China Town (2011 film)
Encyclopedia
China Town is a 2011 Malayalam comedy film
starring Mohanlal
, Jayaram
and Dileep
in the lead roles, and Suraj Venjaramoodu, Kavya Madhavan
, Poonam Bajwa
, Dipasha, Pradeep Rawat
, Captain Raju
, Shankar
, Shanavas, Jose, Jagathi Sreekumar, Maya Viswanath, Bindu Asokan, Lakshmi and Deepu Karunakaran in supporting roles. Written and directed by the duo Rafi Mecartin
, it portrays the story of love and friendship of three friends who were in the various fields of life. The film released on 14 April 2011. It is an uncredited remake of Todd Phillips
's The Hangover
(2009).It is also currently the second highest grossing film
of 2011.
, the only one place where gambling is going on as legally in India. The trio own a casino in Goa and the story is moving around there.
The filming occurred mainly at the Ramoji Rao Film City, Hyderabad. The set made by art director Boban reportedly at the cost of 35 lakhs, is one of the costliest sets in Malayalam cinema. Some parts were filmed from Ooty , Goa
and Ernakulam
.
. It's a mishmash of second hand ideas that have long had their run in movies." Paresh C. Pallicha of Rediff.com
also gave the film a 2/5 rating and said, "The film virtually piggybacks on the stars to get the momentum as there is no script to speak of. The duo Rafi Mecartin
that was known for their comical writing in the nineties has now reached a stage where they borrow dialogues from email forwards. That's the sorry state of the film. It will be futile to dwell on the performance of the actors as there is no solid material to back them. This one's a no-brainer and can be watched if you are not looking for thought-provoking stuff." Neil Xavier of Yentha.com said, "Chinatown starts very well but disappoints in the latter half." The reviewer of Sify.com
said, "Chinatown works fine, if you leave your brains back home. It belongs to the 'don't think too much about what is happening' kind, which defies logic but leaves you in splits at times.". The reviewer of Bollywoodbilli.com said "Overall, The film turned out an enjoyable, got good Comedy and a family entertainer.", by rating it 3.5/5.
. The lyrics are by Anil Panachooran
and Santhosh Varma. The audio release function was held at Kadavu Resorts, Kozhikode
, on 2 March 2011. Jassie reused soundtrack "Gaganave Baagi" sung by Shreya Ghoshal of the Kannada film Sanju Weds Geetha
for the song "Arike Ninnalum".
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
starring Mohanlal
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
, Jayaram
Jayaram
Jayaram is an Indian film actor who mainly acts in Malayalam and Tamil films. He is also a chenda percussionist and mimic artist. In 2011, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India for his contribution towards the arts.-Early life:...
and Dileep
Dileep (actor)
Dileep is an Indian film actor, mimicry artist and producer best known for his work in Malayalam cinema.Dileep started his career as a mimicry artist in the Cochin Kalabhavan troupe. He later started his film career as an assistant director to Kamal with the film Vishnu Lokam...
in the lead roles, and Suraj Venjaramoodu, Kavya Madhavan
Kavya Madhavan
Kavya Madhavan is an Indian film actress who works in Malayalam cinema. She made her debut in Pookkalam Varavayi as a child artist. In 1999, she became a lead actress in Lal Jose's Chandranudikkunna Dikhil.-Background:...
, Poonam Bajwa
Poonam Bajwa
Poonam Bajwa is an Indian actress, who predominantly appears in Tamil and Telugu language films. A Punjabi by birth, she made her acting debut in the 2005 Telugu film Modati cinema, following which she appeared in several noted Telugu films, including Boss opposite superstar Nagarjuna and...
, Dipasha, Pradeep Rawat
Pradeep Rawat
Pradeep Singh Rawat is an Indian actor. He is a Rajput and notable for playing villainous roles in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Tamil films.Rawat's first appearance was in Mahabharat as 'Ashwathama', Dronacharya's son...
, Captain Raju
Captain Raju
Captain Raju is a Malayalam film actor. He was born at Omallur in Pathanamthitta District, Kerala.After finishing his graduation in Zoology, Raju joined the Indian Army as a first class officer at the age of 21. He started acting in films after leaving the army service. He has acted in more than...
, Shankar
Shankar (actor)
Shankar Panikkar, popularly known as Shankar is an Indian film actor and director. He was one of the prominent lead actors of Malayalam cinema during the 1980s.- As an Actor :...
, Shanavas, Jose, Jagathi Sreekumar, Maya Viswanath, Bindu Asokan, Lakshmi and Deepu Karunakaran in supporting roles. Written and directed by the duo Rafi Mecartin
Rafi Mecartin
Rafi Mecartin are a screenwriter and film director duo who have worked in Malayalam cinema. Rafi and Mecartin have been working together since the initial days of their career. Rafi's younger brother Shafi is also a well-known director....
, it portrays the story of love and friendship of three friends who were in the various fields of life. The film released on 14 April 2011. It is an uncredited remake of Todd Phillips
Todd Phillips
Todd Phillips is an American screenwriter and film director. He is best known for directing the comedy films Road Trip, Old School, The Hangover, and Due Date.-Early life:...
