Traffic (2010 film)
Encyclopedia
Traffic is a 2011 Malayalam
thriller film written by brothers Bobby and Sanjay and directed by Rajesh Pillai. The film features an ensemble cast
consisting of Sreenivasan, Rahman
, Kunchako Boban, Asif Ali, Anoop Menon
, Vineeth Sreenivasan
, Sandhya
, Roma
and Remya Nambeesan. The film has its narrative in a hyperlink
format. The film opened on January 7, 2011 to universal acclaim. A multi-narrative thriller that intertwines multiple stories around one particular incident, Traffic is inspired from an actual event that happened in Chennai
. Owing to its critical and commercial success, Traffic is to be remade into Tamil
and Hindi cinema under the same title.
) is getting ready for the release of his new film. On the same day, Traffic Constable Sudevan (Sreenivasan) joins back on duty, after being suspended from service for taking bribes. The day is special for Dr. Abel (Kunchako Boban) who is celebrating his first wedding anniversary. Raihan (Vineeth Sreenivasan
), an aspiring television journalist, is starting his first job with an interview with Sidharth Shankar the very same day.
On September 16, at a crowded traffic junction in Kochi, Raihan and Rajeev (Asif Ali
), traveling in a bike is fatally hit by a speeding car at the signal. Raihan was all set to interview the superstar, Siddharth Shankar. Also at the junction, in another car, was the surgeon Dr. Abel.
Raihan goes into comma and is declared brain dead although he is kept alive using ventilator. Meanwhile, Siddharth’s ailing daughter's condition becomes worse and she urgently needs a heart transplant. At first Raihan's parents does not agree to take their son off the ventilator and donate their son's heart but Rajeev and Raihan's girlfriend persuades them into it. Now that the heart is available, the problem was with transporting it from Kochi to Palakkad. No chartered flights or helicopters were available and so the heart has to be taken by road. Someone has to drive the 150 kilometers in under two hours during the rush traffic.
City Police Commisoner Ajmal Nazar (Anoop Menon
) is asked to carry out the mission. He initially refuses considering the complexity and risk involved in the mission. But finally he heeds to the persuasion of Dr.Simon D'souza (Jose Prakash
). Sudevan, being an experience driver who has driven as an escort for ministers, volunteers to be the driver of the Jeep because he wanted to regain the name he lost due to the bribe incident. Accompanying them on this mission is Dr Abel and Rajeev.
Everything goes smoothly for sometime. But at a point the police team loses contact with the vehicle and it mysteriously disappears. Later it was understood that before the mission commenced, Dr Abel had hit and run his wife when he discovered her affair with his best friend. Abel tries to sabotage the mission in an attempt to escape, but Sudevan and Rajeev manages to convince him to save the girl's life. All goes well and they reach the hospital in time to save the girl's life.
. Writers of the film Bobby and Sanjay, who scripted Ente Veedu Appoontem and Notebook
explain: "The director wanted the film to be of a different mould altogether. Here every character is of equal importance as the story moves ahead. It was quite a challenging task but an enjoyable experience as well." They add that the film is inspired by a true incident. A similar mission was successfully carried out by the Tamil Nadu
police in a more complex Chennai
city. Also, in a scene, the character played by Anoop Menon
talks about the incident.
Traffic is one of the first multi narratives made in this decade in Malayalam film. The film has Sreenivasan, Rahman, Kunchakko Bobban and Asif Ali as the four lead protagonists whose stories are narrated through the sequences. Vineeth Sreenivasan, who recently made his debut as a writer and director with Malarvadi Arts Club, says that it was the exciting script that attracted him to the project. "It is a particularly exciting day for my character as he is all set to join a news channel but as it turns out fate had other plans in store for him," adds the actor.
On the theme, Rajesh says,"I felt it was a theme that could connect with viewers regardless of their age. It's a contemporary theme that reassures us that if we approach something with honesty, even nature will come to our support." The film will be the second on screen pairing of Vineeth and Sreenivasan, after their first film Makante Achan
. Sandhya plays Aditi, who is in love with Raihan. "Aditi is perhaps more worldly-wise than usual for someone her age. But she has her own reasons for being so", says the Malayali actor who created quite a stir with her performance in the Tamil film Kaadhal.
and S. Ramesan Nair.
