new releases every week, with particular focus on context, craft, and characters. Because there's always something to fixate about once the dust has settled. Rohan Naahar is an assistant editor at Indian Express online. He covers pop-culture across formats and mediums. He is a 'Rotten Tomatoes-approved' critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild of India. He previously worked with the Hindustan Times, where he wrote hundreds of film and television reviews, produced videos, and interviewed the biggest names in Indian and international cinema. At the Express, he writes a column titled Post Credits Scene, and has hosted a podcast called Movie Police. You can find him on X at @RohanNaahar, and write to him at He is also on LinkedIn and Instagram. ... Read More
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Vysanasametham Bandhumithradhikal director S Vipin on Anaswara Rajan's professionalism: ‘I need to give her a...'
Vysanasametham Bandhumithradhikal, the latest Malayalam film starring Anaswara Rajan, is getting positive reviews from viewers for its straightforward but intriguing plot, which is delivered humorously. The film's director, S Vipin, discussed how each actor's performance surprised him in an exclusive conversation with OTTplay. Tune in to OTTplay Premium for access to the latest Malayalam OTT releases like Alappuzha Gymkhana, Maranamass among others According to Vipin, he respects Anaswara Rajan's professionalism and capability to perform. He stated, "I just need to give her a briefing about a scene, and she does it brilliantly and keeps the emotional continuity for the next scenes without any prompting." The filmmaker, who made his directorial debut with Vysanasametham Bandhumithradhikal, added that every actor's on-screen performance surprised him, and it is difficult to pick the best one among them. Azees Nedumangad, for example, studied the local store proprietors and skillfully mimicked their demeanour on screen. He also mentioned how successfully Joemon Jyothir adapted to his quirky role of Shakthi. The director further commented that Mallika Sukumaran and Baiju Santhosh performed their parts with ease. 'Acting on reactions, in my opinion, is a true ability, and the impact would be greater,' Vipin stated. He claimed that he prefers actors to perform according to the script and does not support impromptu alterations while filming. He did, however, allow some modifications, such as Joemon's character startling an elderly guy by abruptly revving up his motorbike. The screenplay for Vysanasametham Bandhumithradhikal, which is based on a funeral and the surrounding circumstances, was written by the director himself. When writing the script, Vipin said he did not have any actors in mind. "I like to pick the appropriate ones once the screenplay is finished and the project is underway," he remarked. The debutante went on to remark that he thinks a strong story is more vital than writing for a specific star. He continued, "You would be able to decide who is best suited for it after writing a script." Also Read: Vysanasametham Bandhumithradhikal review: Anaswara Rajan-starrer strikes the right balance between hilarious & heartfelt moments in a film on funeral
