Mumbai Express
Encyclopedia
Mumbai Express is a Tamil film directed by Singeetham Sreenivasa Rao, starring Kamal Haasan
and Manisha Koirala
. This film was produced by Kamal Haasan himself and music was composed by Ilayaraaja. This movie, released on Tamil New Year 2005 along with Chandramukhi
and Sachien surprisingly failed at the box-office, even though the reviews were okay. Also made in Hindi
as Mumbai Xpress
, it was not successful there, either.
, brother of Kovai Sarala, a deaf stunt man performing daredevil bike acts is roped in. Twists and turns take place where the other two gang members are hurt and invariably our Mumbai Xpress is left to perform the task all by himself. He kidnaps a wrong boy Daddu (Hardhik), the illegitimate son of Ahalya (Manisha Koirala
) and police officer Rao (Nassar), but manages to get a huge ransom from Chettiar by default.
A brawl takes place between the original kidnap planners-Chidambaram (Pasupathy), Johnson (Vaiyapuri) and Avinasi in handling Ahalya’s child but Avinasi delivers the child unhurt to his mother. He eavesdrops into her tele-con with Rao where Rao wants to settle both the ransom and sever his ties with her. Ahalya pleads and coaxes him to help her get the ransom which Rao is willing to pay. The child takes a fancy to Avinasi and wants him to be the man in their life, and gets him to agree (or else he would throw himself from a multi storied building).
Ahalaya wants either Rao’s or Chettiar’s money which Avinasi is holding, whereas Avinasi is in love and wants to be that protective person. Rao appoints Chettiar to handle the ransom and what follows is a series of mix-ups.
Baradwaj Rangan praised the movie in his review as "one of Kamal Haasan’s most tight-knit, most convoluted screenplays, where every pratfall, every pun, every preposterous moment seems to have been spat on, polished, and precisely positioned into an overall jigsaw pattern". He added that "Mumbai Xpress isn’t exactly an all-out comedy. Like Pesum Padam, it’s the blues with belly laughs, a stack of serious issues coated with smiles."
Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting...
and Manisha Koirala
Manisha Koirala
Manisha B. Koirala is a Nepali-Indian actress who works in Indian films, as well as a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and social activist. Koirala has primarily worked in Hindi cinema, though she has appeared in several Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films as well...
. This film was produced by Kamal Haasan himself and music was composed by Ilayaraaja. This movie, released on Tamil New Year 2005 along with Chandramukhi
Chandramukhi
Chandramukhi is a 2005 Indian horror, comedy and drama film directed by P. Vasu and produced by Ramkumar Ganesan. With a few deviations, it is a remake of Vasu's 2004 Kannada film Apthamitra, which was in-turn a remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu...
and Sachien surprisingly failed at the box-office, even though the reviews were okay. Also made in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
as Mumbai Xpress
Mumbai Xpress
Mumbai Xpress is a 2005 Hindi-language Indian feature film directed by Singeetham Sreenivasa Rao, starring Kamal Haasan, Manisha Koirala, Om Puri, Vijay Raaz, Ramesh Aravind and Sharat Saxena. The film was simultaneously made in Tamil-language as Mumbai Express with a different starcast except the...
, it was not successful there, either.
Plot
Three amateur thieves plot to kidnap a wealthy Chettiar’s (Santhana Bharathy's) son from the boy's school. They do a trial run. However on the eve of the kidnap, the guy whose job is to operate a crane in this plan is hospitalized. The services of Avinasi aka Mumbai Xpress (Kamal HaasanKamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting...
, brother of Kovai Sarala, a deaf stunt man performing daredevil bike acts is roped in. Twists and turns take place where the other two gang members are hurt and invariably our Mumbai Xpress is left to perform the task all by himself. He kidnaps a wrong boy Daddu (Hardhik), the illegitimate son of Ahalya (Manisha Koirala
Manisha Koirala
Manisha B. Koirala is a Nepali-Indian actress who works in Indian films, as well as a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and social activist. Koirala has primarily worked in Hindi cinema, though she has appeared in several Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films as well...
