Queen (2018 film)
Queen is a 2018 Indian Malayalam-language thriller film directed by Dijo Jose Antony, written by Sharis Mohammed and Jebin Joseph Antony and produced by Arabian Dreams Entertainment Co by Shibu K Moideen & Rinshad Vellodathil. It features Saniya Iyappan as Chinnu, the sole female entry in a Mechanical Engineering batch in a college.[1] The film was released in India on 12 January 2018. The idea for creating such a movie was inspired from the 2015 Onam Celebration that took place in College of Engineering Adoor, Pathanamthitta, which was a massive controversy,[2] and Sree Buddha College of Engineering, Pattoor, Alappuzha an institution in Kerala where a mass gang of boys and their only female classmate of the Mechanical Engineering Department made a dramatic entry making it a unique event becoming viral on internet too. Saniya Iyappan won Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut – South[3] for her performance in the film.
| Queen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Dijo Jose Antony |
| Produced by | Shibu K. Moideen Rinshad V |
| Written by | Sharis Mohammed Jebin Joseph Antony |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Jakes Bejoy |
| Cinematography | Suresh Gopi |
| Edited by | Sagar Dass |
Production company | Arabian Dreams Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Central Pictures |
Release date |
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| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
Plot
The story starts with the inauguration of a Mechanical branch. The beginning of the first year is filled with ragging and clever escapades by the boys from their seniors. Late in the first semester a girl, Chinnu joins mechanical branch. She soon becomes a lovable character within the entire first year batch of the college. Her classmates discover that she is an orphan and a cancer patient. During her time at the hospital her friends keep her company and makes friends with other patients. She recovers from the cancer through chemotherapy and surgery, and visits college during Onam celebrations just to have fun with her friends and campus life. She goes back to her home in the evening to recuperate completely. Unexpectedly she was kidnapped by some anti socials and sexually assaulted. Even though Chinnu was hospitalised, she dies. Her friends with support of various people from the community fight for justice and against the malign grips of social institutions that was meant to protect the underprivileged. In the process they are helped by Adv. Mukundan (Salim Kumar), a lawyer fighting for justice. In the end, the real culprits are caught and given death penalty by the Trial Court. The students in the end turns to social service. The film ends with a message that "women are not opportunities but responsibilities of men"
Cast
- Saniya Iyappan as Chinnu Tresa
- Dhruvan as Balu
- Shamil Raj as Shamil
- Aswin Jose as Muneer / Kooli
- Eldho Mathew as Eldho
- Arun Haridas as Jaban
- Sooraj Kumar as Varghese Kurien / Varkichan
- Sam Sibin as Shankar / Gymman
- Muhasin Moozi as Shyam / Shyama
- Jenson Alappat as Madapravu Ajith
- Vijayaraghavan as Principal Alex Abhraham
- Salim Kumar as Adv. Mukundan
- Nandhu as Adv. Kaaloor
- Kalasala Babu as Judge
- Sreejith Ravi as Minister
- Junice I V as Comrade Naushadikka
- Jithan V Soubhagom as Kuli Thoma
- Midhun A. E. as Senior student
- Monika Thomas Puthuran as Eliza
- Sunil K Babu as Viswaroopan (Buji)
- Kalabhavan Niyas Aboobacker as Head of Mechanical Department
- Dijo Jose Antony as Professor at Mechanical Department, Signing Professor at Marriage (Guest Appearance)
- Aneesh G Menon as Minister's assistant
- Sethu Lakshmi as Mother Thresiamma
- Santhosh Keezhattoor as Bride's father
- Baby Meenakshi as Bride's sister
- Jaimi Afzal as Bride
- Leona Lishoy
- Deepika Mohan as Balu's mother
- Hochimin K C
Production
Movie was produced by Shibu K Moideen and Rinshad Vellodathil, from the studio Arabian Dreams Entertainment.
Music
| Queen | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 3 January 2018 | |||
| Genre | Filmi | |||
| Label | Satyam Audios | |||
| Jakes Bejoy chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Queen | ||||
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The original songs for the film were composed by Jakes Bejoy, with lyrics written by Joe Paul, Sharis Muhammed, and Jyothish T. Kasi. The soundtrack album was released by Satyam Audios on 3 January 2018.[4] Dijo Jose Antony and Arun Nandakumar choreographed the songs "Saare Njangal" and "Podi Parane", respectively.
| No. | Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Saare Njangal" | Jakes Bejoy, Benny Dayal, Ziya Ul Haque, Kavitha Gopi, Zonobia Safar | 4:30 |
| 2. | "Aarandda" | Ajaey Shravan, Kesav Vinod, Jakes Bejoy | 2:04 |
| 3. | "Vennilave" | K. S. Harisankar, Sooraj Santhosh, Ziya Ul Haque, Ajaey Shravan | 5:27 |
| 4. | "Podipaarana" | Ajaey Shravan, Kesav Vinod, Sunilkumar P. K. | 4:35 |
| 5. | "Ponnumkasavinte" | Neha Nair | 4:24 |
Release
The film was released on 12 January 2018 across 84 theaters in Kerala.
Critical response
Arjun R Krishnan from Malayala Manorama has written that 'Queen', the debut work by director Dijo Jose Antony, presents quite a few contemporary issues in a titillating cinematic wrap and rated the movie 3.5 out of 5.[5]
The film, however, was not received well by some feminist critics. Anna MM Vetticad of Firstpost refused to rate the film, calling it a 'non-film', and was outraged by the fact that this 'nondescript' film managed to get released not only in Kerala, but outside it as well, when far superior films were struggling to find theaters.[6] Sowmya Rajendran of The News Minute wrote that the film does a disservice to rape survivors by suggesting that the rape and murder of the female protagonist in the film is tragic only because she was an orphan, a cancer patient, and blameless in all respects. She also criticized the film's concluding message that men should see women as their responsibility and assume the role of their protectors.[7]
References
- "Queen, a film on a girl in Mechanical Engineering batch". Times of India.
- Adoor IHRD engineering college students used FIRE engine for Onam Celebration, retrieved 14 April 2020
- "Winners of the 66th Filmfare Awards (South) 2019". Filmfare. 21 December 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- Satyam Audios (3 January 2018). "Queen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". iTunes. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- "Queen: placing friendship as a panacea". Malayala Manorama.
- "Queen movie review: This is not a review, this is a protest- Entertainment News, Firstpost". Firstpost. 4 February 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
- "With its 'blameless victim', Malayalam film 'Queen' does a disservice to rape survivors". www.thenewsminute.com. 5 February 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2019.