C U Soon
C U Soon is an Indian Malayalam-language mystery thriller computer screen film written and directed by Mahesh Narayanan.[1][2] The film is set in computer screen and stars Fahadh Faasil, Roshan Mathew and Darshana Rajendran, with Saiju Kurup, Amalda Liz and Maala Parvathi in supporting roles.[3] Produced by Fahadh Faasil and Nazriya Nazim, the film was released on 1 September 2020 on Amazon Prime Video.[4][5]
| C U Soon | |
|---|---|
Poster | |
| Directed by | Mahesh Narayanan |
| Written by | Mahesh Narayanan |
| Produced by | Fahadh Faasil Nazriya Nazim |
| Starring | Fahadh Faasil Roshan Mathew Darshana Rajendran |
| Cinematography | Sabin Uralikandy Virtual cinematography: Mahesh Narayanan |
| Edited by | Mahesh Narayanan |
| Music by | Gopi Sundar |
Production companies | Fahadh Faasil and Friends |
| Distributed by | Amazon Prime Video |
Release date |
|
Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
The film was shot on iPhone. Upon its OTT release, the film received positive reviews from the critics. It is India's first computer screen film.[6]
Plot
Jimmy works as a Client Executive in Union National Bank in the UAE. He meets Anu on a dating app and falls in love with the timid girl. He chats with her on Hangouts and Duo but she does not reveal the background of her room, mostly chatting from bed. Despite never meeting her in person, Jimmy introduces Anu to his mother and cousin and proposes to her via video call. Jimmy's mother is curious to know more about the girl and asks Jimmy's cousin Kevin, who is a cyber security specialist, for help to get more details about her. Kevin, though reluctant, agrees and finds some basic information about Anu by hacking into her IP address. Unknown to Kevin, his girl friend Sanjana places a bug on Anu's phone in order to understand Kevin's sudden interest in Anu. Sanjana becomes jealous and possessive and keeps messaging him, infuriating Kevin.
Things get complicated when Anu calls Jimmy one day to inform him that she was hurt as her father Joseph beat her leading to a few injuries. Jimmy who loves Anu brings her to his own home and provides her with medicine prescribed by his friend Dr. Prashanth who advises Jimmy to report the incident to police and also tells him that live in relationships are illegal in UAE. Later, Jimmy confronts Anu's father for his behavior who apologises to him and asks for Anu's phone number. Jimmy shares it with him and updates Anu about the confrontation. Anu leaves a suicide note-video to Jimmy and goes missing. Then the Police gets involved and takes Jimmy into custody.
To prove Jimmy's innocence and solve the mystery, Jimmy's family seeks the help of Kevin. Kevin hacks Anu's Facebook account and finds that she came to UAE via an agency as a housemaid. She is then sold as a prostitute and when she doesn't cooperate, gets beaten up. Joseph Tharakan, whom Anu calls father was not her father but a family man in Kerala and a pimp in Dubai, who hires girls from India for jobs as maids and when they come to Dubai, forces them into prostitution. Kevin informs Jimmy's mother about Anu's situation. Jimmy gets to know the truth about Anu and is angry with Kevin because he didn't tell him about this, especially since Jimmy thought Anu had cheated him.
Kevin finds out that Anu's last known location was the Indian Consulate General in Dubai. Further checking reveals that Anu reported the prostitution racket to the officials and all those involved were caught. Anu was sent back to India. Jimmy goes to U.S to be with his mother. Kevin asks Jimmy if he still loves Anu. Kevin also speaks to Anu and he understands both still love each other. The movie ends when Kevin shares Anu's phone number with Jimmy and asks him to call her.
Cast
- Fahadh Faasil as Kevin Thomas
- Roshan Mathew as Jimmy Kurien
- Darshana Rajendran as Anumol Sebastian
- Saiju Kurup as Dr. Prasanth
- Maala Parvathi as Jimmy's mother
- Kottayam Ramesh as Jacob Sebastian
- Amaalda Liz as Sanjana
- Vaishnavi Venugopal as Neethu
Production
In June 2020, Mahesh Narayanan announced that his next venture would be en experimental one, starring Fahadh Faasil in a lead role. Mahesh described the film as a small exercise using an iPhone rather than a feature film. It was also revealed that the film would be about 60–65 minutes (the final release time amounted to 1h 38min) in length, and shot in Faasil's flat.[7] Although the film got approval from the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), the Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA) was opposed to the shoot with regards to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.[8][9] Despite this, filming was successfully completed on 21 August.