Track listing
and Hindi cinema under the same title. It has been officially announced that Kamal Haasan
will play a pivotal role, probabily as himself in the role of the movie star, in the Tamil version. The rights for the Hindi version has been bought by Endemol.
Malayalam cinema
The Cinema of Kerala or Malayalam cinema refers to the film industry in the Indian state of Kerala, which makes films in the Malayalam language. Malayalam movies typically portray social or family issues and are considered more realistic than films from other parts of India. Malayalam cinema has...
thriller film written by brothers Bobby and Sanjay and directed by Rajesh Pillai. The film features an ensemble cast
Ensemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
consisting of Sreenivasan, Rahman
Rahman (actor)
Rahman is an Indian film actor who has acted in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films...
, Kunchako Boban, Asif Ali, Anoop Menon
Anoop Menon
Anoop Menon is a Indian film actor and screenwriter. He worked in television before achieving success as an actor in films. He won the 2008 Kerala State Film Award for second best actor and also the filmfare award 2009 for the same film.-Career:...
, Vineeth Sreenivasan
Vineeth Sreenivasan
Vineeth Sreenivasan is an Indian playback singer, film actor, director, and screenwriter. He is the son of actor Sreenivasan. He made his debut as a director with his film Malarvaadi Arts Club .- Biography :...
, Sandhya
Sandhya (actress)
Revathi , known by her stage name Sandhya, is an Indian film actress who acts primarily in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films. She made her debut as an actress in the 2004 Tamil film Kaadhal , her performance in which earned her a Filmfare Award and Tamil Nadu State Film Award...
, Roma
Roma (actress)
Roma Asrani is an Indian model-turned-actress who works mainly in Malayalam-language films. She made her début in the Telugu film Mr. Errababu in 2005. She has acted in Tamil and Kannada films too.- Family :...
and Remya Nambeesan. The film has its narrative in a hyperlink
Hyperlink cinema
Hyperlink cinema is a term coined by author Alissa Quart, who used the term in her review of the film Happy Endings for the film journal Film Comment in 2005. Film critic Roger Ebert popularized the term when reviewing the film Syriana in 2005...
format. The film opened on January 7, 2011 to universal acclaim. A multi-narrative thriller that intertwines multiple stories around one particular incident, Traffic is inspired from an actual event that happened in Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
. Owing to its critical and commercial success, Traffic is to be remade into Tamil
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
and Hindi cinema under the same title.
Plot
On September 16, superstar Sidharth Shankar (RahmanRahman (actor)
Rahman is an Indian film actor who has acted in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films...
) is getting ready for the release of his new film. On the same day, Traffic Constable Sudevan (Sreenivasan) joins back on duty, after being suspended from service for taking bribes. The day is special for Dr. Abel (Kunchako Boban) who is celebrating his first wedding anniversary. Raihan (Vineeth Sreenivasan
Vineeth Sreenivasan
Vineeth Sreenivasan is an Indian playback singer, film actor, director, and screenwriter. He is the son of actor Sreenivasan. He made his debut as a director with his film Malarvaadi Arts Club .- Biography :...
), an aspiring television journalist, is starting his first job with an interview with Sidharth Shankar the very same day.
On September 16, at a crowded traffic junction in Kochi, Raihan and Rajeev (Asif Ali
Asif Ali
Asif Ali is an Indian film actor who works in Malayalam cinema. He made his debut in 2009 in the acclaimed film Ritu. And has went on to perform in critical and commercial hits such as Apoorvaragam , Traffic , and Salt N' Pepper .-Early life:Asif Ali was born on 4 February 1986 in Ranni...
), traveling in a bike is fatally hit by a speeding car at the signal. Raihan was all set to interview the superstar, Siddharth Shankar. Also at the junction, in another car, was the surgeon Dr. Abel.
Raihan goes into comma and is declared brain dead although he is kept alive using ventilator. Meanwhile, Siddharth’s ailing daughter's condition becomes worse and she urgently needs a heart transplant. At first Raihan's parents does not agree to take their son off the ventilator and donate their son's heart but Rajeev and Raihan's girlfriend persuades them into it. Now that the heart is available, the problem was with transporting it from Kochi to Palakkad. No chartered flights or helicopters were available and so the heart has to be taken by road. Someone has to drive the 150 kilometers in under two hours during the rush traffic.
