Introduction
Kumbalangi Nights is a 2019 Indian Malayalam-language family drama film directed by Madhu C. Narayanan (in his directorial debut) and written by Syam Pushkaran. It was jointly produced by Fahadh Faasil, Nazriya Nazim, Dileesh Pothan, and Syam Pushkaran under their production houses Fahadh Faasil and Friends and Working Class Hero. The film stars Shane Nigam, Fahadh Faasil, Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Anna Ben, and Mathew Thomas.
The film was released in India and Gulf Cooperation Council territories on 7 February 2019. It received widespread critical acclaim and was a major commercial success at the box office, grossing ₹39 crore worldwide.
Plot
Saji Napoleon, Bonny, Bobby, and Franky are four brothers living in a small, cramped house in a wasteland area of Kumbalangi. Saji has anger issues, and often gets into fights with Bobby. Franky is ashamed of Saji and Bobby but he gets along well with Bonny, who is mute.
Bobby is a lazy wastrel who spends his days with his friend Prasanth. Prasanth introduces him to his girlfriend Sumisha through whom Bobby meets Baby. Baby upon seeing Bobby confesses to Sumisha she had a crush on Bobby while they were in school. And at the end of the day Baby becomes Bobby's girlfriend. They go to catch a movie and have a fight through the middle of it. The next day they make up and Bobby proposes to Baby who asks him to talk to her family.
Bobby asks Saji to accompany him to talk to Baby's family about their marriage. They meet Shammi (Baby's brother-in-law) who denies the proposal stating the bad reputation of Bobby's family. Saji tries to console Bobby and asks him to get a job. A fight ensues between Saji and Franky. Bonny who is protective of Franky hits Saji and Saji leaves the house to drink with his Tamilian friend Vijay.
Saji says that his brother taunts him by saying he mooches off of Vijay. Vijay says he is right and that he cannot lend him money anymore. Saji being drunk tries to commit suicide and is saved by Vijay. Unfortunately, Vijay loses his life in the process.
Meanwhile, Bonny meets an American tourist Nylah, and the two of them end up spending a night together in the homestay owned by Baby's family. Shammi, discovers them and an argument ensues between them and then he kicks them out. Bonny invites Nylah to his house.
Saji is stricken with remorse with the death of his dear friend Vijay. He goes to Vijay's house to apologise to his wife and finds her in pain due to pregnancy; he takes her to the hospital. Sathi gives birth to a baby girl; Saji is then forced to take Sathi and her daughter to his house by boat. Franky is very happy to have women in the house, as it gives them some semblance of being a regular family.
It is revealed that Saji's father married Bonny's mother, who then gave birth to Bobby and Frankie. Their father died, and the mother left her children to join a religious mission, leaving Saji to be their father figure.
During the marriage of Prasanth and Sumisha, Saji meets Shammi and again talks about the marriage between Bobby and Baby but Shammi denies the marriage again . Baby makes up her mind to elope with Bobby. When her sister Simmy confides in her husband Shammi, he turns abusive and violent. It becomes clear from his behaviour that he suffers from some mental illness and behavioural issues, which make him manipulative and controlling. Shammi assaults Baby, Simmy and their mother, ultimately keeping them captive in their own home.
Bobby tries to call Baby and upon receiving no answer decides to check up on her. Bobby and his brothers arrive on the scene and afight ensues between them and Shammi. The brothers after a lot of struggle finally trap Shammi with a net and set the women free.In the end Bobby and Baby are finally reunited and get married.
