Charlie (2015 Malayalam film)

Charlie is a 2015 Indian Malayalam-language adventure drama film directed by Martin Prakkat and written by Prakkat and Unni R.[3] Produced by Prakkat, Joju George and Shebin Becker, the film stars Dulquer Salmaan and Parvathy.[4] The music is composed by Gopi Sundar, while Jomon T. John handles the cinematography. The film released on 24 December. It won 8 awards at the 46th Kerala State Film Awards, including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Cinematography. It was remade into Marathi and Tamil as Deva and Maara, respectively.[5][6]

Charlie
Theatrical poster
Directed byMartin Prakkat
Screenplay by
Story byUnni R.
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJomon T. John
Edited byShameer Muhammed
Music byGopi Sunder
Production
company
Finding Cinema
Distributed byPlayhouse Release, Tricolor Entertainment
Release date
  • 24 December 2015 (2015-12-24)
Running time
135 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam
Box office420 million[2]

Plot

Tessa is a graphic artist who runs away from home to avoid an unwanted matrimonial alliance. With the help of her journalist friend, she acquires a rented apartment in a dilapidated house. Initially, she hates the tattered place, but soon she learns that the room was previously occupied by a carefree vagabond named Charlie. When she starts cleaning up, she discovers a photo and a graphic novel about this man. The sketches in the novel depict the events from the previous New Year's Eve when a small-time thief tried to rob the man's room. In a turn-of-events, the man joined him in his nightly theft routine and snuck up on the roof of another house. But there, they encountered something shocking that left them stunned. The novel stops there abruptly with sketches of the dumbstruck faces of Charlie and the thief on the last page. This piques Tessa's curiosity about the rest of the story, as well as the previous occupant of the room.

Intrigued, Tessa starts looking for the people in the man's sketches. Backtracking his steps, she meets the man's "father" (who is more of a friend). She also comes across a boat servant named "Pathrose" who tells her the story of Mariya/Queen Mary. Mariya was a middle-aged woman, who was sexually exploited by her procurer husband in her youth. Once, Charlie took the now terminally ill Mariya to the sea at midnight with the help of Pathrose for her birthday. But Mariya jumped into the ocean to her death, that left Charlie stunned with shock and grief. Following up on more clues, Tessa gets news that Charlie is staying in a hotel and rushes to meet him. However, she misses him just by a few seconds. Later a helper boy in the hotel explains to her that Charlie had just rescued Mariya's daughter from her father's exploitation, after creating a ruckus.

A few days later, by the stroke of luck, Tessa meets the thief depicted in that man's sketches and inquiries about the rest of the story from New Year's Eve. He tells her that on that day, they had encountered a young woman on the verge of suicide, and his sir (Charlie) stopped her from hanging herself, after which she escaped from the scene on her bike. Tessa and the thief locate the woman's house and finally identify her as Dr. Kani from the latter's father.

Tessa travels to Ooty to find Kani and inquires about her story. Kani explains that she was depressed over her broken relationship when she did her first independent operation, leading to the death of a 10-year-old girl. Further hooked by the media, she was desperate and about to commit suicide on new year's Eve when she was distracted by that man (Charlie). He brought her to a shelter home maintained by Kunjappan in Ooty and she has been living there since. Kunjappan, an old man, is a hopeless romantic who is waiting for his teenage love Thresia to show up.

Tessa spends a good time in Ooty but her trip comes to an abrupt end as her brother and mother find her and take her home against her wishes. While a depressed Tessa is on her way back home, Charlie returns with Kunjappan's long lost love Thresia, who is a nun now, and they again miss each other by a few seconds.

Later, Kani informs Charlie about Tessa, and he admits knowing about her and her search for him. Though initially reluctant to love, Charlie is forced to rethink after hearing Kunjappan and Kani. Next morning, he sneaks out early and informs Kani that he will be attending the Thrissur Pooram function, and Tessa can find him there if she's looking for him.

Tessa reaches the Pooram grounds and finds him performing in a magic show. Afterward, he spots her, approaches, and asks her if she wants to have some drink. At first, she introduces herself as Shruti Raman and lets him think that he has met the wrong person. But as the festival starts, Charlie's antics make her confess that she is indeed Tessa and he too reveals his name to be 'Charlie'. As the credits roll, they are seen wandering together towards a new journey in life.

