Pranayam
Encyclopedia
Pranayam is a 2011 Malayalam romantic drama film written and directed by Blessy
. The film revolves around the love bound between the characters of Mathews (Mohanlal
), Grace (Jaya Prada
) and Achutha Menon (Anupam Kher
).
The film begins with Achutha Menon (Anupam Kher
), a man in his late sixties arriving in the city to stay with his daughter-in-law and grand-daughter after suffering a heart attack. He was a football player who had got selected in the State team but could never play for the team. He moulded his life and career to accommodate the romance in his life.
One day Menon sees his former wife Grace (Jaya Prada
) in the elevator and collapses. Grace, who is staying in the same building with her husband, daughter and son-in-law, arranges for him to be taken to the hospital and even pays the deposit for the emergency treatment. Slowly their relationship is revealed as she is very anxious about his condition.
Grace's husband Mathews (Mohanlal
) is a philosophy professor who has his own philosophy of life. He is now bedridden and requires his wife's help to accomplish the most basic day-to-day tasks. Their physical intimacy is an indication that they may have led a fulfilling life as a couple before the tragedy struck.
The children start acting up as the old couple revive their acquaintance. In the later half of the film, even Mathews joins the former couple with Achuthan helping Grace in manoeuvring her husband's wheelchair in rough terrains. The three take a trip to a beach resort together.
At the resort, Mathews has a stroke and is rushed to the hospital. At the same hospital, Grace has a heart attack and dies, while Mathews survives.
has gone through almost 25 years of hibernation for Pranayam. He says: "For so many years I have been carrying the subject in me as a writer, journeying with it as visuals and words. I have now transferred that to the characters. It's like letting go of something that was your own till now. And that is painful."
P. K. Sajeev and Anne Sajeev are the producers of the film under the banner of Fragrant Nature Film Creations. Aneesh Jacob is the executive producer. The film's first schedule of shooting started on 16 February 2011 at Cheranallur
in Kerala
. Mohanlal
joined the set from 23 February. The second schedule started on June first week in Kochi
. The film was shot from various locations including Ernakulam
, Fort Kochi
, Valinokkam
, Kullu Manali
and Rewari
. Satheesh Kurup wielded camera for the film. "There is an invisible spark that flashes just seeing the look or a smile of a person and when the beauty within him is revealed to you. You don't need to see a bio-data or wade through his past work. You just connect with him," explains Blessy on his decision to hand over the camera to a novice like Satheesh Kurup.
The film released on a credit as Mohanlal
's 300th film. It is the third time Blessy and Mohanlal signing a bond together after Thanmathra
and Bhramaram
. The film will have credit of reuniting Mohanlal and Jayaprada as a couple after Devadoothan
. Mohanlal and Anupam Kher are on the screens again after Praja
and Indrajaalam
. Asked about his experience and challenges that he faced while working in an unfamiliar language, Anupam Kher said "Acting in a different language film is like being thrown into a swimming pool without knowing how to swim. Blessy being a good trainer, acting in Pranayam didn't pose a challenge."
The official website of the movie was launched by Anupam Kher on 29 August 2011 at a Meet the Press programme organised by the Trivandrum Press Club.
(lyrics) and M. Jayachandran
(music). There is also an English song sung by Mohanlal
, "I'm Your Man", written by Dr. Leonard Cohen
. The singers are P. Jayachandran, Mohanlal
, Shreya Ghoshal, Sharreth
and Vijay Yesudas
. The music launch of the film was held on August 9 in Kochi. The function was attended by the film's cast and also by the music director, M. Jayachandran. Manorama Music
has released a Music Special Website which welcomes reviews from the audience.
, who has done more than 400 films, has chosen Pranayam as one of the seven best films of his career. He says: "Pranayam is one of the seven best films of my career. It has been a great learning experience for me.". The film was widely appreciated for great performance made by Mohanlal
, Anupam Kher
, and Jaya Prada
.
Blessy
Blessy is an Indian film director and screenwriter who has made several critically acclaimed films in Malayalam. As a film director, he is influenced by Padmarajan and Bharathan.- Career :...
. The film revolves around the love bound between the characters of Mathews (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...
), Grace (Jaya Prada
Jaya Prada
Jaya Prada is an Indian film actress and politician. She has starred in hundreds of Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali and Marathi films.-Early life:...
) and Achutha Menon (Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher is an Indian actor who has appeared in nearly 400 films and 100 plays. Though mainly appearing in Bollywood films, he has had roles in some films from other nations as well...
).
The film begins with Achutha Menon (Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher is an Indian actor who has appeared in nearly 400 films and 100 plays. Though mainly appearing in Bollywood films, he has had roles in some films from other nations as well...
), a man in his late sixties arriving in the city to stay with his daughter-in-law and grand-daughter after suffering a heart attack. He was a football player who had got selected in the State team but could never play for the team. He moulded his life and career to accommodate the romance in his life.
One day Menon sees his former wife Grace (Jaya Prada
Jaya Prada
Jaya Prada is an Indian film actress and politician. She has starred in hundreds of Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali and Marathi films.-Early life:...