's The Hangover
The Hangover (film)
The Hangover is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Todd Phillips and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. The film stars Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, Justin Bartha and Jeffrey Tambor...
(2009).It is also currently the second highest grossing film
Malayalam films of 2011
The tables list the Malayalam films released in Kerala in the year 2011.-Events:Events in 2011 relating to Malayalam films include:-* 13th Asianet Film Awards* * * * -Released films:The following is the list of Malayalam films released in the year 2011....
of 2011.
Plot
The sons of three friends who were parted twenty years ago join together for a particular aim. The combination of sons in second generation turns the story of China Town. The film is set in GoaGoa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, the only one place where gambling is going on as legally in India. The trio own a casino in Goa and the story is moving around there.
Cast
- MohanlalMohanlalMohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
as Mathukutty: He was an old rowdy in Idukky, but he is currently trying to change himself by going to meditation centers. - JayaramJayaramJayaram is an Indian film actor who mainly acts in Malayalam and Tamil films. He is also a chenda percussionist and mimic artist. In 2011, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India for his contribution towards the arts.-Early life:...
as Zackaria: He is the Sales Manager of an automobile company and is ready for anything to grab money. - DileepDileep (actor)Dileep is an Indian film actor, mimicry artist and producer best known for his work in Malayalam cinema.Dileep started his career as a mimicry artist in the Cochin Kalabhavan troupe. He later started his film career as an assistant director to Kamal with the film Vishnu Lokam...
as Binoy: He is a young man and a "Romeo".He tries to commit suicide after his 6th love failure. - Suraj Venjaramoodu as C. V(Chandran Valanjavazhi), a comic underworld don.
- Kavya MadhavanKavya MadhavanKavya Madhavan is an Indian film actress who works in Malayalam cinema. She made her debut in Pookkalam Varavayi as a child artist. In 1999, she became a lead actress in Lal Jose's Chandranudikkunna Dikhil.-Background:...
as Rosamma,who is living in the care of Mathukutty - Poonam BajwaPoonam BajwaPoonam Bajwa is an Indian actress, who predominantly appears in Tamil and Telugu language films. A Punjabi by birth, she made her acting debut in the 2005 Telugu film Modati cinema, following which she appeared in several noted Telugu films, including Boss opposite superstar Nagarjuna and...
as Emily: She is a multi-millionaire and the daughter of the owner of a gambling centre in Goa, who accidentally enters life of Mathukutty. - Deepa Sha as Chandini: She is the Home Minister's daughter
- Pradeep RawatPradeep RawatPradeep Singh Rawat is an Indian actor. He is a Rajput and notable for playing villainous roles in Telugu, Hindi, Malayalam and Tamil films.Rawat's first appearance was in Mahabharat as 'Ashwathama', Dronacharya's son...
as Gauda: He is a businessman and politician. The actor who is known for his villain character in GhajiniGhajini (2008 film)Ghajini is a 2008 Indian Hindi action film written and directed by A. R. Murugadoss and produced by Tagore Madhu and Madhu Mantena. It is a remake of Murugadoss's own 2005 Tamil film Ghajini starring Surya Sivakumar in the lead role. The film stars Aamir Khan, Asin Thottumkal and Jiah Khan in lead...
is playing the main villain role in China Town too. - Captain RajuCaptain RajuCaptain Raju is a Malayalam film actor. He was born at Omallur in Pathanamthitta District, Kerala.After finishing his graduation in Zoology, Raju joined the Indian Army as a first class officer at the age of 21. He started acting in films after leaving the army service. He has acted in more than...
as Vincent Gomas - ShankarShankar (actor)Shankar Panikkar, popularly known as Shankar is an Indian film actor and director. He was one of the prominent lead actors of Malayalam cinema during the 1980s.- As an Actor :...
as Jayakrishnan/The father of Binoy(Dileep) - Shanavas as The father of Zackaria(Jayaram)
- Jose as Young Vincent Gomas
- Jagathi Sreekumar as jaggubhai,an underworld don who was freed even after committing three murders.
- Maya Viswanath
- Bindu Asokan
- Lakshmi
- Deepu Karunakaran: Deepu Karunakaran, a Malayalam director makes his acting debut through this film.
Production
China Town started its production on 20 December 2010.The filming occurred mainly at the Ramoji Rao Film City, Hyderabad. The set made by art director Boban reportedly at the cost of 35 lakhs, is one of the costliest sets in Malayalam cinema. Some parts were filmed from Ooty , Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
and Ernakulam
Ernakulam
Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...
.
Critical reception
The film received mostly mixed to negative reviews upon release. Veeyen of Nowrunning.com rated the film 2/5 and said, "Despite the spectacular star cast Chinatown, is yet another downer from Rafi Mecartin, after the disastrous Love In SingaporeLove In Singapore
Love In Singapore is a 2009 Malayalam movie by Rafi Mecartin which had Mammootty in the lead role.- Plot :The movie stars Mammootty in the role of ‘Machu,’ an orphan who became rich by selling scrap. The Prime location for the film's shoot is in a large hall at a bottle recycling factory in Kochi. ...
