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Poppins
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| Poppins | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | V. K. Prakash |
| Written by | Jayaprakash Kuloor |
| Based on | 18 Natakangal by Jayaprakash Kuloor |
| Produced by | Darshan Ravi |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography |
|
| Edited by | Mahesh Narayanan |
| Music by | Ratheesh Vegha |
Production company | Dimac Creations |
| Distributed by | Central Pictures |
Release date |
|
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
Poppins is a 2012 Indian Malayalam-language anthology film directed by V. K. Prakash. It stars ten lead actors, appearing as five couples; the characters are played by Kunchacko Boban and Nithya Menen, Jayasurya and Meghna Raj, Indrajith Sukumaran and Padmapriya, Shankar Ramakrishnan and Mythili, Ann Augustine and Siddique.[1] The film was shot with two cameras at the same time by Jomon T. John and Arun.
The film is an adaptation of the Sahitya Akademi award-winning play 18 Natakangal by Jayaprakash Kuloor. Prakash had already adapted this play into a Kannada film titled Aidondla Aidu. The plot is centred on man-woman relationships which is weaved into a single story encapsulating the struggles of a filmmaker, exploring different facets of the institution called marriage. Nithya Menen and Padmapriya reprised their role from the Kannada film.[2]
Plot
[edit] | This article's plot summary needs to be improved. (September 2023) |
All the tales revolve around the relationships between a husband and wife and although each explores different facets of the marital relationship, at their core, they involve communication and the consequences of misconception.
Cast
[edit]- Kunchacko Boban as Unni
- Jayasurya as the husband in the movie Kannadi
- Indrajith Sukumaran as Kanthan
- Shankar Ramakrishnan as Hari
- Master Dhananjay as young Hari
- Nithya Menen as Ammu, Unni's wife
- Meghana Raj as the wife in the movie Kannadi
- Padmapriya Janakiraman as Kantha, Kanthan's wife
- Ann Augustine as Ann, a journalist
- Mythili as Gauri, Hari's wife
- Siddique as Sajan, the film actor
- P. Balachandran as Gabriyel Methalakuzhi
- Saiju Kurup as George, Gabriyel's son
- Sreelatha Namboothiri as Nancy, Gabriyel's fiance
- Kochu Preman as Alex, Hari's senior officer
- Indrans as Charlie, the film producer
- Jayaraj Warrier as Appu, the film producer
- Nandu as Babu, the film producer
- Parvathy Nair as Julie, Job's wife
- Baby Nayanthara as Chakki, Hari's daughter
- Jayaprakash Kuloor as Ammu's father
- Moly Kannamali as Annamma, the servant
- Maya Vishwanath as Geetha
- Hareesh Pengan as the driver
Production
[edit]It is a new thought that the director wanted his critically acclaimed film Aidondla Aidu to be made into Malayalam.[clarification needed] After completing Trivandrum Lodge, the director wanted to try a different Aidondla Aidu. The director was selective in choosing hardworking young and character-suiting actors. Kunchacko Boban and Nithya Menen were chosen to play a pivotal couple, and Jayasurya and Meghana Raj were chosen to play a supporting couple. This is the second time the pair has come together; the first was the director's Beautiful. Jayasurya was cast again after V. K. Prakash's Trivandrum Lodge in which he played the lead role.
The shooting of the film began on 10 June 2012. Jomon T. John is the cinematographer. The film was shot in Bangalore and Trivandrum in two schedules.[3]
Soundtrack
[edit]The audio release of Poppins by V. K. Prakash was a star-studded affair with the entire cast and other guests attending the function. Among the cast, Jayasurya, Meera Nandan, Aparna Nair, and Sarayu were present. Ratheesh Vegha's music was the highlight of the day. He had also penned the lyrics of the songs. G. Venugopal and Sithara lent their voices. The audio release was officially carried out by East Coast Vijayan, and the CD was first given to Shankar Ramakrishnan by Jayasurya. East Coast Vijayan had coordinated the entire function that was held on 24 Nov 2012. Nithya Menon sings the Malayalam version of the same song she sang for in "Aidu Ondla Aidu".[4]
Reception
[edit]The film opened to negative reviews from critics and audiences alike. Sify.com gave the verdict "Below Average" and said, "Poppins is a lazy film, which takes the viewer for a ride. Unlike the sweet that it has named after, this one is disturbingly tasteless and has been made without much honesty."[5] Paresh C Palicha of Rediff.com rated the film two out of five start and concluded his review saying that the film is a "very bland one."[6]
References
[edit]- ^ "Four couples ready for 'Poppins'". Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- ^ Parvathy S Nayar (30 May 2012). "5 Ondu Aidu in Malayalam". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 27 May 2013. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ "Poppins is VK Prakash's next". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 28 May 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
- ^ ""Poppins" Audio Released. :News – Movie News, Film News, Cinema News – Malayalam Movie News". metromatinee.com. Archived from the original on 27 December 2012.
