Wikipedia

Romancham

Romancham (transl. Goosebump) is a 2023 Indian Malayalam-language comedy horror film directed by Jithu Madhavan in his directorial debut and produced by Johnpaul George, Girish Gangadharan and Joby George under the banner of Guppy Films and Johnpaul George Productions. Based on a real life incident faced by the director and his friends during their college days, the film stars Soubin Shahir, Arjun Ashokan, Sajin Gopu, Siju Sunny, Abin Bino, Anantharaman Ajay and Afsal P.H.[6] Set in Bangalore, the plot revolves around seven unmarried men and their usage of an Ouija board, which leads to various subsequent events. The music was composed by Sushin Shyam, while the cinematography and editing were handled by Sanu Thahir and Kiran Das.

Romancham
Directed byJithu Madhavan
Written byJithu Madhavan
Produced by
Starring
CinematographySanu Thahir
Edited byKiran Das
Music bySushin Shyam
Production
companies
John Paul George Productions
Guppy Films
Distributed byCentral Pictures
Release date
  • 3 February 2023 (2023-02-03)[1]
Running time
129 minutes[2]
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam
Budgetest. ₹1.75−3 crore[3][4]
Box officeest. ₹70 crore[5]

Romancham was released on 3 February 2023. This movie was a blockbuster and was the fifth highest-grossing Malayalam film of 2023. The film is being remade in Hindi as Kapkapiii.[7][8][9]

Plot

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2007: Jibin wakes up in the ICU of a hospital in Bangalore when he is told that he has been suffering from meningitis for a week. He desperately tries to meet his roommates to tell them something but is not allowed to meet anyone. The nurse is curious to know the reason and Jibin narrates his story to her.

Jibin, Rivin, Niroop, Shijappan, Mukesh, Karikuttan, and Soman are roommates in a rented house. Only Rivin and Karikuttan have full-time jobs and Soman attempts various businesses while the rest are looking for jobs.

One day, while visiting a friend, Jibin sees a group conducting a séance using an Ouija board in the hope of finding a ghost they can talk to. Realizing this is something the group can do as a pastime, he uses a carrom board as an Ouija Board and gets the group to participate. Rivin, due to his religious beliefs, refuses to be a part of this. As they begin their séance, Jibin realizes nothing is happening, and, to save face, he and Shijappan, start moving the glass to make the rest of them believe that the séance is working. They come up with the name Anamika for the spirit and start asking various questions.

Soon, their séances becomes popular among their friends. On one occasion, a friend asks a question about their pet cat. The glass moves, without any help from Jibin and Shijappan, and has the right answer leaving them dumbfounded. Anamika now starts answering questions correctly including the death of someone. More and more people come to their house to have their questions answered.

Strange and weird incidents start to occur in the house. Rivin is not able to find his way home from work. Eventually the group decide to stop the séances as they feel that they have unleashed something that they can't control.

A friend of Jibin called Sinu comes to live with them temporarily. Sinu starts exhibiting weird behavior like going into a catatonic state and speaking to someone in the middle of the night. Anamika's spirit now starts wrecking their home and many unnatural incidents start occurring again. Rivin again starts forgetting the way back home, and Karikuttan ends up losing his job at the petrol pump because, absent-mindedly, he ends up filling a customer's petrol tank with diesel. All of them lose their minds and try to leave their home as soon as possible. Jibin, due to his fears, ends up with high fever, which develops into meningitis.

Now Jibin reveals that the last thing he saw before losing consciousness was the spirit of a woman getting into his bag. Sinu is then shown walking into the hospital with that same bag giving a chance of a sequel.

Cast

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  • Soubin Shahir as Jibin Madhavan alias Jibi (Based on Jithu Madhavan)
  • Arjun Ashokan as Sinu Solomon
  • Sajin Gopu as Niroop
  • Siju Sunny as Mukesh
  • Afzal PH as Karikuttan / Hari
  • Abin Bino as Shijappan
  • Anantharaman Ajay as Rivin
  • Jagadeesh Kumar as Soman
  • Joemon Jyothir as DJ Babu
  • Sreejith Nair as Mathew "Mathi"
  • Noble James as Brujo
  • Adithya Bhaskar as Aadi
  • Deepika Siva as Nurse Nayana
  • Sneha Matthew as Pooja
  • Deepak Narayan as Pooja's father
  • Thankam Mohan as Jibi's mother
  • Jolly Chirayath as Sinu's mother
  • Pooja Mohanraj as Maala
  • Premnath Krishnankutty as Maala's husband
  • Assim Jamal as Benny (Cameo Appearance)
  • Chemban Vinod Jose as Sayed (Cameo Appearance)

