Kallappadam (transl. Counterfeit film) is a 2015 Tamil-language independent thriller film written and directed by J. Vadivel for first time producer Dr. Anand Ponniraivan under his production company Iraivan Films.[1] The lead roles were portrayed by the film's director Vadivel, its cinematographer Sriirama Santhosh, editor Gaugin and its music director K,[2][3] who play fictionalized versions of themselves. Malayalam actor Jishnu[4][5][6] Made his Tamil Debut by this flim.[7] Kallappadam is a story about how first-timers try to make a film, based on the native folk art Koothu.[8][9] The film was released on 20 March 2015.

Kallappadam
Tamil film poster
கள்ளப்படம்
Directed byJ. Vadivel
Written byJ. Vadivel
Screenplay byJ.Vadivel
Story byJ.Vadivel
Produced byDr. Anand Ponniraivan
Starring
CinematographyS. Sriirama Santosh
Edited byGaugin
Music byK
Production
company
Iraivan Films
Release date
  • 20 March 2015 (2015-03-20)
Running time
133 mnts
CountryIndia
LanguageTamil

Cast

edit

Awards and Nominations

edit
Award Category Recipient Result
SIIMA Awards Best Male Debut – Tamil Jishnu Raghavan Nominated

Soundtrack

edit

Kallappadam's music was composed by K.[10] The soundtrack consists of five songs, four of which were written by Mani Amudhavan, and one song written and sung by director Mysskin.

Kallappadam
Soundtrack album by
Released2015
GenreFeature film soundtrack
LanguageTamil
ProducerK
K chronology
49-O
(2015)
Kallappadam
(2015)
Kirumi
(2015)
No. Title Singer(s)
1 "Hey Nanba" (Patni song) M. L. R. Karthikeyan
2 "Vellakaara Rani" Mysskin
3 "Kuppannae Kuppannae" Ilango
4 "Ilangaathe" K
4 "Vizhithidu" Anand Aravindakshan

Release

edit

The film was chosen to be screened at two Australian film festivals in 2015, the Revelation Perth International Film Festival and the Melbourne Underground Film Festival.[11]

Director Mysskin decided to release the Kallappadam, the directorial debut of his former assistant, and acquired the film's rights in February 2015.[12][13] The film was released on 20 March 2015 alongside nine other Tamil films.[14]

Production

edit

Director by J. Vadivel is a former associate of director Mysskin and has previously worked on Nandalala, Yuddham Sei, and Mugamoodi. Cinematographer S. Sriirama Santosh, was a former assistant to cinematographer P. C. Sreeram. Music was composed by Krishna Kumar and edited for the film by Gagin, who had previously worked with director Mysskin for Yuddham Sei and Mugamoodi. Malayalam actor Jishnu Raghavan chosen for the male lead and also marks his Kollywood debut film. Actress Lakshmi Priya Chandramouli chosen for the female lead.

Critical reception

edit

The Times of India gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote, "Kallappadam works more as a heist movie, probably because we have only recently had Jigarthanda and KTVI talk about the film industry and they did it better. So, the first half, when we get to see the characters' struggles feels fairly routine and the film receives a jolt of energy only when they start to plan the robbery. But the gripping second half makes up for the earlier disappointment".[15] Baradwaj Rangan wrote, "Vadivel is nothing if not ambitious, but his ideas are easier to applaud than his filmmaking skills. The pace is sluggish, and the film comes to life only in the heist portions...more fatally for the film, the leads just don’t measure up. It may be nice in a meta-ish sense to cast behind-the-scenes people, but there’s a reason actors make a living. There are things like charisma, timing, dialogue delivery, reaction shots — none of these is in evidence".[16]

Indo-Asian News Service gave it 3 stars out of 5 and wrote, "What we get to see may not be exceptional, but something far offbeat than the mainstream garbage that's thrown at the audiences every week..With some good ideas and intentions, Kallappadam could've been an excellent meta film. But it still doesn't disappoint".[17] Indiaglitz gave 3 out of 5 and wrote, "Vadivel has presented an engaging screenplay with some intelligent twists...The courage to do an independent movie is highly appreciable, but the obvious production constraints pull down the movie to some extent".[18] Sify wrote, "The biggest strength of Kallappadam is the film's promising plot and screenplay which is incorporated with some well executed sequences...but that's not enough to declare Kallappadam as a perfect movie...Kallapadam is a film where everything is enjoyable except for the misfit casting of protagonists and dreary dialogues".[19] Deccan Chronicle wrote, "Kallappadam is a solid piece of writing, but mired by a skewed view of casting and capturing the screenplay...the problem with the film is its questionable casting. Nevertheless, the film can be watched once for it novel concept".[20]

References

edit
  1. ^ Ramachandran, Mythily (19 March 2015). "Kallappadam a story of survival in the industry". Gulf News. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  2. ^ "Anurag Kashyap is all praise for Dulquer Salmaans Kammattipaadam". Archived from the original on 28 May 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  3. ^ "'An Actor's Life is very Demanding'". Archived from the original on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
  4. ^ "Jishnu Raghavan Leaves the Stage Mid-show". The New Indian Express. 27 March 2016.
  5. ^ "Actor Jishnu Raghavan still an inspiration". ritzmagazine.in. 25 March 2016.
  6. ^ "மலையாள நடிகர் ஜிஷ்னு ராகவன் மரணம்". tamil.samayam.com (in Tamil). 25 March 2016.
  7. ^ staff (9 March 2015). "Tracing the Life of Four Young Cinema Technicians". The Indian Express. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  8. ^ staff (17 March 2015). "Native art form Koothu to come alive in Kallappadam". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 17 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  9. ^ Indo-Asian News Service (16 March 2015). "'Kallappadam', a tribute to native art form 'Koothu' (With Image)". Webindia. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  10. ^ staff (13 March 2015). "K To Record Music Of Kallappadam Down Under". New Indian Express. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  11. ^ Indo-Asian News Service (28 February 2015). "'Kallappadam' selected for two Australian film festivals". Zee News. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  12. ^ Indo-Asian News Service (14 February 2015). "Mysskin to release assistant's 'Kallappadam'". The Indian Express. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  13. ^ staff (14 February 2015). "Mysskin lends his hand for his assistant". Indiagltz. Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  14. ^ "Friday Fury - March 20". Sify. Archived from the original on 13 March 2015.
  15. ^ "Kallappadam Movie Review, Trailer, & Show timings at Times of India". The Times of India. timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  16. ^ Rangan, Baradwaj (20 March 2015). "Kallappadam: A meta movie with good ideas that needed better filmmaking". The Hindu. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  17. ^ "'Kallappadam' a meta film with good intentions (IANS Tamil Movie Review) | Business Standard News". business-standard.com. 21 March 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  18. ^ staff (20 March 2015). "Kallappadam Review". IndiaGlitz. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  19. ^ staff (20 March 2015). "review: Kallappadam". Sify. Archived from the original on 20 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  20. ^ "Movie review 'Kallappadam': A solid piece of writing". deccanchronicle.com. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
edit