| Bandra | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Arun Gopy |
| Written by | Udaykrishna |
| Produced by | Vinayaka Ajith |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Shaji Kumar |
| Edited by | Vivek Harshan |
| Music by | Sam C. S. |
Production company | Ajith Vinayaka Films |
| Distributed by | Ajith Vinayaka Release |
Release date |
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Running time | 156 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
| Budget | ₹35 crore[1] |
| Box office | ₹ 6 crore[1] |
Bandra is a 2023 IndianMalayalam-languageromanticaction drama film directed by Arun Gopy, written byUdaykrishna, and produced by Vinayaka Ajith. The film starsDileep andTamannaah Bhatia (in her Malayalam debut), alongsideDino Morea,Mamta Mohandas,Kalabhavan Shajohn,R. Sarathkumar,Lena,Easwari Rao,K. B. Ganesh Kumar,Siddique, andVTV Ganesh. The film's original score was composed bySam C. S., while the cinematography and editing were handled byShaji Kumar andVivek Harshan, respectively.
Bandra was released in theatres on 10 November 2023 during theDiwali holiday.[2] The film received negative reviews from critics and underperformed at the box office, earning approximately ₹ 6 crore against a budget of ₹35 crore. The film was one of the biggestbox-office bomb in Mollywood film industry and OTT release of the movie is still unknown.[1][3]
A budding filmmaker named Sakshi, eager to find inspiration for her debut film, embarks on a journey throughMumbai. While navigating the city's bustling streets, her car is unexpectedly struck by an old man's scooter. Later, while sipping coffee at a quaint restaurant, her gaze drifts toward the building opposite, which was the infamous Tulsi Apartment, from where Tara Janaki, 90s top bollywood heroine allegedly plunged to her death in 1993 at the peak of her career. Sakshi decides to make a film chronicling Tara’s life and the enigma surrounding her tragic demise. As she delves into research, she stumbles upon a collection of photographs from Tara’s final film, Rani Padmavati. To her astonishment, one of the images captures the old man—Mirchi—standing in the background.
Realizing that he may hold long-buried secrets about Tara’s private life, Sakshi becomes determined to track him down. As the story unfolds, the actress has sought refuge in the house of the very prosperous Aala or Alexander Dominic at the start of a shoot inKerala. He was already besotted by her after a momentary glance of her beauty on the big screen, when he had gone to the theatre to catch a goon.
Thara tells Aala that she wants to escape her controlling adoptive mother Hema Janaki and RD company owner, Ragavendra Desai who is producing her films. While theKerala police are looking for the actress missing from the sets, she is having a relaxed time surrounded by the love of Aala's entourage, which includes his mother. But soon, the game is up and the don producer and her mother take her back to Mumbai.Thara finishes the last film on her contract with Ragavendra Desai, but he nixes her chances on new projects, so Aala, who has now followed Thara to Mumbai, suggests that she produce her next film, the woman-centric story of Rani Padmini. If one wants to make a woman-driven historical, there are other illustrious queens in Indian history, but we'll let that slide.
Anyway, in order to finance the project, Aala, who has a vaguely-referred-to shady past, commits crimes in the contract of a former anti-terrorist squad officerIG Veera RaghavanIPS, who wanted to avenge the killing of his family. Aala's contract also includes resolving the matter of Ragavendra Desai. Sakshi finally learns from Mirchi (Aala's friend), Thara's death is not a suicide, she was actually killed by Ragavendra Desai. Aala gets enraged and brutally kills Ragavendra Desai for avenging Thara Janaki's death.
Sakshi completes the film and released the movie titled BANDRA in the theatres, Sakshi receives an unknown call and it was Aala who is now inKazakhstan and tells Sakshi that the story doesn't end here, the story of 30 years remains untold.
Bandra serves as Dileep's 147th film; hence, the film had the working titleD147. This film marks Tamannaah Bhatia's debut in the Malayalam film industry.[4] According to Arun Gopy, although the film's story is fictional, it was inspired by a true incident.[5]
Principal photography began on 1 September 2022 with a pooja ceremony held at theKottarakkara Ganapathy Temple.[4] The first schedule was completed in December inRajasthan.[6] After completing a two-day shoot ofJailer inHyderabad, Tamannaah joined the second schedule on 20 January 2023 inKochi.[7][8] The filming locations includedAhmedabad, Siddhapur,Rajkot,Gondal,Jaipur,Mumbai and Hyderabad.[9] The post-credit scenes were shot in Russia in April.[10] Filmingwrapped up on 14 September 2023.[11] The stunt choreographer wasAnbariv.[12] The film was reportedly made on a budget of over ₹30 crore.[13]
| Bandra | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | |||||
| Released | 29 November 2023 (2023-11-29) | ||||
| Recorded | 2023 | ||||
| Genre | Film soundtrack | ||||
| Length | 18:28 | ||||
| Language | Malayalam | ||||
| Label | Saregama | ||||
| Sam C. S. chronology | |||||
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| Singles from Bandra | |||||
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The film's musical score is composed by Sam C. S. The audio rights were acquired bySaregama. The first single, titled "Rakka Rakka", was released on 31 October 2023.[14] The second single, titled "Vaarmeghame", was released on 7 November 2023.[15] The third single, titled "Otta Kolakombanaada", was released on 11 November 2023.[16] The fourth single, titled "Mujhe Paale", was released on 16 November 2023.[17] The entire album featuring 5 tracks was released on 29 November 2023.[18]
All music is composed by Sam C. S.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rakka Rakka" | Vinayak Sasikumar | Shankar Mahadevan, Nakshatra Santhosh | 3:14 |
| 2. | "Vaarmeghame" | Santhosh Varma | Shweta Mohan,Kapil Kapilan | 4:57 |
| 3. | "Otta Kolakombanaada" | Ajeesh Daasan | Yazin Nizar | 3:04 |
| 4. | "Mujhe Paale" | Sai Anand | Pavithra Chaari, Sarthak Kalyani | 3:21 |
| 5. | "Praanan Pol" | Vinayak Sasikumar | Kapil Kapilan | 3:34 |
Bandra received negative reviews from critics.
Bhawna Arya ofTimes Now gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Bandra delves deep into the criminal world of Bombay in the late 1980s. The showcases the challenges in the life of a gangster and how he works for the welfare of his people and the ones who rely on them."[19] Swathi P. Ajith ofOnmanorama wrote, "Bandra holds promise for a stylish and action-packed film, but an unfocused portrayal somewhat steers it away from its original intent."[20]
Anna Mathews ofThe Times of India gave 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Arun Gopy tries to build up some massy moments, but it doesn't have the energy of big entertainers. The film had a promising premise of the menacing underworld involvement inBollywood film production in the 90s, but it has been wasted."[21] Arundhati Anil ofThe Week gave 1.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Overall, a dull script, decent performances from the cast and enticing action and dance sequences makeBandra a forgettable but somewhat entertaining action flick."[22]
Vignesh Madhu ofCinema Express gave 1 out of 5 stars and called it "a sluggish and sloppy potboiler".[23] Anandu Suresh ofThe Indian Express gave 1.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Bandra starts off as an unpromising movie and ends pretty much the same way, after making the viewers experience too manydéjà vus."[24] Ryan Gomez ofOTTplay gave 1.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Bandra promises far too much and delivers far too little. Despite featuring a star-studded ensemble, director Arun Gopy's Malayalam film is devoid of originality, a coherent story, and compelling characters."[25]
Bandra collected ₹0.8 crore by the end of its second day of release and grossed approximately ₹6 crore during its theatrical run.[26][1] The film was aBox Office bomb.