Cast

Remakes

Year Film Language Cast Director
2017 Deva Marathi Ankush Chaudhari, Tejaswini Pandit, Spruha Joshi Murali Nallappa
2021 Maara Tamil Madhavan, Shraddha Srinath, Sshivada Dhilip kumar
2024 Surjo Bengali Vikram Chatterjee, Madhumita Sarcar, Darshana Banik Sheiladitya Moulick

Production

Principal photography began on 25 May 2015 in Idukki. IBTimes reported that it will be an experimental film and each actor will be spotted in a new look. The film was shot at various locations in Kochi, Munnar and Gujarat.[3] The filming was completed by September 2015.[7]

Music

Charlie
Soundtrack album by
Released7 December 2015 (2015-12-07)
Recorded2015
StudioSound Factory, Cochin
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length27:37
LabelMuzik 247
Gopi Sunder chronology
Ennu Ninte Moideen
(2015)
Charlie
(2015)
Two Countries
(2015)

The film's soundtrack was composed by Gopi Sunder and the lyrics were written by Rafeeq Ahamed and Santhosh Varma. The songs were released on 7 December 2015.[8] "Chithirathira" sung by Vijay Yesudas was released separately on 21 December.[9] A promotional video of Dulquer Salmaan singing "Chundari Penne" was released on 24 December.[10]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Akale"Rafeeq AhammedMalgudi Shubha3:59
2."Pularikalo"Rafeeq AhammedShakthisree Gopalan, Md. Maqbool Mansoor5:46
3."Puthumazhayai — Version I"Rafeeq AhammedShreya Ghoshal4:33
4."Oru Kari Mukilinu"Rafeeq AhammedVijay Prakash4:41
5."Sneham Nee Naadha"Rafeeq AhammedRajalakshmi4:05
6."Puthumazhayai — Version II"Rafeeq AhammedDivya S. Menon4:33
7."Chithirathira"Santhosh VarmaVijay Yesudas4:39
8."Chundari Penne"Santhosh VarmaDulquer Salmaan3:55
Total length:36:11

Reception

List of accolades received by Charlie
Total number of awards and nominations[a]
Totals 33 53
References

Box office

The film collected 20 million on the first day from Kerala box office,[11] and grossed 144 million in 22 days of release.[12] The film completed a 100-day theatrical run in Kerala and grossed 224.2 million at the Kerala box office.[13] In its lifetime, Charlie grossed 420 million at the global box office.[2]

Critical reception

Describing the film as a "tantalizing love tale", Vishnu Varma of The New Indian Express rated it 4 stars out of 5 and stated, "‘Charlie’ is a feel-good movie, but it does not stop there. It plays around brilliantly with raw emotions centered around a character who wants to be free."[14] Litty Simon of Malayala Manorama rated it 3.25 out of 5, concluding "Dulquer's Charlie is a simple, feel good film that will make you smile this festive season. Although not an out-and-out entertainer, Charlie has the elements to be tagged as a wacky entertainer, filled with all what is needed — celebration, surprises, patience, faith, care, and above, all love!"[15] Website Nowrunning gave the film 2.5 stars out of 5, stating "Charlie could be termed an audacious attempt but grandiose visions don't necessarily translate into well-crafted cinema. Pared down expectations could make it a reasonable weekend watch."[16]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony[b] Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Asianet Film Awards 7 February 2016 Best Actress Parvathy Thiruvothu Won [17]
Best Supporting Actress Kalpana Won
Asiavision Awards 18 November 2016 Best Music Director (Shared with Kali and Pulimurugan) Gopi Sundar Won [18]
Filmfare Awards South 18 June 2016 Best Film – Malayalam Charlie Nominated [19]
Best Director – Malayalam Martin Prakkat Nominated
Best Actor – Malayalam Dulquer Salmaan Nominated
Best Supporting Actor – Malayalam Nedumudi Venu Nominated
Best Supporting Actress – Malayalam Kalpana Nominated
Best Music Director – Malayalam Gopi Sundar Nominated
Best Lyricist – Malayalam Rafeeq Ahamed ("Oru Kari Mukilinu") Nominated
IIFA Utsavam 28—29 March 2017 Best Film – Malayalam Charlie Nominated [20]
[21]
Best Director – Malayalam Martin Prakkat Won
Best Story – Malayalam Unni R. Won
Best Actor – Malayalam Dulquer Salmaan Won
Best Actress – Malayalam Parvathy Thiruvothu Nominated
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Malayalam Aparna Gopinath Won
Best Performance In A Comic Role – Malayalam Soubin Shahir Won
Best Music Director – Malayalam Gopi Sundar Won
Best Lyricist – Malayalam Santhosh Varma ("Chundari Penne") Won
Best Male Playback Singer – Malayalam Dulquer Salmaan ("Chundari Penne") Nominated
Best Female Playback Singer – Malayalam Shreya Ghoshal ("Puthumazhayai") Nominated
Kerala State Film Awards 1 March 2016 Best Director Martin Prakkat Won [22]
Best Actor Dulquer Salmaan Won
Best Actress Parvathy Thiruvothu Won
Best Cinematography Jomon T. John Won
Best Screenplay Original Unni R. & Martin Prakkat Won
Best Art Director Jayashree Lakshmi Narayanan Won
Best Processing Lab Prasad Colour Lab, Mumbai, J. D. & Kiran Won
Best Sound Mixing M. R. Rajakrishnan Won
Mirchi Music Awards South 27 July 2016 Album of the Year Charlie Gopi Sundar Won [23]
[24]
Listeners Choice Album of the Year Won
Music Composer of the Year Gopi Sundar ("Oru Kari Mukilinu") Nominated
Lyricist of the Year Rafeeq Ahamed ("Oru Kari Mukilinu") Won
Male Vocalist of the Year Vijay Prakash ("Oru Kari Mukilinu") Won
Female Vocalist of the Year Shreya Ghoshal ("Puthumazhayai") Nominated
Song of the Year "Oru Kari Mukilinu" Nominated
North American Film Awards 24 July 2016 Best Film Charlie Won [25]
[26]
Best Director Martin Prakkat Won
Best Actor Dulquer Salmaan Won
Best Actress Parvathy Thiruvothu Won
Best Scriptwriter Unni R. & Martin Prakkat Won
Best Music Director Gopi Sundar Won
Best Female Playback Singer Divya S. Menon ("Puthumazhayai") Won
Best Supporting Actress Kalpana Won
South Indian International Movie Awards 30 June – 1 July 2016 Best Film – Malayalam Charlie Nominated [27]
Best Director – Malayalam Martin Prakkat Nominated
Best Actor – Malayalam Dulquer Salmaan Nominated
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Malayalam Kalpana Nominated
Best Male Playback Singer – Malayalam Dulquer Salmaan ("Chundari Penne") Nominated
Best Female Playback Singer – Malayalam Shakthisree Gopalan ("Pularikalo") Nominated
Vanitha Film Awards 21 February 2016 Best Actress Parvathy Thiruvothu Won [28]
Best Supporting Actor Chemban Vinod Jose Won
Best Cinematography Jomon T. John Won

