Malayalam films basking in Onam glory

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 15 (IANS) For superstars Mammootty, Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi and Dileep, this is one Onam they won't forget for a long time - all their films released for this festive season have become smash hits.

"This is the first time in a long time that all the superstars' films released during Onam have become runaway hits. Certainly, this means that the people will come if the quality of the film is good," said ace producer Suresh Kumar.

After his last two films "Udayaon" and "Chandrolsavam" bombed, Onam has brought good luck for Mohanlal whose "Naran" is well on its way to becoming a blockbuster.

Suresh Gopi, who took a three- year sabbatical from acting, has returned with a bang with "Bharathchandran IPS" that has been running houseful for almost a month.

For Dileep, the latest superstar in the Malayalam film world, "Chandupottu" has been his lucky charm with families queuing up to see his latest film.

Mammootty's "Nerariyan CBI" can be expected to get into the Guinness records as it is the fourth sequel to the first "Oru CBI Dairy Kurippu" released in 1987. The lead in all the four films is played by Mammootty, the script written by S.N. Swamy and directed by K. Madhu.

Producer Suresh Kumar said: "These signs are propitious for the industry and for producers like me who have upcoming projects on hand. Next month, I am starting a mega project with Mohanlal and this success is certainly going to be a morale booster."

But veteran producer Kireedom Unni was more cautious and said he wouldn't like to be over optimistic.

"However, one positive aspect is that the video piracy menace has been addressed to a large extent and this strict vigil has to continue for people to come back to the theatres. And Onam is festival season, so theatres would certainly be crowded," said Unni.

"For this tempo to continue, the need of the hour is that the number of films made has to go up," added the producer, who will begin work on a Dileep starrer in November.