| Shikkar | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | M. Padmakumar |
| Written by | S. Suresh Babu |
| Produced by | K. K. Rajagopal |
| Starring | Mohanlal Kalabhavan Mani Lalu Alex Samuthirakani |
| Cinematography | Manoj Pillai |
| Edited by | Ranjan Abraham |
| Music by | M. Jayachandran (songs) Ouseppachan (score) |
| Distributed by | Maxlab Cinemas and Entertainments (India) PJ Entertainments (Europe) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 152 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
| Budget | ₹3.5 crore (US$410,000)[1] |
| Box office | ₹12 crore (US$1.4 million) (20 days)[2] |
Shikkar: The Hunt, or simplyShikkar (transl. Hunt/Hunter) is a 2010 IndianMalayalam-languageaction thriller film directed byM. Padmakumar, written byS. Suresh Babu, and produced by K. K. Rajagopal. The film starsMohanlal, alongsideKalabhavan Mani,Samuthirakani,Lalu Alex,Sneha,Ananya,Mythili,Kailash,Jagathy Sreekumar,Lakshmi Gopalaswamy andSuraj Venjaramood in supporting roles.M. Jayachandran composed the songs, while the score was provided byOuseppachan.[3]
Shikkar was aRamzan release on 11 September 2010.[4] It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for cinematography and Mohanlal's performance. The film was a commercial success at the box office, becoming one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of the year.[1]Shikkar won theKerala Film Critics Award forBest Popular Film.[5]
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Balaraman is a former police constable for theAndhra Pradesh Police Department inHyderabad, who presently works as a lorry driver and finally settles down with his teenage daughter Ganga in Chittazha, a mountainous terrain inIdukki.
However, Balaraman's life takes a turn when he learns that a group ofnaxals wants to finish him and Ganga in order to avenge the death of their leader Dr. Syed Abdul Rahman (Sakhavu Abdulla), a naxalite and a qualifiedMBBS doctor, who was killed in afake encounter by the cops. Without any choice, Balaraman decides to take drastic measures to protect Ganga by defeating the naxals.
The project was initially planned asBalaraman, to be directed byLal Jose and written by S. Suresh Babu. However, it did not materialize at that time, and later,M. Padmakumar came on board.[6]
The film was mainly shot at locations inPooyamkutty andKothamangalam inKerala,Telangana (then part ofAndhra Pradesh), andKodaikanal,Tamil Nadu. The climax scenes were shot inGuna Caves (Devil's Kitchen),[7][8] and the hills inKodaikanal. Filming completed in August 2010.[9] The stunt scenes were choreographed by Thyagarajan.[10] Mohanlal and Ananya performed their own stunts in the climax scenes in the caves.[11] Manu Jagadh handled the art direction of the film.
| Shikkar: The Hunt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 10 August 2010 | |||
| Recorded | Music Lounge Studios,Chennai | |||
| Genre | Soundtrack | |||
| Label | Satyam Audios | |||
| Producer | M. Jayachandran | |||
| M. Jayachandran chronology | ||||
| ||||
All lyrics are written byGireesh Puthenchery except where noted; all music is composed byM. Jayachandran.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Enthedi Enthedi" | Sudeep Kumar,K. S. Chithra | 3:54 | |
| 2. | "Sembakame" | Shankar Mahadevan,Malathy Lakshman | 4:22 | |
| 3. | "Pinne Ennodonnum" | K. J. Yesudas | 4:36 | |
| 4. | "Pratikhatinsu" | Bhuvana Chandra | S. P. Balasubrahmanyam | 4:08 |
| 5. | "Pinne Pinne" | K. J. Yesudas, Latha Krishna | 4:37 | |
| 6. | "Pada Nayichu" | Biju Narayanan | 4:08 |
The film was a commercial success at the box office.Shikkar released on 9 September in Kerala,Chennai andBangalore made an extraordinary opening in 110 screens. It grossed₹5.47 crore (US$650,000) in 8 days from 110 screens, which was phenomenal for a Malayalam film at that time. And took distributor share of around₹2.10 crore (US$250,000) from 8 days. It was found at the number one position at theKerala box-office among theRamzan releases.[12] The film made at a budget of₹3.5 crore (US$410,000),[1] collected₹3.75 crore (US$440,000) as distributor share from first two weeks.The New Indian Express called it an "ultimate winner".[13]Shikkar came at second place in the third week.[14] The film collected over₹12 crore (US$1.4 million) in 20 days.[2]
Shibu B. S ofThe New Indian Express praised the cinematography of Manoj Pillai and Mohanlal's performance. He commented "The story is as old as the history of revenge sagas. However, scriptwriter has done a commendable job compared with his earlier scripts likeThaandavam, and has tried to inject oodles of energy".[15] Paresh C. Palicha ofRediff.com rated 2/5 stars and said "Suresh Babu's script seems to be heavily inspired by two recent, much-discussed films;Madhupal'sThalappavu andBlessy'sBhramaram. The subject ofNaxalism seems borrowed from the former while the edgy-eerie feel has been taken from the latter." and concluded as "Young Padmakumar tried to make Shikkar a mass-entertainer as well as a film with artistic merit; unfortunately, it falls somewhere in between". He appreciated the camera works of Manoj Pillai.[16] Veeyen ofNowrunning.com awarded 2/5 stars and said "There are no directorial flourishes visible in Padmakumar's Shikkar that is old wine in an older bottle. As much as it remains a visual delight, the mysteries that it offers do not much thrill, and the story that it tells seldom excites". he highly praised the cinematography saying, "The real hero of the film is none other than cinematographer Manoj Pillai, the camerawork of the film seems like an adventure in itself".[17]
Sify gave the verdict "very good" and said, "This film is far from being perfect especially in its first half, but it has been packaged quite well. With some superb performances, brilliant visuals, reasonably engaging script and nice music", he gave special mention to Manoj Pillai's camera and Ranjan Abraham's editing and was highly enthusiastic about Mohanlal's performance.[18]Indiaglitz.com reviewer stated "The highlight of the story by Suresh Babu is that even if you may find the story a damn regular after the show, the narrative techniques used and the finesse in keeping the suspense element till the last 30 minutes, succeeds big time". And appreciated cinematography and Mohanlal's performance saying, "The movie remains a visual treat with Manoj Pillai working at his helm, panning over the landscapes and lush green forests with some real adventurous shots. The other highlight naturally remains Mohanlal.[19]
| Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kerala Film Critics Award | Best Popular Film | K. K. Rajagopal | Won | |
| J. C. Foundation Award | Best Supporting Actor | Lalu Alex | Won | |
| Best Newcomer | Samuthirakani | Won | ||
| Jaihind TV Film Awards | Best Male Playback Singer | K. J. Yesudas(for "Pinne Ennodonnum") | Won | |
| Best Lyricist | Gireesh Puthenchery (posthumous) | Won | ||
| Special Jury Award | Lalu Alex | Won |