City Police Commisoner Ajmal Nazar (Anoop Menon
Anoop Menon
Anoop Menon is a Indian film actor and screenwriter. He worked in television before achieving success as an actor in films. He won the 2008 Kerala State Film Award for second best actor and also the filmfare award 2009 for the same film.-Career:...
) is asked to carry out the mission. He initially refuses considering the complexity and risk involved in the mission. But finally he heeds to the persuasion of Dr.Simon D'souza (Jose Prakash
Jose Prakash
Jose Prakash is a veteran actor and singer who worked in Malayalam cinema. He was a singer turned actor who had appeared around 300 films mostly in Antagonist role....
). Sudevan, being an experience driver who has driven as an escort for ministers, volunteers to be the driver of the Jeep because he wanted to regain the name he lost due to the bribe incident. Accompanying them on this mission is Dr Abel and Rajeev.
Everything goes smoothly for sometime. But at a point the police team loses contact with the vehicle and it mysteriously disappears. Later it was understood that before the mission commenced, Dr Abel had hit and run his wife when he discovered her affair with his best friend. Abel tries to sabotage the mission in an attempt to escape, but Sudevan and Rajeev manages to convince him to save the girl's life. All goes well and they reach the hospital in time to save the girl's life.
Cast
- Kunchacko BobanKunchacko BobanKunchacko Boban is an Indian film actor who works in Malayalam cinema. He is the grandson of film producer Kunchacko of the erstwhile Udaya Studios and the grandnephew of producer Maliampurackal Appachan...
as Dr. Abel Thariyan, a cardiac surgeon - Sreenivasan as Sudevan Nair, a traffic police constable
- RahmanRahman (actor)Rahman is an Indian film actor who has acted in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films...
as Sidharth Shankar, a movie starMovie starA movie star is a celebrity who is well-known, or famous, for his or her starring, or leading, roles in motion pictures. The term may also apply to an actor or actress who is recognized as a marketable commodity and whose name is used to promote a movie in trailers and posters... - Anoop MenonAnoop MenonAnoop Menon is a Indian film actor and screenwriter. He worked in television before achieving success as an actor in films. He won the 2008 Kerala State Film Award for second best actor and also the filmfare award 2009 for the same film.-Career:...
as Ajmal Nazar, the City Police Commissioner of KochiKochi-Places:* Kochi, a city in the state of Kerala, India, formerly known as Cochin* Kingdom of Cochin, a former feudal city-state on Malabar Coast, India** Fort Kochi, one of the three main urban components which constitute the present day city of Kochi, Kerala, India... - Vineeth SreenivasanVineeth SreenivasanVineeth Sreenivasan is an Indian playback singer, film actor, director, and screenwriter. He is the son of actor Sreenivasan. He made his debut as a director with his film Malarvaadi Arts Club .- Biography :...
as Raihan, A journalist trainee working in IndiavisionIndiavisionIndiavision is an Indian news channel in Malayalam language based at Kochi, Kerala state. Founded in 2003, it was the first exclusive news channel in Malayalam. It has its registered office at Edappally in Kochi and its telecasting studio is located at Padivattom, Kochi. Indiavision started... - Asif Ali as Rajiv, Raihan's friend
- SandhyaSandhya (actress)Revathi , known by her stage name Sandhya, is an Indian film actress who acts primarily in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films. She made her debut as an actress in the 2004 Tamil film Kaadhal , her performance in which earned her a Filmfare Award and Tamil Nadu State Film Award...
as Aditi, Raihan's fiancee - RomaRoma (actress)Roma Asrani is an Indian model-turned-actress who works mainly in Malayalam-language films. She made her début in the Telugu film Mr. Errababu in 2005. She has acted in Tamil and Kannada films too.- Family :...
as Mariam, Abel's sister working in Club FMClub FM 94.3Club FM is a private FM radio station for the state of Kerala in India, operated by the Mathrubhumi in Kerala, specialising in popular music throughout the day. It bagged three of the RAPA awards in 2007, instituted by the Radio and TV Advertising Practitioners Association of India to honor... - Remya Nambeesan as Shwetha, Abel's wife.