) in the elevator and collapses. Grace, who is staying in the same building with her husband, daughter and son-in-law, arranges for him to be taken to the hospital and even pays the deposit for the emergency treatment. Slowly their relationship is revealed as she is very anxious about his condition.
Grace's husband Mathews (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...
) is a philosophy professor who has his own philosophy of life. He is now bedridden and requires his wife's help to accomplish the most basic day-to-day tasks. Their physical intimacy is an indication that they may have led a fulfilling life as a couple before the tragedy struck.
The children start acting up as the old couple revive their acquaintance. In the later half of the film, even Mathews joins the former couple with Achuthan helping Grace in manoeuvring her husband's wheelchair in rough terrains. The three take a trip to a beach resort together.
At the resort, Mathews has a stroke and is rushed to the hospital. At the same hospital, Grace has a heart attack and dies, while Mathews survives.
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 Mathews - Jaya PradaJaya PradaJaya Prada is an Indian film actress and politician. She has starred in hundreds of Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali and Marathi films.-Early life:...
as Grace - Anupam KherAnupam KherAnupam Kher is an Indian actor who has appeared in nearly 400 films and 100 plays. Though mainly appearing in Bollywood films, he has had roles in some films from other nations as well...
as Achutha Menon - Anoop MenonAnoop MenonAnoop Menon is a Indian film actor and screenwriter. He worked in television before achieving success as an actor in films. He won the 2008 Kerala State Film Award for second best actor and also the filmfare award 2009 for the same film.-Career:...
as Suresh Menon - Niyas as Saji
- Aryan as Achutha Menon (junior)
- Niveda as Grace (junior)
- Sreenath as Arun
- Apoorva as Megha
- Dhanya Mary VargheseDhanya Mary VargheseDhanya Mary Varghese is an Indian actress known for her performances in Malayalam cinema. She is also a model, dancer and a live performer.- Biography :...
as Asha - Navya Natarajan as Aswathy
Production
BlessyBlessy
Blessy is an Indian film director and screenwriter who has made several critically acclaimed films in Malayalam. As a film director, he is influenced by Padmarajan and Bharathan.- Career :...
has gone through almost 25 years of hibernation for Pranayam. He says: "For so many years I have been carrying the subject in me as a writer, journeying with it as visuals and words. I have now transferred that to the characters. It's like letting go of something that was your own till now. And that is painful."
P. K. Sajeev and Anne Sajeev are the producers of the film under the banner of Fragrant Nature Film Creations. Aneesh Jacob is the executive producer. The film's first schedule of shooting started on 16 February 2011 at Cheranallur
Cheranallur
Cheranallur or Cheranellore or Cheranelloor is a northern suburb of Cochin city in the state of Kerala, India and lies on the banks of the Periyar River. According to tradition, the area was named by its earlier inhabitants who found this place very fertile and beautiful...
in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. 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...
joined the set from 23 February. The second schedule started on June first week in Kochi
Kochi
-Places:* Kochi, a city in the state of Kerala, India, formerly known as Cochin* Kingdom of Cochin, a former feudal city-state on Malabar Coast, India** Fort Kochi, one of the three main urban components which constitute the present day city of Kochi, Kerala, India...
. The film was shot from various locations including 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...
, Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi
Fort Kochi is a region in the city of Kochi in the state of Kerala, India. This is part of a handful of water-bound regions toward the south-west of the mainland Kochi, and collectively known as Old Kochi or West Kochi. Adjacent to this is Mattancherry...
, Valinokkam
Valinokkam
Valinokkam is a village in Ramanathapuram district in Tamil Nadu where the Graves of Hazart Imraan Ummayah Al Badawiyyah shaheed raziyallah Ta'ala anhu and Hazrat Sulthan Abdul Qadir Raziyallah anhu along with numbers of shuhadaas who were martyred along with Badhusha Sulthan Syed Ibrahim Shaheed...
, Kullu Manali
Kullu Manali Circuit
The initial entry point to Kullu Manali Circuit is from Chandigarh, India. Most of the stopovers and destinations lies on the National Highway No. 21. This highway originates from Chandigarh and ends at Manali. This path from Chandigarh to Manali followed by National Highway No 21. is the Kullu...
and Rewari
Rewari
Rewari is a city and a municipal council in Rewari district in the Indian state of Haryana. It is located in south-west Haryana around from Delhi and from Gurgaon.- Etymology :...
. Satheesh Kurup wielded camera for the film. "There is an invisible spark that flashes just seeing the look or a smile of a person and when the beauty within him is revealed to you. You don't need to see a bio-data or wade through his past work. You just connect with him," explains Blessy on his decision to hand over the camera to a novice like Satheesh Kurup.
The film released on a credit as 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...
's 300th film. It is the third time Blessy and Mohanlal signing a bond together after Thanmathra
Thanmathra
Thanmathra is a 2005 Malayalam film directed by Blessy, based on Padmarajan's short story Orma, which portrays the effects of Alzheimer's disease on the life of an individual and his family...
and Bhramaram
Bhramaram
Bhramaram is a 2009 Malayalam thriller film of road-movie genre, written and directed by Blessy, starring Mohanlal, Suresh Menon, V. G. Muralikrishnan and Bhumika Chawla.-Plot:...
