| Neram | |
|---|---|
 Posters in Malayalam and Tamil | |
| Directed by | Alphonse Puthren |
| Written by | Alphonse Puthren |
| Produced by | Koral Viswanathan |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Anend C. Chandran |
| Edited by | Alphonse Puthren |
| Music by | Rajesh Murugesan |
Production company | Winner Bulls Films |
| Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time |
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| Country | India |
| Languages |
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| Budget | ₹1.5 crore[1] |
| Box office | est.₹18 crore[2] (both versions) |
Neram (transl. 'Time') is a 2013 Indianblack comedythriller film written, directed and edited byAlphonse Puthren in his directorial debut. It is simultaneously made inMalayalam andTamil languages. It is an extended version of the short film of the same name, which he directed in 2009. It starsNivin Pauly,Nazriya Nazim (in theirKollywood debuts) andBobby Simha in both versions. Supporting roles were played byManoj K. Jayan,Shammi Thilakan,Lalu Alex, andWillson Joseph in Malayalam version, whileNassar,Thambi Ramiah,John Vijay andShabareesh Varma portrayed the characters in Tamil version.
The whole film is set within one day inChennai. Shooting for the film commenced on mid-2012, were completed in March 2013. The music was scored by debutantRajesh Murugesan, while cinematography was handled by Anend C. Chendran.[3] The Malayalam version was released on 10 May 2013, while the Tamil version was released a week later, on 17 May 2013.[4]
Neram's both versions received positive reviews upon release and was a commercial success at the box-office.[5] The film is remade in Telugu asRun (2016) starringSundeep Kishan and in Kannada asKismath (2018) starringVijay Raghavendra.[6][7][8][9] This film is about to be remade in Hindi.[10]
Mathew/Vetri is acomputer engineering graduate but lost his job. His life is complicated now because he has taken a loan from a privatemoneylender named Vatti Raja and is not able to repay the amount because he has no income. Jeena/Veni's father Johnykutty/Saravanar denies her marriage with Mathew/Vetri as he is jobless. Jeena/Veni decides to elope with Mathew/Vetri, and his friend John gives him money for paying off his debt to Raja. On their way, Jeena/Veni's chain is snatched, and Mathew/Vetri's money is stolen. Raja calls Mathew/Vetri and asks him to settle the money within 5PM.
Johnykutty/Saravanar lodges a complaint withSI Ukken Tintu/Katta Kunju against Mathew/Vetri on charges of kidnapping Jeena/Veni and gives his number. Tintu/Kunju calls Mathew/Vetri and tells him that he should come along with Jeena/Veni to the police station within 5PM, but problems are yet to come: Mathew/Vetri's brother-in-law asks some amount of money from him to start a business, and even that is scheduled for 5PM. On the other hand, Jeena/Veni is kidnapped by Raja's men, assuming her to be another man's girlfriend who also has to return money to Raja.
Mathew/Vetri comes across the same man and decides to snatch his chain, but unfortunately at the moment he tries to do so, the man meets with an accident, and Mathew/Vetri takes him to a hospital. The man's brother RayBan/Dhandapani, who has influence, assures Mathew/Vetri of a job in his company. Suddenly, Tintu/Kunju arrives there and tells that Raja died in an accident. It is revealed that Lighthouse, the man who stole Jeena/Veni's chain and Mathew/Vetri's money, had also borrowed some money from Raja. Lighthouse planned with two others in having the money for themselves and stole Raja's car.
While the plan worked out perfectly, Raja's men went behind the car, and Raja goes behind the other man. In the chase, Raja was hit by an auto and died. Coincidentally, the auto driver was the driver who hit RayBan/Dhandapani's brother Manick with his vehicle, too. Later, Mathew/Vetri meets the men who stole his money and gets in a brawl with them. He finds his money and a chain inside the car and also finds Jeena/Veni in the car's rear (Raja hid her in his car). Mathew/Vetri gives the money to his brother-in-law, and the movie ends with a happy note that "Time is of two types: good time and bad time. Good will come following every bad time in life".
