New film season begins

Post the euphoria of Premam, Malayalam cinema is readying a fresh crop of eagerly awaited films for this Eid. Leading the line-up are Mammootty's Acha Dhin, directed by Marthandan; Dileep's Love 24x7, directed by Sreebala Menon and Unni Mukundan's KL-10 by debutant director Muhsin Parari.
If the current trend is anything to go by, it would be safe to place your bets on the last and the least formidable of the three films, yes, the Unni Mukundan starrer.
With a delightful story of youth, set amidst the backdrop of rural football in Malappuram, true-to-core dialect from the district and an ensemble cast of young actors including Neeraj Madhav and Aju Varghese, KL-10 has so far created the best buzz.
It is also a sign of the changing times. Audiences seem to have become even more discerning and big names, other than for mandatory initials, do not really matter unless the film delivers some refreshing change.
Mammootty's Acha Dhin promises novelty value in its writing, though. In the film, scripted by Vijeesh, who gave the actor the successful Emmanuel, the 'mega-star' plays the role of a Jharkhand native, who has made Kochi his home for nearly two decades.
With the possibility of throwing light on the plight of migrant workers in Kerala with a touch of humour, the film could be another boost for Mammootty, whose two earlier releases this year - Bhaskar the Rascal and Fireman- have been box-office hits. Bhaskar, in fact, is one of the largest grossers after Premam, according to reports.
Dileep's Love 24x7 takes potshots at the visual media; he plays a dashing presenter and has some real-life references both in terms of his mannerisms on-screen and situations.
Not surprisingly, the teaser almost evokes the feel of a Sathyan film - and looks tailored for family audiences. It also adds to Dileep's credentials who hit the jackpot with Chandrettan Evida, after having been seen in a spate of recycled comedies. Premam, however, is set to to give these three new releases a run for their money.
The film, notwithstanding the pirated copy controversy, continues to go strong. The big question is whether it will eat into these three festival releases as it did to a number of small and big films that released alongside or soon after Premam.

• South Stars