Production

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Development

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Romancham was produced by Johnpaul George, Girish Gangadharan and Joby George under the banner of Guppy Films and Johnpaul George Productions. Jithu Madhavan who has previously worked as an assistant director in the films Utopiayile Rajavu, Guppy, Maradona and Ambili was chosen to direct the film that marked his directorial debut. He also wrote the script. Jithu Madhavan revealed that the film was based on his personal experience.[10] He stated that, despite being frightening at the time, it now seems amusing after all these years.[11] The script was inspired by his time as an aeronautical engineering student in Bengaluru in the late 2000s and it was during the period from 2005 to 2007, when he was living with ten friends in Bengaluru and out of curiosity decided to play the Ouija board game. He said that it was not easy to depict real life moments and he had to ensure that there were enough filmy elements. He said Sinu's character was a mix of many incidents that happened in his real life.[12]

Casting

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Soubin Shahir and Arjun Ashokan joined the cast in May, 2022.[13] Most of the actors in the film were not mainstream actors.[14] They were chosen due to their popularity in other media such as Instagram reels, and web series, each of them was selected without any prior audition.[11] Jithu Madhavan called Abin Bino, while Bino was working in Dubai after seeing him play the role of Naththu in the webseries Othalanga Thuruth.[15] Sajin Gopu who rose to fame with the role of a Jeep driver in Churuli was chosen by John Paul George.[16] Siju Sunny, who garnered an online following after uploads of his comic content on Reels during COVID lockdown, was noticed by Jithu Madhavan, which prompted him to pick him. Siju had brief appearances in Visudha Mejo and Vellari Pattanam earlier.[17]

Music

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Romancham
Soundtrack album by
Sushin Shyam
Released2023
Recorded2022–2023 (2022–2023)
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length20:10
LanguageMalayalam
LabelSaregama
ProducerSushin Shyam
Sushin Shyam chronology
Ariyippu
(2023) 		Romancham
(2023) 		Kannur Squad
(2023)

All lyrics are written by Vinayak Sasikumar; all music is composed by Sushin Shyam

No.TitleArtist(s)Length
1."Aadharanjali"Sushin Shyam
Madhuvanthi Narayan		2:29
2."Aathmave Poo"Sushin Shyam3:36
3."Manuja"Rex Vijayan
Sushin Shyam		3:29
4."Thalatherichavar"Zia Ul Haq
MC Couper
Sushin Shyam		4:21
5."Ottamuri Vakkumayi"Pradeep Kumar
Sushin Shyam		3:28
6."Romancham Title Track"Neha Nair
Sushin Shyam		2:45
Total length:20:10

Release

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Romancham was slated for a release on October,14, 2022 but was postponed.[18] It was released on 3 February 2023 across 144 theatres in Kerala.[1]

Home Media

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Romancham was released on Disney Hotstar on April 7, 2023, and it was available Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu from April 17, 2023.[19]

Reception

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Critical response

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Gopika I.S. of The Times of India gave 4 out of 5 stars and wrote "Romancham is the movie that gives us this wonderful formula. There is no exaggeration, no nonsensical humour, the movie is simply hilarious and interestingly, it's inspired from real life incidents."[1] S. R. Praveen of The Hindu wrote "Along with some top-notch comic performances from the entire cast, everything works like a charm and evokes uproarious laughter in director Jithu Madhavan's debut film."[20] Saikat Chakraborty of The Telegraph wrote,"Debutant director Jithu Madhavan blends situational comedy with eerie overtones, stringing together incidents from his real-life experiences."[21]

Ann Jacob of The Week gave a rating of 4 out of 5 and wrote," Jithu Madhavan, the director-writer of the movie, ensures that the pace of the plot does not lag at any point and has succeeded in leaving the audience wanting for more."[22] Cris of The News Minute gave 4 out of 5 stars and wrote, "With such a package, the horror and the comedy come off really well. But if you are not quite a fan of horror, chances are that you might have trouble with the viewing, despite the comedy accompanying it."[23]