) and police officer Rao (Nassar), but manages to get a huge ransom from Chettiar by default.
A brawl takes place between the original kidnap planners-Chidambaram (Pasupathy), Johnson (Vaiyapuri) and Avinasi in handling Ahalya’s child but Avinasi delivers the child unhurt to his mother. He eavesdrops into her tele-con with Rao where Rao wants to settle both the ransom and sever his ties with her. Ahalya pleads and coaxes him to help her get the ransom which Rao is willing to pay. The child takes a fancy to Avinasi and wants him to be the man in their life, and gets him to agree (or else he would throw himself from a multi storied building).
Ahalaya wants either Rao’s or Chettiar’s money which Avinasi is holding, whereas Avinasi is in love and wants to be that protective person. Rao appoints Chettiar to handle the ransom and what follows is a series of mix-ups.
Cast
- Kamal HaasanKamal HaasanKamal Haasan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting...
... Avinasi - Manisha KoiralaManisha KoiralaManisha B. Koirala is a Nepali-Indian actress who works in Indian films, as well as a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and social activist. Koirala has primarily worked in Hindi cinema, though she has appeared in several Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films as well...
... Ahalya - Nassar ... Rao
- Ramesh AravindRamesh AravindRamesh Aravind or Ramesh is a popular Kannada, Tamil and Telugu movie actor. He is considered one of the most versatile actors in Indian cinema.-Early days:...
... Thambhu (Both Versions) - PasupathyPasupathyPasupathy is an Indian film actor. He has appeared in several critically acclaimed roles in many noted Tamil films, essaying supporting, antagonistic, comedic as well as protagonistic roles.-Early life and career:...
...Chidambaram - Santhana Bharathy ... Chettiar
- Vaiyapuri ... Johnson
- Kovai Sarala ... Avinasi’s Sister
- Hardhik ... Hardhik
- DheenaDheena Chandra DhasDheena Chandra Dhas is an actor, singer and sound engineer born in Madras , India.-Music:His musical career is varied, with over three decades of experience in radio, studio sound mixing, live concert mixing, and performing on stage for Indian rock bands such as Magic...
... Raju (Both Versions) - Sharat SaxenaSharat SaxenaSharat Saxena is an Indian actor working in Bollywood films. He has acted in nearly 160 Bollywood films.Saxena started his career in the early 70s and has mainly played either supporting roles of a father, uncle or villainous roles....
... Saxena (Both Versions)
Crew
- Director: Singeetham Sreenivasa Rao
- Banner: Rajkamal InternationalRajkamal InternationalRaaj Kamal Films International is a company that distributes and produces Tamil language films, founded and headed by Kamal Haasan.-Produced:*2011 - Vishwaroopam - filming*2009 - Eeenadu *2009 - Unnaipol Oruvan...
- Story/ Dialogue / Screenplay: Kamal HaasanKamal HaasanKamal Haasan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting...
- Cinematography: Siddharthya
- Music: Ilayaraaja
Trivia
In the climaxes of both versions (Hindi & Tamil), you can see opposite casts viewing the newly opened Mumbai Xpress "death well". In this case, Kovai Serala, Vaiyapuri, Pasupathi, & Santhana Bharathy make a brief cameo during the climax of the Tamil version, while Vijay Raaz, Dinesh Lambha, & Saurabh Shulka appear in the Hindi version.Reviews
National Award winning criticNational Film Award for Best Film Critic
The National Film Award of India for Best Film Critic is given for Best Criticism of Indian Cinema.Winners:...
Baradwaj Rangan praised the movie in his review as "one of Kamal Haasan’s most tight-knit, most convoluted screenplays, where every pratfall, every pun, every preposterous moment seems to have been spat on, polished, and precisely positioned into an overall jigsaw pattern". He added that "Mumbai Xpress isn’t exactly an all-out comedy. Like Pesum Padam, it’s the blues with belly laughs, a stack of serious issues coated with smiles."