| Run Baby Run | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Joshiy |
| Written by | Sachy |
| Produced by | Milan Jaleel |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | R. D. Rajasekhar |
| Edited by | Shyam Sasidharan |
| Music by | Ratheesh Vegha |
Production company | Galaxy Films |
| Distributed by |
|
Release date |
|
Running time | 140 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
| Box office | est.₹29 crore[1] |
Run Baby Run (stylized asRun Babby Run) is a 2012 IndianMalayalam-languageaction thriller film directed byJoshiy, and produced by Milan Jaleel through Galaxy Films. It was the first independent screenplay ofSachy following the split ofSachi-Sethu duo. The film starsMohanlal,Amala Paul andBiju Menon in lead roles. It also starsSai Kumar,Siddique,Vijayaraghavan andShammi Thilakan.[2] The music was composed byRatheesh Vegha, while cinematography was done byR. D. Rajasekhar.
The film, which is set in the backdrop of news media, has Mohanlal playing the role of a channel cameraman Venu and Amala Paul that of a senior editor Renuka. The story traces their relationship and professional conflicts.[3]Run Baby Run released worldwide on 29 August 2012. The film was a commercial success and one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of the year.[4]
Venu is a high-profile news cameraman working withReuters, who graduates from a premier film institute, but prefers to shoot news rather than the manipulated visuals for films. Venu is mostly based inDelhi, but has come toKochi to appear for a case in which he is involved, and is assigned to cover a case involving a local politician where he gets to meet Renuka. Renuka is theexecutive editor ofBharath Vision and Venu and Renuka have a story to tell of their own. A flashback tells the story about how two lovers turned into foes.
Rishikesh is the head of another channel,News Bureau of India (NBI), who is going through some difficult times, as some of his star performers have gone in search of greener pastures. Venu and Renuka come together to investigate a particular story about a murder planned by a major politician named Bharathan Pillai, who has lost his fame when Venu and Renuka had exposed a scam involving him. How Renuka and Venu again exposes Bharathan Pillai and reunite with each other forms the crux of the plot.
The film is produced by Milan Jaleel under the banner of Galaxy Films. Cinematography was done byR. D. Rajasekhar and music direction byRatheesh Vegha.Art Direction was done by Sabu Pravadas, Publicity designs by Collins Leophil, Associate Director Shaji Padoor and Stills were done by Aaghosh.[6]
Run Baby Run was written by Sachy.[7]
Mohanlal held a sneak preview of the film on 28 August, at a theatre owned by directorPriyadarshan inChennai. The preview was attended by Amala Paul, Priyadarsan, Suresh Balaji,Lizzy Priyadarsan,Ouseppachan, and R. D. Rajasekhar.[8][9]
Paresh C Palicha ofRediff.com wrote, "The acting department depends on Mohanlal a bit too much", but described Mohanlal's performance as "impeccable".[10]IbnLive.in called it as a "gripping thriller" lauding Mohanlal's performance, script, direction and technicians said "the film is a roller coaster ride. The movie has the precise doses of actions, thrills, lighter moments and finer sequences which are also laced with a fine performance of the cast" and concluded "For the lovers of relatively well made thrillers, 'Run baby Run' is definitely your movie and you may love to see it, more than once. Forget the little glitches and watch the wonderful performance of Mohanlal.".[11]
Oneindia.in praised Mohanlal's performance as "outstanding" and complimented RD Rajasekhar's cinematography.[12]Sify.com rated it as "Very Good" and said that "Run Babby Run is a thriller that keeps you glued on to the screens. It is a gripping tale with some good visuals and excellent performances. On the whole it is an engaging thriller which has the right doses of histrionics, tautness, anguish and thrills."[13]
