Kinar (Well in Malayalam), titled Keni (transl. Well in Tamil) in, is a 2018 Indian drama film co-written and directed by M. A. Nishad. It was produced by the studio of Fragrant Nature Film Creations, and was made simultaneously in Malayalam and Tamil. Focusing on the issue of water scarcity in a town between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the film stars Jaya Prada and Revathi, with different sets of ensemble cast for the two versions. M. Jayachandran and Bijibal composed the soundtrack and score. Noushad Sherif was director of photography and Sreekumar Nair edited the film. Both versions were released worldwide on 23 February 2018. The Malayalam version received positive reviews while the Tamil version received negative reviews. Both versions were box-office bombs.
| Kinar / Keni | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | M. A. Nishad |
| Screenplay by | Anwar Abdulla Aju K. Narayanan |
| Produced by | Sajeev P. K. Anne Sajeev |
| Starring | Jaya Prada Revathi |
| Cinematography | Noushad Sherif |
| Edited by | Sreekumar Nair |
| Music by | Bijibal |
Production company | Fragrant Nature Film Creations |
Release date |
|
| Country | India |
| Languages | Malayalam Tamil |
Cast
edit| Cast (Malayalam) | Cast (Tamil) | Role (Malayalam) | Role (Tamil) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaya Prada | Indira | ||
| Revathi | Aruna | ||
| Pasupathy | Parthiban | Sakthivel | |
| Archana | Anu Hasan | Suganthi | |
| Parvathy Nambiar | Razeena | ||
| Thalaivasal Vijay | Minister | ||
| Joy Mathew | Hariharan P. | ||
| Kailash | Samir | ||
| Seema | Rekha | High Court Judge | |
| Renji Panicker | Nassar | Advocate | |
| Sunil Sagara | Lazar Kunnamkulam | ||
| Bhagath Manuel | Nanda Kumar | ||
| Maala Parvathi | Liya Rajeev | ||
| Indrans | Khadar Uppapa | ||
| — | M. S. Bhaskar | — | Vidisadaiyor |
| — | Chaams | — | Suruli |
| — | Pandi | — | Pavadaisamy |
| K. J. Yesudas | Cameo appearance in the song "Ayya Sami"[1] | ||
| S. P. Balasubrahmanyam | |||
Production
editDirected by Malayalam filmmaker M. A. Nishad, the story revolves around a water dispute that crops up between the people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala on account of a well, with the film taking place in 1965 when Kerala was formed as a separate state.[2][3] Jaya Prada revealed that her political experience of seeing people through problems of water scarcity motivated her to sign the film and play the lead role. Portraying the widow of a geologist, who wants to fulfil her husband's desire to make water available to all, she stated the story "fell in the category of ‘meaningful cinema’" and that she was keen to be a part of such attempts.[4] Revathy was signed to portray a collector of the Tamil Nadu village of Thirunelveli, which faces a water shortage every year.[5] She was selected after the original choice, Suhasini opted out citing date issues.[6] Nishad chose to shoot two versions, one in Malayalam and the other in Tamil, where each party would have the stronger cause.[3]
The Malayalam version of the film was shot first during May 2017, with most of the scenes being shot at the Punalur Municipality and Chemmanthur High School premises.[7] Scenes were also shot in Thiruvananthapuram during the same month, where a launch ceremony was held.[8][9] The film was later shot in Tamil with Parthiban, Nassar, Anu Hasan and Rekha amongst others joining the cast.[10]
Soundtrack
edit| Kinar / Keni | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by M. Jayachandran & Kallara Gopan | |
| Released | 7 February 2018 |
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack |
| Label | Muzik247 |
The film features a song titled "Ayya Sami", sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and K. J. Yesudas, who worked together after a break of twenty seven years following Thalapathi (1991) for the song "Kaatukkuyilu Manasukkula".[11] The song's lyrics narrates the celebration of Tamil Nadu and Kerala cultures, and was composed by M. Jayachandran and written by B. K. Harinarayanan and Palani Bharathi.[12] The soundtracks were released simultaneously at an event on 7 February 2018, with the lead cast in both languages in attendance.
- Malayalam version
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ayya Sami" | B. K. Harinarayanan, Palani Bharathi | M. Jayachandran | K. J. Yesudas, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam | 4:43 |
| 2. | "Mazhavil Kaavile" | Prabha Varma | M. Jayachandran | Sithara Krishnakumar | 4:02 |
| 3. | "Alakkuvanaakumoo (Male Version)" | Sheela Paul | Kallara Gopan | Kallara Gopan | 4:15 |
| 4. | "Alakkuvanaakumoo (Female Version)" | Sheela Paul | Varsha Haridas | 4:16 | |
| 5. | Untitled | Kallara Gopan |
- Tamil version
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ayya Sami" | B. K. Harinarayanan, Palani Bharathi | M. Jayachandran | K. J. Yesudas, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam | 4:43 |
| 2. | "Kalayum Meghame" | Palani Bharathi | M. Jayachandran | Sithara Krishnakumar | 3:58 |
| 3. | "Vedithidum Bhoomi" | Palani Bharathi | Kallara Gopan | Vijay Yesudas | 4:16 |
Release
editThe Malayalam version received positive reviews for its bold take,[13][1] but the Tamil version received negative reviews with the portions retained from Malayalam being criticized.[14][15][16]
References
edit- ^ a b "Kinar review: A grim reminder of what is to come".
- ^ "Jaya Prada returns to Tamil cinema with Keni". The New Indian Express. 13 July 2017.
- ^ a b "Parthiban, Jayaprada in a film on water dispute between TN and Kerala". The Times of India. 12 July 2017.
- ^ Rao, Subha J. (8 August 2017). "Jaya Prada: back after a decade". The Hindu – via www.thehindu.com.
- ^ "Revathi to play a collector in Kinar". The Times of India. 7 October 2017.
- ^ "Revathi replaces Suhasini in MA Nishad's Kinar". The Times of India. 27 May 2017.
- ^ "Jayaprada, Revathy in Punalur for 'Kinar' shooting". Mathrubhumi.
- ^ "After six years, Jayaprada returns to Malayalam with movie 'Kinaru'". Mathrubhumi.
- ^ "When Jaya Prada visited Trivandrum for M A Nishad's film pooja". The Times of India. 22 May 2017.
- ^ "Yesudas: SPB and Yesudas shoot for a song together". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ "After 27 Years, K.J Yesudas, S.P Balasubrahmanyam Collaborate Again For Bilingual Film 'Keni'". 6 February 2018.
- ^ "K J Yesudas – SPB song is here and it's definitely a treat worth the wait". The Times of India. 7 February 2018.
- ^ "Kinar review: A serious take on some topical issues and is an honest attempt". Sify. Archived from the original on 25 February 2018.
- ^ "Keni movie review: Jaya Prada and R Parthiban cannot help this chaotic film". 23 February 2018.
- ^ "Keni Review:- Cinema express". Cinema Express. 23 February 2018.
- ^ "Keni movie review: A good plot let down by its execution". 23 February 2018.