- Saikumar as Raihan's father
- LenaLena AbhilashLena Abhilash , is a Malayalam actress and a VJ . She is known for her contrasting roles in different Malayalam soaps, which otherwise is filled with tear-jerking female characters. She has acted in many films including Jayaraj's Sneham, Karunam and Shantam, Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal, Randam...
as Sidharth Shankar's wife - Vijayakumar as Mathew, private assistant of Sidharth Shankar.
- Namitha Pramod as Sidharth Shankar's daughter.
- Krishna as Jicku, a common friend of Abel and Shwetha.
- Sudip Joshy as Mariam's husband
- Dhanusree Ghosh as Vygya
- Renjith Reghu as Deepu
- Prem Prakash as a doctor
- Jose PrakashJose PrakashJose Prakash is a veteran actor and singer who worked in Malayalam cinema. He was a singer turned actor who had appeared around 300 films mostly in Antagonist role....
as Dr.Simon D'souza (Special appearance) - Nivin PaulyNivin PaulyNivin Pauly , is an Indian film actor, best known for his debut film Malarvadi Arts Club .-Early life:Nivin was born in Aluva, a small town in Ernakulam district, Kerala. He did his Engineering in Electronics and Communication from Federal Institute of Science And Technology in 2006...
(Special Appearance) - Dr. Roni as a journalist
- Premjith Lal
- Anjana Menon
- Gowri Krishna
- Jayakrishnan
Production
The film is directed by Rajesh R Pillai, , Hrudayathil Sookshikkan, starring Kunchacko BobanKunchacko Boban
Kunchacko Boban is an Indian film actor who works in Malayalam cinema. He is the grandson of film producer Kunchacko of the erstwhile Udaya Studios and the grandnephew of producer Maliampurackal Appachan...
. Writers of the film Bobby and Sanjay, who scripted Ente Veedu Appoontem and Notebook
Notebook (film)
Notebook is a 2006 Malayalam musical film directed by Rosshan Andrrews and written by Bobby Sanjay. It is about three students at a boarding school and how they face up to challenges in their lives. The film dealt with the subject of teenage pregnancy...
explain: "The director wanted the film to be of a different mould altogether. Here every character is of equal importance as the story moves ahead. It was quite a challenging task but an enjoyable experience as well." They add that the film is inspired by a true incident. A similar mission was successfully carried out by the Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
police in a more complex Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
city. Also, in a scene, the character played by Anoop Menon
Anoop Menon
Anoop Menon is a Indian film actor and screenwriter. He worked in television before achieving success as an actor in films. He won the 2008 Kerala State Film Award for second best actor and also the filmfare award 2009 for the same film.-Career:...
talks about the incident.
Traffic is one of the first multi narratives made in this decade in Malayalam film. The film has Sreenivasan, Rahman, Kunchakko Bobban and Asif Ali as the four lead protagonists whose stories are narrated through the sequences. Vineeth Sreenivasan, who recently made his debut as a writer and director with Malarvadi Arts Club, says that it was the exciting script that attracted him to the project. "It is a particularly exciting day for my character as he is all set to join a news channel but as it turns out fate had other plans in store for him," adds the actor.
On the theme, Rajesh says,"I felt it was a theme that could connect with viewers regardless of their age. It's a contemporary theme that reassures us that if we approach something with honesty, even nature will come to our support." The film will be the second on screen pairing of Vineeth and Sreenivasan, after their first film Makante Achan
Makante achan
Makante Achan is a 2009 Malayalam film starring Sreenivasan, Vineeth Sreenivasan, and Suhasini in the lead roles. It was directed by V.M. Vinu, written by Samjad Narayanan, and produced by Seven Arts International Ltd. with G. P...
. Sandhya plays Aditi, who is in love with Raihan. "Aditi is perhaps more worldly-wise than usual for someone her age. But she has her own reasons for being so", says the Malayali actor who created quite a stir with her performance in the Tamil film Kaadhal.