G. Krishnamurthy ofIndulekha.com said "Run baby Run is the only Malayalam film released which can be recommended to watch among the Onam releases.". Giving special mention to Mohanlal, Sachy, Joshiy, R.D Rajasekhar and other creative department.[14] Unni R Nair ofKerala9.com rated 3/5 and stated "Joshiy is in full control. As usual, he has done full justice to the subject at hand and has delivered perfectly well." and with a praise for performance and technical aspects.[15]
Raj Vikram ofMetro Matinee gave a verdict "Run baby Run entertains" and concluded "In spite of all the faults, "Run Babby Run" manages to run and reach home mainly because of the overwhelming presence of Mohanlal who comes out with another mesmerizing performance. At times, the flick turns to a fine entertainer for this festival season even by leaving few down points.".[16] Ashwin j Kumar ofThe Times of India rated 3/5 and said "The film depicts the true face of media war. The film is driven by a flimsy narrative and lavished with twists."[17]
The film was screened in 105 screens inKerala and outside the state. It collected₹7.5 crore (US$890,000) in 10 days and stood in number one position among theRamadan andOnam releases at the Kerala box office even in the third weekend.[18] In 3 weeks it completed 7000 shows[19] and in four weeks it earned a distributors share as calculated after tax and theatre charges, approximately₹4.25 crore (US$500,000).[18] And continued in 15 releasing centres in sixth week.[19] The film completed 100 days theatrical run at the box office[20] and grossed more than₹15 crore (US$1.8 million) from Kerala box office.[1]IBN Live called it a "blockbuster".[21]
The film, which had been a commercial success during its initial release, was re‑released in 2026 in a remastered 4K Dolby Atmos format. Despite the original popularity and widespread anticipation, the re‑release failed to draw significant audiences, resulting in poor box office performance. Sparse theatre attendance and low ticket sales highlighted that the film’s nostalgic appeal did not translate into commercial success a second time, sparking discussions about the challenges of reviving older titles in cinemas and the limited market for re‑issued films.
| Ceremony | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asiavision Awards[22] | Best Actor | Mohanlal | Won |
| New Sensation in Singing | Mohanlal for "Aattumanal Payayil.." | Won | |
| 2nd South Indian International Movie Awards[23] | Best Actress | Amala Paul | Won |
| Best Male Playback Singer | Mohanlal for "Aatumanal Payayil" | Nominated | |
| Best Dance Choreographer | Brinda for "Aatumanal Payayil" | Won | |
| Asianet Film Awards[24] | Best Actor | Mohanlal | Won |
| Best Character Actor | Biju Menon | Won |
| Run Baby Run | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 25 August 2012 (2012-08-25) | |||
| Recorded | 2012 | |||
| Genre | Film soundtrack | |||
| Length | 25:32 | |||
| Language | Malayalam | |||
| Label | Manorama Music | |||
| Producer | Milan Jaleel | |||
| Ratheesh Vegha chronology | ||||
| ||||
The soundtrack was composed byRatheesh Vegha, with lyrics penned byRafeeq Ahmed.Mohanlal sings a folk number titled "Attumanal Payayil" in this film.[25] The album consists of six songs. The audio rights were acquired byManorama Music for a price of₹16 million (US$190,000). The album was launched on 25 August 2012 at Dream Hotel inKochi. The event was attended byMohanlal,Mammootty,Joshiy,Mukesh, Milan Jaleel,Ratheesh Vegha,Amala Paul and several personalities from the film industry along with the technical crew and cast ofRun Baby Run.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Attumanal Payayil" | Rafeeq Ahmed | Mohanlal | 3:49 |
| 2. | "Aarohanam Avarohanam" | Rafeeq Ahmed | Vijay Yesudas | 4:25 |
| 3. | "Run Baby Run" | Rafeeq Ahmed | Ratheesh Vegha | 4:20 |
| 4. | "Aarohanam Avarohanam" | Rafeeq Ahmed | Thulasi Yatheendran | 4:20 |
| 5. | "Attumanal (Karaoke)" | Rafeeq Ahmed | 4:11 | |
| 6. | "Aarohanam Avarohanam" (karaoke) | Rafeeq Ahmed | 4:21 | |
| Total length: | 25:32 | |||