- ^ "Movie Review: Poppins"
- ^ "Review: This Poppins is bland"
Poppins
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Background and development
Origins and adaptation
Poppins draws its origins from the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award-winning play Pathinettu Natakangal (also known as 18 Natakangal), written by Jayaprakash Kuloor in 2008, which received the award for drama.[3][4] The play comprises a series of interconnected vignettes that examine the intricacies of husband-wife relationships, presenting diverse scenarios to illustrate the everyday tensions and bonds within marriages.[5] The source material was first adapted into cinema with the 2011 Kannada film Aidu Ondla Aidu, directed by V. K. Prakash, who selected extracts from Kuloor's play to form an anthology highlighting structural parallels in its vignette-based format and central themes of communication breakdowns in marital life. This adaptation preserved the play's focus on relational discord while translating the theatrical elements into a visual narrative. V. K. Prakash subsequently chose to re-adapt the play into the Malayalam-language Poppins, retaining the anthology style but structuring it around six distinct stories of couples that are interwoven into a meta-narrative centered on a filmmaker grappling with his creative vision.[5] This approach allows the individual vignettes to intersect through the filmmaker's perspective, enhancing the thematic exploration of marital dynamics.[6] Unique to this adaptation are its deepened emphases on misconceptions, intimacy challenges, and emotional disconnects prevalent in contemporary Indian marriages, with each couple's segment concluding ambiguously to reflect the unresolved nature of such relational complexities without prescriptive outcomes.[5]Pre-production
The screenplay for Poppins was written by Jayaprakash Kuloor, who adapted the structure of his play 18 Natakangal to fit a 2-hour film runtime by incorporating a unifying storyline centered on an aspiring filmmaker's journey that weaves together the anthology's multiple narratives on man-woman relationships.[5][7] The film was produced by Darshan Ravi under the banner of Dimac Creations, with distribution managed by Central Pictures to ensure wide release across Kerala theaters.[8][9] Pre-production commenced in early 2012, with the team prioritizing a rapid timeline to align with the availability of the ensemble cast, including coordination for multi-location shoots planned in Bangalore and Trivandrum.[10] The cinematography team, comprising Jomon T. John and Arun James, was assembled for their expertise in handling complex anthology formats requiring seamless transitions across diverse settings.[11][12] Budget considerations focused on efficient resource allocation for the star-studded production, aiming to complete principal photography in two schedules starting June 2012 while maintaining narrative cohesion.[10] The source play, a Sahitya Akademi Award winner, provided a strong foundation for these adaptations.[6]Cast and characters
Principal cast
The principal cast of Poppins features ten lead actors portraying five couples, underscoring the film's ensemble format and focus on intimate explorations of relationships without prominent supporting characters. The ensemble includes Kunchacko Boban paired with Nithya Menen, Jayasurya with Meghna Raj, Indrajith Sukumaran with Padmapriya, Shankar Ramakrishnan with Mythili, and Ann Augustine with Siddique.[13][14][15] This casting choice highlights a mix of established Malayalam cinema figures and versatile performers to capture diverse marital nuances, with Kunchacko Boban's known comic timing lending levity to certain segments.[5] Nithya Menen and Padmapriya also appeared in the original Kannada film Aidondla Aidu, directed by V. K. Prakash, an adaptation of Jayaprakash Kuloor's play 18 Natakangal. Siddique, typically recognized for comedic parts, takes on a more dramatic portrayal as a husband in one of the stories.[13] V. K. Prakash, who had previously collaborated with Jayasurya on Trivandrum Lodge, assembled this cast to emphasize the film's dialogue-heavy, character-driven intimacy.[7]Character roles
Poppins presents an anthology of five couples' stories interconnected through a meta-narrative, each exploring facets of marital discord through internal conflicts and miscommunications. The young, idealistic couple portrayed by Kunchacko Boban and Nithya Menen embodies the challenges of early marriage, including adjustments to shared routines and unmet expectations in the initial stages of wedlock.[16] In contrast, the mature and strained duo played by Indrajith Sukumaran and Padmapriya illustrates the buildup of long-term resentment, where accumulated grievances erode emotional intimacy over years of partnership.[17] The couple featuring Jayasurya and Meghna Raj delves into suspicions of infidelity, highlighting how doubt can fracture trust without external interference.[5] Another pairing, embodied by Siddique and Ann Augustine, focuses on emotional neglect, where one partner's absorption in personal pursuits leads to relational drift and unspoken hurts.