. It's a mishmash of second hand ideas that have long had their run in movies." Paresh C. Pallicha of Rediff.com
Rediff.com
Rediff.com India is a news, information, entertainment, and shopping portal. It was founded in 1996 as "Rediff On The NeT" and is headquartered in Mumbai, India with offices in New Delhi and New York City, USA....
also gave the film a 2/5 rating and said, "The film virtually piggybacks on the stars to get the momentum as there is no script to speak of. The duo Rafi Mecartin
Rafi Mecartin
Rafi Mecartin are a screenwriter and film director duo who have worked in Malayalam cinema. Rafi and Mecartin have been working together since the initial days of their career. Rafi's younger brother Shafi is also a well-known director....
that was known for their comical writing in the nineties has now reached a stage where they borrow dialogues from email forwards. That's the sorry state of the film. It will be futile to dwell on the performance of the actors as there is no solid material to back them. This one's a no-brainer and can be watched if you are not looking for thought-provoking stuff." Neil Xavier of Yentha.com said, "Chinatown starts very well but disappoints in the latter half." The reviewer of Sify.com
Sify
Sify Technologies Limited is an Internet service provider established in 1998, based in Chennai, India.-Company profile:...
said, "Chinatown works fine, if you leave your brains back home. It belongs to the 'don't think too much about what is happening' kind, which defies logic but leaves you in splits at times.". The reviewer of Bollywoodbilli.com said "Overall, The film turned out an enjoyable, got good Comedy and a family entertainer.", by rating it 3.5/5.
Box office
The film is a mega hit collecting 6 Crores in one week and a total collection of 9.2 Crores within 2 weeks. It took a share of 4 Crores in two weeks. The film collected a gross of 14 crores in 45 days from major centres.. The film ran over 100 days successfully and grossed 16.5 crores in total.Soundtrack
The film's soundtrack is composed by Jassie GiftJassie Gift
Jassie Gift is a Malayalam film music composer and singer from Thiruvananthapuram, India. He became famous after his song "Lajjavathiye" in the film 4 the people.-Biography:...
. The lyrics are by Anil Panachooran
Anil Panachooran
Anil Panachooran is a noted Malayalam film lyricist and poet. A lawyer by profession, Panachooran lives on the income from his lyrical and poetic work...
and Santhosh Varma. The audio release function was held at Kadavu Resorts, Kozhikode
Kozhikode
Kozhikode During Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, Kozhikkode was dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. Kozhikode was once the capital of an independent kingdom of the same name and later of the erstwhile Malabar District...
, on 2 March 2011. Jassie reused soundtrack "Gaganave Baagi" sung by Shreya Ghoshal of the Kannada film Sanju Weds Geetha
Sanju Weds Geetha
Sanju Weds Geetha is a 2011 Kannada film in the romance genre starring Srinagar Kitty and Ramya in the lead roles . The film has been directed and written by actor-director Nagashekar and produced by Pramod Narayan . While Jassie Gift has composed the soundtrack, Sadhu Kokila has composed the...
for the song "Arike Ninnalum".
| # | Song | Singer(s) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Arike Ninnalum" | M. G. Sreekumar M. G. Sreekumar M. G. Sreekumar is a two-time National Award-winning Indian playback singer and music director who works in Malayalam cinema. With a career of over 25 years, he is one of the prominent male singers in the Malayalam film industry. He is known for matching voice with Malayalam actor Mohanlal. He has... , K. S. Chithra K. S. Chithra K. S. Chithra often credited as Chithra , is an Indian playback singer who has made her mark in the Indian music playback industry. Popularly known as Chinna Kuyil of South India, she has lent her voice to Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Oriya, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Badaga and Punjabi films... |
4:44 |
| 2 | "Innu Penninu" | Jassie Gift Jassie Gift Jassie Gift is a Malayalam film music composer and singer from Thiruvananthapuram, India. He became famous after his song "Lajjavathiye" in the film 4 the people.-Biography:... , Manjari Manjari Babu Manjari Babu is an Indian playback singer active mainly in Malayalam. She was born in 1986 in Thiruvananthapuram and grew up in Muscat. Her first stage performance was with Shiva, the Kolkota based rock band, when she was in class eight.Since her début, she has worked with the likes of Ramesh... , Rajalakshmi |
5:29 |
| 3 | "Aaraanu Koottu" | Afsal, Pradeep Palluruthy Pradeep Palluruthy Pradeep Palluruthy is a noted Malayalam singer. He is from Cochin and is a bit hit in the Malayalam film industry.-References:... , Jassie Gift Jassie Gift Jassie Gift is a Malayalam film music composer and singer from Thiruvananthapuram, India. He became famous after his song "Lajjavathiye" in the film 4 the people.-Biography:... |
4:24 |
| 4 | "Mohapattam" | Afsal, Jassie Gift Jassie Gift Jassie Gift is a Malayalam film music composer and singer from Thiruvananthapuram, India. He became famous after his song "Lajjavathiye" in the film 4 the people.-Biography:... , Ranjith, Rijiya |
5:01 |
| 5 | "Aaraanu" | Kavalam Sreekumar | 1:47 |