| Actor (Malayalam) | Actor (Tamil) | Role (Malayalam) | Role (Tamil) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nivin Pauly | Mathew | Vetri | |
| Nazriya Nazim | Jeena | Veni | |
| Bobby Simha | Vatti Raja | ||
| Ramesh Thilak | Lighthouse | ||
| Lalu Alex | Thambi Ramaiah | Johnykutty, Jeena's father | Saravanar, Veni's father |
| Manoj K. Jayan | Nassar | RayBan | M. Dhandapaani |
| Shammi Thilakan | John Vijay | Sub-Inspector Ukken Tintu | Sub-Inspector K. Katta Kunju |
| Willson Joseph | Shabareesh Varma | John | |
| Krishna Shankar | Ananth Nag | Manikunju (Manick) | Manickam (Manick) |
| Joju George | Sai Prashanth | Mathew's brother-in-law | Vetri's brother-in-law |
| Charle | Mayilsamy | ||
| Crane Manohar | Auto Rickshaw Driver | ||
| Anju Kurian | Mathew's sister | Vetri's sister | |
| Deepak Nathan | White Villain | ||
| Sharaf U Dheen | Tutor | ||
Alphonse Puthren who made several short films[11] and also the studio albumYuvvh had announced his directorial debut after the album's success that prompted him to move to the feature film format.[12] He announced that the film will be titled asNeram which would be a "thriller-cum-black comedy" set inChennai'sMandaveli, where he had lived for some time.[11] He further added that the film's title and the story is all about the significance of time in human lives.[13] It was considered to be an extended version of the short film of the same name starringVijay Sethupathi, which he directed in 2009.[14]
Initially Puthren wrote the script withJai andVaibhav as the lead actors who declined the offers citing schedule conflicts.[14] Later his friend and actorNivin Pauly, who contributed to the short film by offering him a budget of₹3,000 for the project, was approached as the lead actor, marking his debut inTamil cinema.[15] It was Pauly's second project he signed after his breakthrough with the Malayalam filmThattathin Marayathu.Bhama was chosen as the lead actress against Pauly and had also shot for ten days,[16] but due to her busy schedules, she was replaced byNazriya Nazim as the lead actress, who also made her debut in Tamil with the film.[17] Putharen decided to shoot it simultaneously in Tamil and Malayalam. He modified the Malayalam version and filmed it with an entirely different cast, retaining only the lead pair in both versions.[18]Rajesh Murugesan, who had worked with Putharen on his short films, was chosen as the film's composer, also making his feature film debut.[19]
The crew began filming by June 2012, which was first held across various parts of Tamil Nadu,[20] and later inChennai.[16] Shooting was further carried out in Chennai in August 2012, with Bhama's portions being reshot with Nazriya.[18] In March 2013, Putharen informed that the entire filming had been completed.[21] The film was shot in Malayalam and in Tamil at the same time, which Pauly described as tough and challenging.[22]
Rajesh Murugesan composed the soundtrack and film score ofNeram, making his feature film debut. A promotional song titled "Pistah" performed byShabareesh Varma, was released on 29 March 2013 and went viral.[4][19] The audio of the film's Tamil and Malayalam versions were released on 3 May 2013 under theThink Music label.
The first look posters of the film was released on 21 February 2013.[23] On 28 March 2013,Red Giant Movies, production house ofUdhayanidhi Stalin acquired the film's distribution rights inTamil Nadu,[24] while the film was distributed inKerala byLal Jose, under his production houseLJ Films. Trailers in both languages were released on 19 April 2013.
The Malayalam version was released on 10 May 2013, in 73 screens across Kerala, while the Tamil version was released on 17 May 2013 in 200 plus screens in Tamil Nadu.[25]
The satellite rights of the film's Tamil version were sold toSun TV and the rights of the film's Malayalam version was acquired byMazhavil Manorama. AP International released the Malayalam version onBlu-ray,DVD andVCD on 1 August 2013.
Neram received positive reviews from critics with praise towards the cast performances (particularly Nivin, Nazriya and Simha), cinematography, editing,black comedy, screenwriting and direction.