[17] The duo of Shankar Ramakrishnan and Mythili represents marital tensions in mid-life, emphasizing the struggle to reignite connection amid life's evolving demands.[5] These portrayals draw from the structure of Jayaprakash Kuloor's award-winning plays, assigning each couple a unique lens on miscommunication—ranging from everyday oversights to deeper betrayals—while maintaining a focus on relational introspection rather than dramatic confrontations.[6] Overarching the vignettes is the meta-character of an aspiring filmmaker, played by Shankar Ramakrishnan, who serves as a narrative conduit, weaving the couples' tales into a cohesive exploration of human bonds and observing their dynamics as if scripting his own life's story.[5] Notably, Poppins eschews traditional antagonists, instead rooting all conflicts in the internal mechanics of the relationships themselves, underscoring themes of self-inflicted discord within marriage.Production
Filming locations and techniques
Principal photography for Poppins commenced in early June 2012, with the initial schedule taking place in Bangalore to capture urban settings.[18] The Bangalore portion was completed within one week, after which the production moved to Thiruvananthapuram for additional scenes filmed at Chitranjali Studios and Pappanamcode over two days.[18] Further shooting occurred in the forests of Coorg, where actor Indrajith Sukumaran filmed his segments opposite Padmapriya during the region's monsoon season, adding to the logistical demands of coordinating the ensemble cast across diverse sites.[19] The film's anthology structure, adapting plays by Jayaprakash Kuloor, necessitated sequential shooting of vignettes to preserve the chemistry among the ten lead actors portraying five couples. Cinematography was shared among Jomon T. John, Arun James, and Pradeesh Varma, who handled different segments to suit the varying location requirements, contributing to the overall schedule being wrapped in under two months.[15] This tight timeline minimized reshoots, leveraging the precision of the source material's scripting.Post-production
Following the completion of principal photography in mid-2012, the post-production phase of Poppins focused on refining the anthology structure to maintain narrative cohesion across its vignettes. The film was edited by Mahesh Narayanan. The final cut was completed by October 2012, enabling a late-year theatrical release on November 30. Director V. K. Prakash made several adjustments in his cuts to balance the vignette lengths, ensuring no single story overshadowed the ensemble dynamic and maintaining an overall runtime of 139 minutes. These refinements were informed briefly by the filming techniques, such as handheld camerawork in intimate settings, which influenced edit decisions for pacing and emotional flow.[20]Soundtrack
Composition and recording
The soundtrack of Poppins was composed by Ratheesh Vegha, a Malayalam film music director known for blending Western orchestration with local sensibilities, who also penned the lyrics for some of the songs, such as "Mazhamazha Mazhaye," to align with the film's exploration of man-woman relationships drawn from Jayaprakash Kuloor's plays.[21][5] Vegha's compositions emphasize subtle, pleasant melodies that reflect the introspective marital dynamics central to the anthology format, avoiding overpowering elements to support the narrative's emotional depth.[22][8] The style incorporates acoustic-driven tracks with minimalist arrangements, mirroring the film's focus on couple interactions through non-intrusive scoring that heightens tension in key scenes.[21] Prominent songs include "Mazhamazha Mazhaye," featuring vocals by G. Venugopal and Sithara, and "Paayasam," rendered by Nithya Menen, whose participation added continuity to the character's portrayal.[23][24] Vegha collaborated with singers to refine the tracks for thematic integration, blending original songs with ambient cues to underscore the play's core without dominating dialogues.[21] The final soundtrack comprises seven tracks, prioritizing conceptual harmony over elaborate production to enhance the film's intimate storytelling.[23]Track listing and release
The soundtrack of Poppins features seven tracks composed by Ratheesh Vegha, blending melodic and subtle tunes that align with the film's anthology style exploring marital dynamics. The songs emphasize emotional depth over commercial hooks, contributing to the overall understated tone of the movie.[8] The track listing is as follows:| No. | Title | Singers | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mohangal Mathram | Pradeep Chandra Kumar | 4:42 |
| 2 | Mandanila Parilalithe | P. Jayachandran | 3:28 |
| 3 | Mazhamazha Mazhaye | G. Venugopal, Sithara Krishnakumar | 3:46 |
| 4 | Valam Nadannu (Male Vocals) | Anoop Sankar | 3:52 |
| 5 | Payasam Ithu Payasam | Nithya Menen | 3:50 |
| 6 | Ninakkai Mathram | Santhosh Kesav | 4:00 |
| 7 | Valam Nadannu (Female Vocals) | Manjari | 3:50 |