Sajin Shirjith of The New Indian Express gave 4 out of 5 stars and wrote "Romancham is at its funniest when it explores the idiosyncrasies of its well-sketched character."[24]

Box Office

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Romancham grossed ₹4.35 crore in its first four days.[25] It grossed ₹25 crore in 11 days with ₹17 crore from Kerala box office.[26] The film collected ₹50 crore in 23 days with ₹30 crore from Kerala, ₹17 crore from overseas and ₹3 crore from other parts of India.[27][28] The film grossed ₹62 crore in 34 days collecting ₹38 crore from Kerala, ₹21.15 crore from overseas market and ₹3.6 crore from other parts of India.[29][30] It grossed ₹64 crore in 38 days grossing ₹39.35 crore from Kerala, ₹3.8 crore from other parts of India and ₹22 crore from overseas.[31][32]

Romancham grossed over ₹68 crore after 50 days of its theatrical run by collecting ₹41 crore from Kerala, ₹4.1 crore from other parts of India and ₹22.9 crore from overseas market.[8][33] Romancham grossed ₹70 crore worldwide to emerge as the highest-grossing Malayalam film of the year.[34]

Remake

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Hindi remake of the film titled Kapkapiii directed by Sangeeth Sivan is announced in March 2024.[35]

Sequel

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The film ends with a hint of a possible sequel in the future. The director has stated that a sequel will only be pursued if the script can match the quality of Romancham, and that they will not proceed with the sequel for the sake of it.[36]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Romancham Movie Review: Exactly what you need to cheer up". The Times of India. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  2. ^ "Romancham (2023)". Irish Film Classification Office. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  3. ^ "'Romancham' box office collection: Soubin Shahir's horror comedy film is all set to cross Rs 50 crores". The Times of India. 25 February 2023. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  4. ^ "'Romancham' box office collection: Soubin Shahir starrer crosses Rs 25 crores". The Times of India. 20 February 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 8 May 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  5. ^ "2018 box office collection Day 3: Jude Anthany Joseph film marches ahead breaking all records, rakes in Rs 4.01 cr on Sunday". 8 May 2023.
  6. ^ ഈ സിനിമയ്ക്കായി ജീവിതവും കരിയറുമെല്ലാം പണയത്തിലായി: രോമാഞ്ചം നിർമാതാവ് ജോൺപോൾ പറയുന്നു [Life and career on the line for this film: Says Romancham producer John Paul]. Malayala Manorama (in Malayalam).
  7. ^ "'Romancham': Reason why the film is a unique horror thriller in Mollywood". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  8. ^ a b "50-ാം ദിവസവും കേരളത്തിലെ 107 തിയറ്ററുകളില്‍! 'രോമാഞ്ചം' ഇതുവരെ നേടിയത്". www.asianetnews.com. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Shreyas Talpade And Tusshar Kapoor In A Spook Fest". NDTV.
  10. ^ "Jithu Madhavan recalls incident that inspired his debut movie 'Romancham'". www.onmanorama.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  11. ^ a b Anand, Shilpa Nair (18 February 2023). "'Romancham' is based on a real-life incident that I experienced: Malayalam director Jithu Madhavan". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  12. ^ "Film is inspired by events from my life: 'Romancham' director - The New Indian Express". www.newindianexpress.com. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Soubin Shahir, Arjun Ashokan team up for Romancham". Cinema Express. 16 May 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  14. ^ "Director Jithu Madhavan wants to see his blockbuster Romancham remade in other languages I Exclusive". India Today. 27 February 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  15. ^ "കാറ്ററിങ്, കടൽ പണി ഒക്കെ ഉണ്ട്: സൗബിൻ ഇക്ക എനിക്ക് ചേട്ടനെപ്പോലെ: 'നത്ത്' അഭിമുഖം". www.manoramaonline.com (in Malayalam). Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  16. ^ "'പുതപ്പിക്കും ഞാൻ': അർജുനെ കാണുമ്പോഴേ ചിരി വരും: രോമാഞ്ചത്തിലെ 'നിരൂപ്' അഭിമുഖം". www.manoramaonline.com (in Malayalam). Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  17. ^ Anand, Shilpa Nair (23 February 2023). "Malayalam actor Siju Sunny is excited about his break in 'Romancham', and the opportunities it has thrown open". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  18. ^ "'Romancham' filmmakers announce delay in movie release with funny comic strip". OnManorama. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  19. ^ "'Romancham' OTT: Soubin Shahir's horror comedy to start streaming on THIS date". The Times of India. 5 April 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  20. ^ Praveen, S. R. (4 February 2023). "Romancham' movie review: Jithu Madhavan's horror-comedy is a laugh riot". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  21. ^ "Soubin Shahir-led horror comedy Romancham has the right mix of laughs and scares". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  22. ^ "'Romancham' review: A refreshingly funny story about a game gone wrong". The Week. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  23. ^ "Romancham review: Great debuts make this Soubin horror comedy a fun watch". The News Minute. 4 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  24. ^ "'Romancham' Malayalam film review: Rewarding horror-comedy high on laughs". The New Indian Express. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  25. ^ "ബോക്സ് ഓഫീസിലും ചിരിക്കിലുക്കം; കളക്ഷനില്‍ കുതിപ്പുമായി 'രോമാഞ്ചം'". www.asianetnews.com. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  26. ^ "Romancham Movie Kerala Box Office Original Collection Reports in 11 Days | ആത്മാവിനെ കാണാൻ ജനസാഗരം; കളക്ഷൻ കണ്ട് രോമാഞ്ചം| Movies News in Malayalam". zeenews.india.com. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  27. ^ "23 ദിവസത്തിൽ 50 കോടി; പണം വാരി രോമാഞ്ചം; റിപ്പോർട്ട്". www.manoramanews.com. 26 February 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  28. ^ "Romancham movie box office soubin arjun ashokan starrer movie 30 days box office collection | Romancham Movie: 30 ദിവസം പിന്നിട്ട് രോമാ‍ഞ്ചം; ബോക്സ് ഓഫീസ് കുതിപ്പ് തുടരുന്നു | Movies News in Malayalam". zeenews.india.com. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  29. ^ "'രോമാഞ്ചം' ഈ വര്‍ഷത്തെ ആദ്യ ബോക്സ് ഓഫീസ് ഹിറ്റ്; ഒരു മാസത്തെ കളക്ഷന്‍ ഇങ്ങനെ". News18 Malayalam (in Malayalam). 10 March 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  30. ^ "ബോക്സ് ഓഫീസില്‍ ഫുള്‍ സ്റ്റോപ്പ് ഇല്ലാതെ 'രോമാഞ്ചം'; ഒരു മാസം കൊണ്ട് നേടിയത്". www.asianetnews.com. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  31. ^ "Romancham Movie Box Office Total Gross Collection Reaches 65 Crore Malayalam Horror Comedy Film Expected to Streaming in Disney Plus Hotstar Very Soon | Romancham Box Office : ബോക്സ് ഓഫീസിലും രോമാഞ്ചിഫിക്കേഷൻ; രോമഞ്ചത്തിന്റെ ആകെ കളക്ഷൻ ഇത്ര | Movies News in Malayalam". zeenews.india.com. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  32. ^ ijas (13 March 2023). "ബോക്സ് ഓഫീസ് 'പൊതപ്പിച്ചു'; രോമാഞ്ചം ഇതുവരെ നേടിയത് 64 കോടി". Media One. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  33. ^ "Romancham | 50 കോടി നേടി, 107 തിയേറ്ററുകളിൽ 50 ദിവസം ഓടി; രോമാഞ്ചിഫിക്കേഷൻ നൽകി 'രോമാഞ്ചം'". News18 Malayalam (in Malayalam). 25 March 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  34. ^ "2018 box office collection Day 3: Jude Anthany Joseph film marches ahead breaking all records, rakes in Rs 4.01 cr on Sunday". The Indian Express. 8 May 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  35. ^ "'Kapkapiii', Hindi remake of 'Romancham', motion poster out". 21 March 2024.
  36. ^ "Romancham director Jithu Madhavan on sequel plans: ‘We have an ending in mind but will go ahead only…’". OTT Play. 20 February 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
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