. The film will have credit of reuniting Mohanlal and Jayaprada as a couple after Devadoothan
Devadoothan
Devadoothan is a 2000 Malayalam film by Sibi Malayil starring Mohanlal and Jayaprada-Plot:Talented musician Vishal Krishnamoorthy , returns to his old college to compose a pantomime...
. Mohanlal and Anupam Kher are on the screens again after Praja
Praja
Praja is a 2001 Malayalam film by Joshiy starring Mohanlal, N. F. Varghese, Cochin Haneefa and Aishwarya. The film was produced by Joshiy and Renji Panicker under the banner of Mukhyadhara Films...
and Indrajaalam
Indrajaalam
Indrajaalam is a 1990 Malayalam film by Thambi Kannanthanam starring Mohanlal and Geetha.-Cast:*Mohanlal ... Kannan Nair*Rajan P. Dev ... Carlose*Vijayaraghavan ... Thankappan*Mohan Jose ... Michael*Geetha ... Jayanthi*Jose Prakash ... Baba...
. Asked about his experience and challenges that he faced while working in an unfamiliar language, Anupam Kher said "Acting in a different language film is like being thrown into a swimming pool without knowing how to swim. Blessy being a good trainer, acting in Pranayam didn't pose a challenge."
The official website of the movie was launched by Anupam Kher on 29 August 2011 at a Meet the Press programme organised by the Trivandrum Press Club.
Music
The four songs in the movie were done by the rare combination O. N. V. KurupO. N. V. Kurup
Ottaplakkal Nambiyadikkal Velu Kurup , popularly known as O. N. V. Kurup or simply O. N. V., is a Malayalam poet and lyricist from Kerala, India, who won Jnanpith Award,the highest literary award in India for the year 2007. He is considered one of the finest living lyrical poets in India. O. N....
(lyrics) and M. Jayachandran
M. Jayachandran
M. Jayachandran is a film score composer, singer and musician in the Malayalam film industry. He has won Kerala State Film Awards for best music director in 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2010, maximum awards won by any music director. He also won the state award for best male singer in 2005...
(music). There is also an English song sung by 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...
, "I'm Your Man", written by Dr. Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
. The singers are P. Jayachandran, 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...
, Shreya Ghoshal, Sharreth
Sharreth
Sujith Vasudevan I, better known by his stage name Sharreth , is a music director and singer.He began by composing film scores mainly for Malayalam films, but has gone on to compose for Tamil and Telugu films too. Most recently, he scored the music for the Tamil-Telugu bilingual 180.He won the...
and Vijay Yesudas
Vijay Yesudas
Vijay Yesudas Kattassery , commonly credited as Vijay Yesudas, is an Indian playback singer, who has sung songs in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Tulu and Telugu.-Early life:...
. The music launch of the film was held on August 9 in Kochi. The function was attended by the film's cast and also by the music director, M. Jayachandran. Manorama Music
Manorama Music
Manorama Music, is a music company of India. It owns probabily the largest music label of Kerala. The label has produced and distributed film soundtracks, poems, cartoon series, music albums etc. The company is owned by M.M. Publications Ltd, which also owns the Malayala Manorama....
has released a Music Special Website which welcomes reviews from the audience.
| Track | Song Title | Singer(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Paattil Ee Paattil" | Shreya Ghoshal |
| 2 | "Mazhathulli Palunkukal" | Vijay Yesudas Vijay Yesudas Vijay Yesudas Kattassery , commonly credited as Vijay Yesudas, is an Indian playback singer, who has sung songs in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Tulu and Telugu.-Early life:... , Shreya Ghoshal |
| 3 | "I'm Your Man" | 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... |
| 4 | "Kalamozhikalayi" | Sharreth Sharreth Sujith Vasudevan I, better known by his stage name Sharreth , is a music director and singer.He began by composing film scores mainly for Malayalam films, but has gone on to compose for Tamil and Telugu films too. Most recently, he scored the music for the Tamil-Telugu bilingual 180.He won the... |
| 5 | "Paattil Ee Paattil" | P. Jayachandran |
Reception
Anupam KherAnupam Kher
Anupam Kher is an Indian actor who has appeared in nearly 400 films and 100 plays. Though mainly appearing in Bollywood films, he has had roles in some films from other nations as well...
, who has done more than 400 films, has chosen Pranayam as one of the seven best films of his career. He says: "Pranayam is one of the seven best films of my career. It has been a great learning experience for me.". The film was widely appreciated for great performance made by 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...
, Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher is an Indian actor who has appeared in nearly 400 films and 100 plays. Though mainly appearing in Bollywood films, he has had roles in some films from other nations as well...
, and Jaya Prada
Jaya Prada
Jaya Prada is an Indian film actress and politician. She has starred in hundreds of Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali and Marathi films.-Early life:...
.