As fans are tied between the Dunki vs Salaar clash at the box office, Drishyam pair Mohanlal and Jeethu Joseph have quietly released their courtroom drama 'Neru'
Mohanlal in a still from Neru
While netizens are busy between the 'Dunki' vs 'Salaar' clash at the box office, another film has quietly released in the theatres on the same day as Shah Rukh Khan's Dunki. The Malayalam film 'Neru' starring Mohanlal and directed by Jeethu Joseph is a courtroom drama that hit the theatres on Thursday. It is from the same director-actor duo who made the super successful films 'Drishyam' and 'Drishyam 2' in Malayalam, which was then re-made in multiple languages.
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Apart from Mohanlal, 'Neru' also stars Priyamani and Answara in prominent roles. In the film, Mohanlal plays a public prosecutor named Vijaymohan while Anaswara essays the role of Sara, a blind sculptor. Priyamani plays the defending lawyer. The script of the film has been penned by Jeethu and Santh Mayadevi.
With a minimalistic promotional strategy largely limited to Kerala, the film has been managing to get people to the theatres and a non-holiday opening. Several netizens took to social media to share their reaction to the film:
A netizen wrote, "Mohanlal is back to a grounded role & he really shines while delivering a lengthy line in first half. Jeethu Joseph once again gives you a high in climax. But one who walks away with this film is Anaswara. She is brilliant in that last act with Siddique"
"The finest actor of this country, the biggest star of this state, one among the most influential Malayalees ever, is back to save mid films again. Normalcy restored. The world goes back to its former self. Get back to work. We good here," wrote another netizen.
Kerala's biggest single screen Ernakulam @kavitha_theatre first Show housefull with returns 😎🔥
— Unni Rajendran (@unnirajendran_) December 21, 2023
BoxOffice Emperor Is Back 💥💥💥#Neru #Mohanlal pic.twitter.com/29d3Qt4kW5
Neru (2023) by Jeethu Joseph. Post 'Drishyam', it became a norm to take Jeethu's humble claims with a pinch of salt. When it comes to 'Neru', have to admit that he was staying utmost true, to what the film actually offers, in his recent interviews. A decent courtroom drama. (1/n) pic.twitter.com/n0C1WkqfeW
— veee (@sonder_being) December 21, 2023
Mohanlal is back 🫡 a gripping court room drama by Jeethu Joseph - show stealer was Anaswara Rajan with her stunning performance as a blind girl.
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 21, 2023
Neru is a Christmas winner in Kerala. pic.twitter.com/vMBSbU9AXT
Apart from the 'Drishyam' franchise, Mohanlal and Jethu Joseph have previously collaborated on the film '12th Man', a murder mystery. They also have the film 'Ram' in the pipeline
Meanwhile, ahead of its release, the courtroom drama got embroiled in a real legal battle when it was accused of plagiarism. Writer Deepak Unni filed a petition to stall 'Neru's release at Kerala High Court, citing plagiarism issues, according to Live Law. After the court refused to stall the release of the film, Joseph took to his Facebook account to share a statement regarding the accusation. "The film Neru was made with utmost honesty, just like any other film I’ve made. A controversy was created right before the film’s release. As you may know, someone has come forth claiming rights to the story and has even approached the court. I request the audience to watch the film and decide what's true or false for themselves," he wrote.
On the other hand, the 'Dunki vs Salaar' clash has also benefitted the theatres as people are visiting the cinema halls in large numbers to watch their favourite films this holiday season.
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