| Gulumaal: The Escape | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Directed by | V. K. Prakash |
| Written by | Y. V. Rajesh |
| Produced by | Sajitha Prakash |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Fowzia Fathima |
| Edited by | Mahesh Narayanan |
| Music by | Manu Ramesan |
| Distributed by | A&M Marketing Company |
Release date |
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| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
Gulumaal: The Escape is a 2009 IndianMalayalam-languagecomedy film directed by V. K. Prakash and written by Rajesh Y. V. It was shot in digital format by cinematographerFowzia Fathima, and starredKunchacko Boban andJayasurya. The film is an unofficial remake of the Argentine crime-thriller filmNine Queens. The film was remade in Telugu asAll the Best (2012).
Jerry Mathews is acon man known for his high-stakes scams. His criminal actions create a rift in his family when he attempts to steal the family business from his sister. While planning a heist on a petrol station, Jerry helps an escaped convict, Ravi Varma. Ravi had been caught performing similar heists with a similar con man.
Ravi convinces Jerry to plan a formidable heist. An old acquaintance, Bose, tells Jerry of a forged painting that can be used to con anon-resident Indian (NRI) out of₹50 lakhs. The information creates a rift in the newly formed friendship as both Ravi and Jerry attempt to outdo each other in order to take the money.
Coincidentally, Jerry's sister Saira is an employee at the hotel where the NRI is staying, and both Ravi and the NRI fall in love with her.
Ravi and Jerry eventually lose the painting and decide to buy the original by pooling their money. They then sell it to the NRI for₹3 crore. However, Jerry's father finds out about the plot and tells Saira, which further drives the siblings apart.
When Jerry and Ravi realize that the check given to them is invalid, they fight and decide to part ways. Jerry runs into the master con man, Bose, who offers to help him resolve the situation, and takes Jerry to the wedding of Ravi's and Saira's. Jerry learns that the entire sequence of events, starting from the gas station incident, had been completely staged as a form of gentle revenge in return for the scam that had sent Ravi's father Prabhakaran to jail.
Jerry asks for forgiveness from everyone and leaves the wedding. As the credits roll, Jerry is seen pondering another scam.
The film was described as being similar toFabián Bielinsky's 2000Argentinecrime drama filmNine Queens (Nueve Reinas).[1] V. K. Prakash said: "I discovered theNine Queens connection only after I liked the subject ofGulumaal".[1]
Sify.com stated that "with a tighter script, better music and lesser length the film could have been even more entertaining", but added, "The best thing about the film could be its unconventional narrative style."[2]Indiaglitz.com called it "stylish and crazy entertainment", praising the film's "intense believability" and "unstoppable flow of brilliantly witty one-liners", but criticized the poor selection of voices in Manu Rameshan's songs.[3] VN ofNowrunning.com gave the film 2.5 out of 5, praising "the amazing camaraderie that its lead actors share" but finding fault with the "cacophony" and substandard picturization of the songs. VN also stated thatGulumal was "a straight lift off the Argentinian filmNueve Reinas (Nine Queens)".[4][5]
The film was a commercial success.[6]
The film's soundtrack contains 4 songs, all composed byManu Ramesan, with lyrics byS. Ramesan Nair and Saimon Palvaay.
| # | Title | Singer(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Gulumaal Gulumaal" | Anoop Sankar, Ajay Sathyan, Roshan |
| 2 | "Thaam Tharikida" | G. Venugopal,Vidhu Prathap,Anoop Sankar |
| 3 | "Vennila" | P. Jayachandran |
| 4 | "Kilu Kilukkam" | Sithara Krishnakumar |