The tagline of new Malayalam action film ‘21st Noottaandu’ or ‘Irupathiyonnaam Noottaandu’ reads: “Not a don’s story”.
It’s actor Pranav Mohanlal’s sophomore film after making his debut as an adult with ‘Aadhi’ in 2017 (he used to work as a child actor and even won a Kerala State Award for his role in 2002’s ‘Punarjani’).
‘21st Noottaandu’ is director Arun Gopy’s second film after ‘Ram Leela.’ This is an emotional drama, said Gopy, “a story of relationships in today’s era.”
Mohanlal plays Appu — a surfing instructor in Goa. New find Zaya David is paired opposite Mohanlal as character Zaya.
“She is today’s woman — fun-loving, enjoys travelling and living life to the fullest,” said David, who grew up in Bengaluru and was a state athlete.
Having modelled since the age of 16, David was selected through auditions. She is looking forward to watching the first day’s show of ‘21st Noottaandu’ in the company of the audience at a theatre in Kochi with her team.
The film’s story was sparked from an incident that happened during a holiday in Goa, added Gopy, who has written the screenplay too. A film buff since childhood, Gopy’s heart lay in cinema. After assisting several directors including K Madhu, whom he calls his guru, Gopi started his career with ‘Ram Leela.’
The Dileep fan, who skipped an examination in grade 10 solely to watch his idol’s film, found his dreams finally coming true. Gopy’s next movie features superstar Mohanlal, Pranav Mohanlal’s father, in the lead.
“It will be a mass entertainer,” said the excited fan.
UAE resident Tomichan Mulakuppadam, who produced ‘Pulimurugan’, the first Malayalam film to cross Rs1 billion (Dh51.5 million) in sales, is back with this film. This is Mulakuppadam’s seventh film since 2007, when he ventured into production with Malayalam film ‘Flash.’ His last production was the Dileep-led ‘Ram Leela’, also directed by Gopy.
Mulakuppadam said that he liked 21st Noottaandu’ because it explores a love story in today’s times.
“It is about relationships among the young today who find satisfaction [in] fast foods,” added Mulakuppadam, who runs a catering and supermarket enterprise in the UAE. He is satisfied with the way the film has turned out and assures an entertainer in ‘21st Noottaandu.’ Mulakuppadam will be bankrolling Gopy’s next film, too.
‘21st Noottaandu’s’ supporting cast includes Manoj K Jain, Kalabhavan Shajon, Dharmajan Bolghatty, Siddique and Innocent. Look out for Gokul Suresh in a cameo.
It releases in the UAE on January 24.
