• Home

Mammootty strikes again

Dubai - Mammootty's Street Lights is an 'entertainment thriller' that will appeal to all, according to its director.

Read more...

After temporary setbacks at the box office and his name being dragged into a puffed-up controversy, actor Mammootty is on a roll. Despite critics not taking too kindly to his festival release Masterpiece, the film is a certified hit and the effervescent screen presence of the veteran actor has once again been feted.

Now, it is time for another Mammootty-flick, and this time, he is playing a cop. Titled Street Lights, the film is the actor's home production, and releases this week in two languages - Malayalam (but of course) and Tamil.

Want to meet Mammootty in Dubai... and Abu Dhabi? Mammootty, along with the cast and crew of Street Light, will be at The Address, The Dubai Mall, today at 3pm. Fans can also catch their favourite actor at Dalma Mall in Abu Dhabi this Friday at 6.30pm, along with co-stars Soubin Shahir, Sohan Seenu Lal and director Shamdat. Lucky winners will get a chance to be part of a special screening of the movie at Cine Royal Cinema following this event.

Mammootty, as movie-goers know, is no stranger to the Tamil industry. Having rubbed shoulders with Rajnikanth in Mani Ratnam's Thalapathi, Mammootty has also delivered hits on his own right and might, including Azhagan by the veteran director K Balachander to Aanandham and Kandukondain Kandukondain, and more. His newest Tamil film, Peranbu is set to debut at the Rotterdam Film Festival.

With Street Lights, he walks a familiar turf but leaves it all to the brilliance of debuting director Shamdat Sainudeen.
An 'entertainment thriller'
The buzz around Street Lights has been momentous more so because of the credentials of Shamdat. An accomplished cinematographer, he is the man behind the camera of films such as Uttama Villain, Smart City, Pramani, Venicile Vyapari, Oozham and more, in Malayalam and Tamil.

While the sleek noir-like first look posters presented the prospect of a dark thriller, the trailer presents the wider picture of a story that transcends locations and genres. The Malayalam version has actors Soubin Shahir, Hareesh Perumana, Dharmajan Bolgatty, Joy Mathew and Lijimol Jose, among others.

Keeping much of the film's narrative under wraps, director Shamdat says the film does not fit into any of the supposed genres that fans have predicted it will be. In an emphatic note, he says that while he is delighted with the discussions around the film, he feels it is important to clear any misconception about its genre.

Shamdat says the film does not fit into the genres of  'dark thriller, suspense thriller, action thriller or crime thriller.' He says that while there are action sequences in the film, he would like to call Street Lights an 'entertainment thriller' that will appeal to all sections of the audience, including families.

He says the film's trajectory is to thrill every viewer, with a script packing humour, emotions, action and romance. The movie also has four songs aimed at propelling the narrative.

However, what really makes Street Lights special for UAE audiences is that the film is marking its worldwide release, along with India - which is a rarity. So, if you are a Mammootty fan, be the first one to watch the film, right here at theatres near you.