Simhasanam (2012 Film)

''Simhasanam'' is a 2012 Malayalam action film written and directed by Shaji Kailas starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Sai Kumar with supporting cast including Siddique, Devan, Jayakrishnan, Biju Pappan, Thilakan, Vandana Menon and Aishwarya Devan. The film depicts an emotional bonding between a father (Sai Kumar) and son (Prithviraj). The music was composed by Ronnie Raphael.The film was disaster in box office.

Simhasanam was initially intended to be a remake of the cult Mohanlal-starrer Naduvazhikal but on scripting, it deviated so much from the original story that, it is no longer a rehashed version of the 1989 hit. So they made it as a loosely based adaptation of Mario Puzo's ''The Godfather''.

Plot

The story centers around the Chandragiri, a village in Thiruvananthapuram, whose head is Chandragiri Madhava Menon ( Saikumar), an influential monarch and landlord. Chandragiri Madhavan is liked by all in the village, his only son Arjun (Prithviraj) who is a student in Manipal. As Madhava Menon's popularity rises and spreads to other parts, so does the number of enemies who feel that he is stealing the limelight from them. The biggest enemies of Madhavan is Raman Unni ( Siddique) and his brothers, who runs a franchise of grocery stores name Annapurna. Things reach a pass where Arjun had to be summoned from Manipal to clear up the atmosphere and restore order; the constant struggles between Madhava Menon and Arjun Madhav on one side and their enemies on the other side is the main theme in the story.

Trivia

This is the first time that Shaji Kailas directed a film with the script written by him.
Shaji Kailas directed many films in a family background such as Aaram Thamburan, Narasimham, Madirasi etc. This is one of the film that has action mixed with family bonds.
This is the first time that Shaji Kailas directed a film with Prithviraj Sukumaran as the hero.

Cast

*Prithviraj as Chandragiriyil Arjun Madhavan / Arjunan
* Sai Kumar as Chandragiriyil G.Madhava Menon
* Siddique as Ramanunni
* Devan as Bhargavanunni
*Jayakrishnan as Krishnanunni
*Biju Pappan as Jamal
*Thilakan as Bishop
*Vandana Menon as Lakshmi (Lechu)
*Aishwarya Devan as Nanda
* P. Sreekumar as Chief Minister Chacko
* Kollam Ajith as Razool Musthafa
*Riyaz Khan as Superintendent of Police Vettrivel Maran
* Manikuttan as Suresh, Arjun's friend
* Rajeev Parameshwar as Lokan, Arjun's Friend
*Vishnu Priyan as Govindan, Arjun's friend
*Irshad as Adv. Manilal
* Vijayakumar as S.P Chandrashekharan
*T. P. Madhavan as Issac
*Shammi Thilakan as V. S. Nair
*Ramu as Kuruvila Jacob
* Kunchan as Pisharadi
* V. K. Sreeraman as Kollamkottu Krishna Sharmma
*Jayan Cherthala as Mukundan Cheriyapally
*Sana as Hemalatha Gundappa
* Santhosh as Bhaskaran
* Pradeep Chandran as Cheriyappilli Peethambaran
*Nandu Poduval as Khader
*Gayathri
*Geetha Nair
*Rema Devi
*Gayathri Priya

Reception

The movie received negative reviews from critics and bombed at the box office.

Sify wrote:"With larger than life characters seen in umpteen films, awful situations, melodrama and irritating dialogues, this one mostly turn out as unintentionally funny. Shaji, who has scripted the film as well, has made some kind of a curious compilation of some of those already popular scenes from a few select movies".
Rediff criticized the film saying that it "is a mixture of the director's hits post-1990s, a patchwork of a story with nothing for the viewer to take back".
Indiaglitz called it "run of the mill action love story recited in the most routine manner.

References

{{Reflist

2010s Malayalam-language films
Films shot in Palakkad
Films shot in Ottapalam
Indian family films
Fictional rivalries
Films about father–son relationships
Films directed by Shaji Kailas