Cast
- Shane Nigam as Bobby Napoleon
- Soubin Shahir as Saji Napoleon
- Fahadh Faasil as Shammi
- Anna Ben as Baby Mol
- Sreenath Bhasi as Bonny
- Mathew Thomas as Franky Napoleon
- Grace Antony as Simmy
- Sooraj Pops as Prasanth, Bobby's friend
- Ramesh Thilak as Murugan aka Vijay
- Jasmine Mètivier as Nylah
- Riya Saira as Sumeesha
- Baiju Johnson as Baby and Simmy's Uncle
- Sheela Rajkumar as Sathi
- Ambika Rao as Baby and Simmy's Mother
- Ajith Moorkooth as Psychiatrist
- Ansal Palluruthy as Shyju
- Dileesh Pothan as Police Inspector Raju Unni (Cameo appearance)
- Poli Sharath as Bar DJ
Production
Kumbalangi Nights is the debut production of Syam Pushkaran's and Dileesh Pothan's newly formed production house Working Class Hero. Fahadh Faasil and Nazriya Nazim co-produced the film under their company Fahadh Faasil and Friends. The screenplay was written by Syam Pushkaran, inspired by his memoirs during a visit to Kumbalangi, a fishing village in Kochi. It was directed by Madhu C. Narayanan. The film is a family drama.
Music
The film's music is composed by Sushin Shyam.
| List of songs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "Cherathukal" | Anwar Ali | Sushin Shyam, Sithara Krishnakumar | 3:41 |
| 2. | "Ezhutha katha" | Vinayak Sasikumar | Sushin Shyam | 3:53 |
| 3. | "Silent cat" | Nezer Ahammed | K Siya | 2:24 |
| 4. | "Uyiril Thodum" | Anwar Ali | Sooraj Santhosh, Anne Amie | 3:54 |
| 5. | "Don't fall" | Nezer Ahemed | Akhil Unnikrishnan | 1:32 |
| 6. | "Thillele (Irular Tribe Festival Song)" | Traditional | Yadav | 3:48 |
| Total length: | 21:55 | |||
Release
The film was released in India and Gulf Cooperation Council territories on 7 February 2019.
Box office
The film performed well at the box office. It grossed ₹4.8 crore from Kerala box office and ₹3.95 crore from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) territories in the opening weekend. In 11 days, the film grossed ₹20 crore worldwide, of which nearly 50 percent ticket sales came from home state Kerala and nearly 45 percent sales from GCC. It ran for seven weeks in Bangalore and Chennai, six weeks in Mumbai and Hyderabad, and five weeks in Delhi. By 4 April 2019, the film has grossed ₹27.89 crore in India. It was made on a budget of ₹6.5 crore. The film reportedly grossed a total of ₹39 crore worldwide. As of July 2019, Kumbalangi Nights remains the second highest-grossing Malayalam film of 2019 in the rest-of-India markets (behind Lucifer).
Kumbalangi Nights grossed $475,987 from 36 screens in the United Arab Emirates in the opening weekend and $1,229,943 in eight weeks. It collected $51,406 from 71 theatres in the United Kingdom in the opening weekend (22–24 February). The film grossed $109,713 (₹76.4 lakh) in the United States in eight weeks. As of July 2019, Kumbalangi Nights remains the second highest-grossing Malayalam film of 2019 in the US (behind Lucifer). It collected NZ$35,222 (₹17.18 lakh) in New Zealand in two weeks, It collected $10,617 (₹5.34 lakh) in Australia in two weeks and $38,393 (₹27.21 lakh) in Canada in three weeks.
Critical reception
The film received widely positive response from critics. Sajin Shrijith of The New Indian Express rated 4.5 out of 5 and said: "Kumbalangi Nights is one of those brilliantly written, once-in-a-blue-moon films that scores in every department ... From the quality of the result on the screen, it is evident that this is a script that was developed carefully and patiently ... Unlike some of the recent Malayalam films, Kumbalangi Nights is not being liberal just for the sake for it—it doesn't shove its progressive ideas down our throats. It doesn't preach; it simply shows", and particularlypraised the performance of Soubin and Fahadh. S. R. Praveen of The Hindu wrote: "Madhu. C. Narayanan has the cushion of Syam Pushkaran's perceptive and subtle writing for his directorial debut; even so he makes a mark of his own, helming the beautiful coming together of all the elements that make this film what it is", and praised the performance of Soubin and Fahadh.