Critical response
The film opened on 7 January 2011 to positive reviews. Veeyen of Nowrunning.com gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, writing, "Rajesh Pillai's Traffic is a brutally brilliant film in which he lends color to coincidence and unveils before us a cogitation on the dynamics of chance. A strikingly crafted film that is raw and genuine, it crawls right under your skin and stays there." IndiaGlitz enthusiastically praised the film's "riveting plot, great performances, soulful music... and skilful direction". A review at Cinefundas also praised the acting, adding that "the real hero of the film is the script". Sify.com called it "an overwhelming experience" and rated it as "very good." The Malayalam website Movieraga called it an "excellent movie" and went on to state that the new blood of Malayalam cinema cannot be seen as second-grade any more.Box office
The film had only an average opening in Kerala box office. However, it managed to maintain the number one position and grossed 90 lakhs in the opening weekend. The film netted 4.6 crores in five weeks, thus recovering the budget of 2.5 crores and getting a distributor's share of more than 2 crores. It completed 50 days in most of the releasing centres and had a net gross of around 5.35 crore within this time. The total collection of the film from the Kerala box office is 6.5 crores.Music
The songs featured in the soundtrack album are composed by Samson Kottoor and Mejo Joseph, with lyrics penned by Vayalar Sarath Chandra VarmaVayalar Sarath Chandra Varma
Vayalar Sarathchandravarma is a noted Malayalam film lyricist. His lyrics have proved that he has inherited his father, Vayalar Ramavarma’s gift of poetry. He is a youthful entertainer by penning soothe romantic songs. All his recent contribution has got a large amount attention among Malayalam...
and S. Ramesan Nair.
Track listing
| # | Song | Artist(s) | Composer | Lyricist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Kannerinjal" | Vipin Warrier, Hisham | Mejo Joseph Mejo Joseph Mejo Joseph is a music director from Malayalam Cinema. He made his debut in the blockbuster Malayalam movie Notebook.-Career:Mejo made his debut in 2006 Malayalam movie Notebook which was directed by his brother-in-law Roshan Andrews. The music won him immediate attention. He also made a cameo... |
S. Ramesan Nair |
| 2 | "Pakalin" | Sithara | Mejo Joseph | Vayalar Sarath Chandra Varma Vayalar Sarath Chandra Varma Vayalar Sarathchandravarma is a noted Malayalam film lyricist. His lyrics have proved that he has inherited his father, Vayalar Ramavarma’s gift of poetry. He is a youthful entertainer by penning soothe romantic songs. All his recent contribution has got a large amount attention among Malayalam... |
| 3 | "Theme Music" | Instrumental | Samson Kottoor | — |
| 4 | "Unaroo Mizhiyazhake" | Chinmayi Chinmayi Chinmayi Sripada is an Indian playback singer, singing predominantly in Tamil. She is also a voice actor in Tamil and Telugu films, and has worked as a television presenter and a radio jockey as well. She is the founder and CEO of a translation services company called Blue Elephant.-Early life and... |
Samson Kottoor | S. Ramesan Nair |
| 5 | "Unaroo Mizhiyazhake" | Samson Kottoor | Samson Kottoor | S. Ramesan Nair |
| 6 | "Unaroo Mizhiyazhake (Instrumental)" | Kalyan | Samson Kottoor | S. Ramesan Nair |
Remakes
Owing to its critical and commercial success, Traffic is to be remade into TamilTamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
and Hindi cinema under the same title. It has been officially announced that Kamal Haasan
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...
will play a pivotal role, probabily as himself in the role of the movie star, in the Tamil version. The rights for the Hindi version has been bought by Endemol.
External links
- Traffic at Nowrunning.com
- Traffic at Oneindia.inOneindia.inOneindia.in is an Indian online portal owned by Greynium Information Technologies Pvt. Ltd., which provides news updates, sports news, travel, entertainment, videos, and classifieds. Alexa Traffic Rank of Oneindia.in is ranked number 525 in the world and Google page rank of Oneindia.in is 7...
- Traffic review at Rediff.comRediff.comRediff.com India is a news, information, entertainment, and shopping portal. It was founded in 1996 as "Rediff On The NeT" and is headquartered in Mumbai, India with offices in New Delhi and New York City, USA....
Further reading
- "A true heart touching story (The incident on which the film is based on)". Aphinthendranmemorialtrust.org. Retrieved March 7, 2011