The film has been recognised at the IIFM 2023. It won nominations for Best Actress and Best Director-Critics Choice.
Published Aug 02, 2024 | 2:36 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 02, 2024 | 2:36 PM
Urvashi and Parvathy Thiruvothu in a still from 'Ullozhukku'. (X)
The Malayalam film Ullozhukku, headlined by Urvashi and Parvathy Thiruvothu, celebrated its 40-day theatrical success on 28 July. Though it had no commercial elements, the movie ran to packed houses until recently.
And now, Ullozhukku debuted on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, 2 August.
Upon its theatrical release, the film received rave reviews from critics. Malayalam moviegoers, especially the family audience, lapped it up with open hearts.
Ullozhukku marks the debut directorial of Christo Tomy, best known for his internationally acclaimed Netflix documentary Curry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case (2023).
The film features Alencier, Arjun Radhakrishnan, Prasanth Murali, Jaya Kurup, and Veenah Nair in crucial roles. Sushin Shyam composed the music. The intense family drama was elevated by his background score and soundtrack.
Ullozhukku boasts powerful performances by Urvashi and Parvathy Thiruvothu. The unique combo leaves a mark on the viewers.
Christo Tomy’s masterpiece delves into the lives of three characters—Leelamma (Urvashi), her son Thomas Kutty (Prasant Murali), and daughter-in-law Anju (Parvathy Thiruvothu).
Parvathy Thiruvothu’s Instagram story on the OTT debut of ‘Ullozhukku’. (Instagram)
The movie begins with the family grieving the death of a loved one amidst rising floodwaters in Alappuzha. The flood keeps the family waiting to perform the last rite.
Meanwhile, Anju realises she’s pregnant. This opens a Pandora’s box of long-buried secrets about the family members. How those secrets threaten the family’s unity and affect the lives of the two female protagonists is what the film is about.
Ullozhukku was appreciated for its intense plot and was even compared to the classic works of filmmakers Padmarajan and Adoor Gopalakrishnan. The latter praised the movie after watching it and expressed his concern about why the movie wasn’t selected for the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) and the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
Meanwhile, Ullozhukku has been recognised at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2023. It won nominations for Best Actress (Parvathy Thiruvothu) and Best Director-Critics Choice (Christo Tomy).
The 15th edition of IFFM will run from 15 to 25 August. The winners will be announced at a grand gala event at the Palais Theatre in Melbourne on 16 September.
In June, Ullozhukku was screened at the prestigious Sunset Boulevard Theatre in Los Angeles during the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA). Christo Tomy and Parvathy attended the special premiere on 29 June.
Ronnie Screwvala, Honey Trehan, and Abhishek Chaubey bankrolled the Malayalam movie under the banners of RSVP & MacGuffin Pictures. Now that it is available on Amazon Prime Video, Ullozhukku is expected to win the hearts of the OTT audience, too.
(Edited by Y Krishna Jyothi)
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