Padmakumar K ofMalayala Manorama rated 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Though the concept is nothing new, the way of presentation and the setting is a merited deviation from the beaten track. The movie is watchable for some surprises it throws up now and then. There are some unseen extraordinary scenes and events not usually seen inMalayalam cinema." The reviewer praised the film's technical aspects, especially Alphonse Putharen's editing and direction, and Anand C. Chandran's camera works. He also praised the acting by Manoj K. Jayan, Simhaa, Shammi Thilakan and Nazriya Nazim while commenting that Pauly "still has to come out of his usual self".[26]Sify gave the verdict as "good" and wrote "For a debut attempt with lots of fresh faces in its cast and crew, director Alphonse Putharen's Neram could leave you pleasantly surprised. With a rather okay script, the film scores with a brilliant narration, interesting performances, good visuals and peppy music."[27] Aswin J Kumar ofThe Times of India rated 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Neram has a romantic charm, an exciting trait which infuses it with a good measure of likability."[28] Paresh C Palicha ofRediff rated 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Neram has an interesting narrative but lacks on the humour quotient".[29]
IANS rated 4 out of 5 stars and wrote "There is absolutely nothing new about the story, yet what differentiatesNeram from other films is its brilliantnon-linear screenplay, never seen before inTamil cinema. The film grows on you very gradually despite its brooding first half, but what follows post interval is top class and is worth every applaud or hoot that came its way."[30][31]Baradwaj Rangan ofThe Hindu appreciates the film's narrative style and cinematography, but commented "Almost everything is perfect on paper. But something is lost on screen. We feel we should be laughing more, and that there are a few too many flat passages."[32] Malini Mannath ofThe New Indian Express wrote "the light, interesting narrative style and quirky characters makes it [the film] a pleasant one-time watch."[33] N. Venkateswaran ofThe Times of India rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Alphonse Putharen is a welcome addition to the new wave of Tamil film directors, and is a sign of the good times ahead for Indian cinema."[34] Mythily Ramachandran ofGulf Times wrote "Puthren joins the league of a growing number of young directors in Tamil and Malayalam who are making a mark with their fresh ideas and novel presentation.Neram is a delightful way to while away time."[35]Sify gave the verdict as "Good" and concluded the review saying, "Neram is genuinely a good attempt to make something unusual by a group of youngsters, which has to be encouraged."[36]
The film netted₹81 lakh (US$93,000) from 73 screens in its opening weekend (10–12 May) in Kerala.[37]
| Award | Date of ceremony[a] | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asiavision Awards | 15 November 2013 | New Sensation in Acting | Nazriya Nazim | Won | [38] |
| Asianet Film Awards | 10 January 2014 | Best Star Pair | Nivin Pauly & Nazriya Nazim | Won | |
| Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards | 8 January 2014 | Best Debut Actor | Nivin Pauly | Won | [39] |
| Best Debut Actress | Nazriya Nazim | Won | |||
| Vanitha Film Awards | 18 January 2014 | Best Comedian | Shammi Thilakan | Won | [40] |
| Vijay Awards | 5 July 2014 | Best Story, Screenplay Writer | Alphonse Puthren | Nominated | [41] |
| Best Debut Actor | Nivin Pauly | Nominated | |||
| Best Debut Actress | Nazriya Nazim | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Bobby Simha | Nominated | |||
| Filmfare Awards South | 12 July 2014 | Best Male Debut – Tamil | Nivin Pauly | Won | [42] |
| Best Female Debut – Tamil | Nazriya Nazim | Won | |||
| South Indian International Movie Awards | 12—13 September 2014 | Best Debut Director – Malayalam | Alphonse Puthren | Won | [43] [44] [45] |
| Best Male Debut – Tamil | Nivin Pauly | Nominated | |||
| Best Female Debut – Tamil | Nazriya Nazim | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor in a Negative Role – Malayalam | Bobby Simha | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor in a Negative Role – Tamil | Nominated | ||||
| Best Fight Choreographer – Malayalam | Run Ravi | Nominated |
The film was remade in Telugu asRun (2016) and in Kannada asKismath (2018).[10] Putharen has announced intentions for a Hindi remake to the film which he will direct.[10]
