In the next two days, there is a box-office clash expected with the release of two Malayalam movies, ‘The Hunt’ and ‘Thaanara’ on the 23rd of this month. Both movies are directed by senior filmmakers in the industry.
‘The Hunt’, directed by Shaji Kailas, known for his mass-masala entertainers in the 1990s and 2000s, is a murder-mystery medical-crime thriller, a departure from his usual style, with a new and young team. The movie, produced by K. Radhakrishnan for Jayalakshmi films and written by Nikhil Prasad, stars Bhavana in the lead with Renji Panicker and Chandunath in supporting roles.
‘Thaanara’ (Eng. Who Are You?), directed by Haridas, known for family conflict entertainers of the same era, is a remake of the Marathi movie ‘Choricha Maamla’ (Eng. The Theft Case) released in 2020, written and directed by Priyadarshan Jadhav. The movie, produced by Biju V Mathai and Suja Mathai for NeDay films, features an ensemble cast including Vishnu Unnikrishnan, Aju Vargheese, Shine Tom Chacko, Chinnu Chandini, Deepti Sati, and Sneha Babu. The film falls into the comedy genre.
The teaser trailers for both movies left much to be desired. ‘The Hunt’ lacks strong production design and cinematography, and its storyline follows a clichéd pattern, offering little scope for amazement or engagement.
Similarly, ‘Thaanara’ provides little hope in terms of box-office figures, with humor that falls short and a screenplay that feels artificial and loose. While the actors’ performances may provide some relief, they may not be enough to salvage the films.
In conclusion, based on the teaser trailers and their unique selling points, both films seem to have limited potential to make an impact on the Malayalam box office.