Mohanlal's classic Manichitrathazhu set for re-release after 3 decades

Malayalam superstar Mohanlal's classic horror comedy Manichitrathazhu is all set to return to the big screen after more than three decades. The producers confirmed on Thursday that they have spruced up the 1993 blockbuster and are making all efforts to give it a wide re-release in July. However, they have not yet finalized an actual date.

The producers also noted that theatres equipped with 4K Atmos will be given first preference for the re-release.

Re-releasing old blockbusters has been successful in neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu. Recently, Thalapathy Vijay's Ghilli created history at the box office when it was re-released earlier this year to celebrate its 20th anniversary. It's worth noting that most Tamil re-releases were also well-received by audiences in Kerala.

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For example, Tamil star Suriya's Ghajini found a lot of takers when it was re-released in cinemas recently in Kerala. Even though there were complaints about the poor-quality prints, the audience gave it a very encouraging response.

The stakeholders in Kerala are hoping to recreate similar success with Manichitrathazhu. The film was helmed by late movie director Fazil, from a script written by Madhu Muttam. The film became a landmark in the history of Malayalam cinema and could also be credited with inspiring the template for the hit horror-comedy genre in Indian cinema in the late 2000s.

Manichitrathazhu was remade in Kannada as Apthamitra in 2004 and became a huge hit. Superstar Rajinikanth also decided to remake it in Tamil as Chandramukhi in 2005 when he needed a sure-shot hit to bounce back from the commercial failure of Baba (2002). Chandramukhi was a huge hit and made horror-comedy a popular genre among commercial film directors in Tamil cinema.

Besides Mohanlal, Manichitrathazhu also stars Suresh Gopi, Shobana, Nedumudi Venu, Innocent, Vinaya Prasad, and K.P.A.C. Lalitha, among others. The film is available for streaming on Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, and JioCinema.

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