Notes

  1. ^ Awards in certain categories do not have prior nominations and only winners are announced by the jury. For simplification and to avoid errors, each award in this list has been presumed to have had a prior nomination.
  2. ^ Date is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.

References

  1. ^ "CHARLIE (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. 5 January 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  2. ^ a b "'Charlie' worldwide box office collection". International Business Times. 5 March 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  3. ^ a b "'Charlie' First Poster: Dulquer Salmaan Spotted in Trendy New Look". International Business Times. 15 June 2015.
  4. ^ "Dulquer starts shooting for 'Charlie'". Sify. 15 June 2015. Archived from the original on 15 June 2015.
  5. ^ James, Anu. "Dulquer Salmaan's Charlie gets Marathi version: Deva teaser trends on top; netizens have a field day [Memes]". International Business Times, India Edition. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  6. ^ "'ചാർലി'യുടെ തമിഴ് റീമേക്ക് എത്തുന്നു: ദുൽഖറിന്റെ റോളിൽ മാധവൻ".
  7. ^ "Dulquer Salmaan wraps up 'Charlie', starts shooting for Rajeev Ravi's next". International Business Times. 25 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Charlie: Listen to songs of Dulquer Salmaan-Parvathy starrer". IBTimes. 8 December 2015.
  9. ^ "Gopi Sunder continues top form in new 'Charlie' song". Malayala Manorama. 21 December 2015.
  10. ^ "Video out: Dulquer sings 'Chundari Penne' for 'Charlie'". Malayala Manorama. 25 December 2015. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016.
  11. ^ സ്വന്തം ലേഖകൻ (30 December 2015). "ചാർളിയോ ലോഹമോ മുന്നിൽ ?". Malayala Manorama. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  12. ^ Onmanaorama Staff (18 January 2016). "'Pavada' rules box office; 'Two Countries', 'Charlie' running successfully". Malayala Manorama. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  13. ^ "Dulquer Salmaan gives 3 back-to-back hits at Kerala box office". International Business Times. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  14. ^ "Charlie movie review: Dulquer Salmaan-Martin Prakkat weave a tantalising love tale". The Indian Express. 29 December 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  15. ^ "'Charlie' review: In search of the free-spirited one". Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  16. ^ "Charlie Review — Now Running". Nowrunning. 25 December 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  17. ^ "18th Asianet Film Awards". International Business Times. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  18. ^ "Asiavision Movie Awards 2016 Winners". Malayala Manorama. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  19. ^ "Nominations for the 63rd Britannia Filmfare Awards (South)". Filmfare. 7 June 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  20. ^ "IIFA Utsavam 2017: Malayalam nomination list". International Business Times. 14 March 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  21. ^ "IIFA Utsavam 2017 Winners". International Business Times. 30 March 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  22. ^ "Kerala State Film Awards 2015". International Business Times. 1 March 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  23. ^ "Mirchi Music Awards 2015 Malayalam Nominations". Mirchi Music Awards. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  24. ^ "Mirchi Music Awards 2015 Malayalam Winners". Mirchi Music Awards. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  25. ^ "North American Film Award 2016 Winners". North American Film Award. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  26. ^ "North American Film Award (NAFA) 2016 in US, winners list". International Business Times. 19 July 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  27. ^ "SIIMA Awards Malayalam Nominations". Scooptimes. 30 June 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  28. ^ "Vanitha Film Awards 2016". International Business Times. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2020.