Release
C U Soon was released on Amazon Prime Video on 1 September 2020.[4][5][10]
Reception
BBC wrote that "India's 'lockdown film' is an edgy thriller".[11] NDTV wrote that "C U Soon, frisky in pace but grounded in unwavering technique, is an affirmation of cinema's capacity to be creative and hopeful no matter how grave and protracted a crisis is".[12] The Indian Express gave the film a rating of three-and-a-half out of five stars and wrote that " Producers Fahad Faasil and Nazriya Nazim, and director Mahesh Narayanan pick up a story with disturbingly familiar outlines and impart it with fresh urgency and impact, making each frame of the 1 hour 38 minutes run time count".[13] The New Indian Express wrote that "CU Soon is an immersive experience like no other. This is a neatly written and executed film elevated to a great degree by the right cast and the right music composer".[14] Rediff gave the film a rating of three-and-a-half out of five stars and noted that "Mahesh Narayanan, by turning his passion into his subject matter, by turning machines into curtains behind which we hide and through which we reveal ourselves in surprising ways, has achieved the human scale".[15] The Times of India gave the film a rating of four out of five stars and stated that "What Take Off filmmaker Mahesh Narayanan has done is use that experimental concept of technology to tell a hard-hitting socially relevant story inspired by shocking real-life incidents such as trafficking and invasion of privacy, set in two countries and told mainly through three characters who keep you glued to the screens".[16] Baradwaj Rangan of Film Companion South wrote "The last half-hour is a cracker".[17]
The Hindu wrote that "The performances of the three lead actors gives the Malayalam film its emotional core, without which it could have remained a mere showcase of technical mastery".[18]
References
- ^ Desk, Online (25 August 2020). "WATCH 'C U Soon' trailer is here! Fahadh Faasil, Roshan Mathew mystery thriller looks promising". The New Indian Express. from the original on 30 August 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ Bureau, Zee Media (25 August 2020). "Fahadh Faasil's 'CU Soon' trailer out, Malayalam thriller to release on OTT platform -Watch". Zee News. from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ Kumar R, Manoj (25 August 2020). "C U Soon trailer: Mahesh Narayanan, Fahadh Faasil promise a cracking thriller". The Indian Express. from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ a b TNM Staff (21 August 2020). "Fahadh Faasil's 'CU Soon', shot during lockdown, to release on OTT". The News Minute. from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ a b Team, Mumbai Live (25 August 2020). "Fahadh Faasil's Upcoming Film 'CU Soon' To Have Its World Premiere On September 1". Mumbai Live. from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ Bhatia, Akanksha (14 September 2020). "5 Moments In 'C U Soon' That Convinced Us That You Don't Need A Big Budget To Make A Good Film". www.scoopwhoop.com. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ^ Kumar, Karthik (21 June 2020). "Fahadh Faasil, Mahesh Narayanan to shoot for next third film on iPhone". Hindustan Times. from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ Desk, Web (22 June 2020). "Fahadh Faasil to shoot for next film on iPhone, producers' body unhappy". The Week. from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ BS, Shibu (22 June 2020). "Three new Malayalam movies announced; Mollywood fraternity divided". The New Indian Express. from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-54042633 3 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine 11
- ^ "India's 'lockdown film' is an edgy thriller". BBC News. 7 September 2020.
- ^ "C U Soon Movie Review: Fahadh Faasil's Onam Release Is An Eye-Grabber". NDTV.com. from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
- ^ "C U Soon review: A satisfying, moving thriller". 1 September 2020. from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
- ^ "'CU Soon' movie review: A neatly executed 'Screenlife' mystery". The New Indian Express. from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
- ^ "C U Soon review". Rediff. from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
- ^ "C U Soon Review: This gripping film will keep you glued to the screens". from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020 – via timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
- ^ "C U Soon On Amazon Prime Video, with Fahadh Faasil, Roshan Mathew, Darshana Rajendran: A Solid Mystery That Unfolds Entirely On A Set Of Screens". FilmCompanion. 1 September 2020.
- ^ Praveen, S. r (1 September 2020). "'C U Soon' movie review: Fahadh Faasil's latest proves that creativity cannot be locked down". The Hindu. from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020 – via www.thehindu.com.
External links
- C U Soon at IMDb
- Trailer on YouTube