Bangalore Days
Bangalore Days is a 2014 Indian Malayalam-language coming of age romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Anjali Menon, and co-produced by Anwar Rasheed and Sophia Paul under the banner Anwar Rasheed Entertainments and Weekend Blockbusters. The film features an ensemble cast consisting of Nivin Pauly, Dulquer Salmaan, Fahadh Faasil, Nazriya Nazim, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Isha Talwar and Paris Laxmi. Nithya Menen appears in a cameo. The plot revolves around three cousins from Kerala who move to Bangalore, continuing Menon's trend of films about family relationships. The film released on 30 May 2014 in 205 theatres, making it one of the biggest release for a Malayalam film, simultaneously all over India and received positive reviews. The film received three Kerala State Film Awards including Best Actor and Best Actress awards for Nivin Pauly and Nazriya Nazim respectively, and Best Screenplay for Anjali Menon, while Parvathy Thiruvothu went to win Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress and Anjali Menon winning the Filmfare Award for Best Director. The film is later remade in Tamil as Bangalore Naatkal (2016). A Hindi remake of the film, titled Yaariyan 2 released in theatres in 2023. The movie is considered to be one of the best Malayalam movies made during the New-Gen cinema movement in Malayalam. Plot
The story revolves around three cousins, Divya Prakash aka 'Kunju', Krishnan P.P. aka 'Kuttan' and Arjun aka 'Aju', who have shared a close bond since their childhood. Aju, whose parents are divorced, is a bike mechanic who lives life on his own terms. Kuttan is a software engineer whose heart and soul is back home in his village. Kunju has completed her graduation and aspires to do her MBA from IIM, but is compelled to marry the workaholic corporate executive Shivadas aka 'Das' because of her parents' astrologer's suggestions. After their wedding, Divya moves to Bangalore as Das is settled there. Kuttan does the same for his job, while Aju joins a biker gang as a mechanic in the same city. Kunju feels emotionally alone as Das continues to ignore her. Her only solace is the time she gets to spend with her cousins. Naive Kuttan, who wants a traditional, modest, saree-clad girl for a wife, falls in love with air hostess Meenakshi on the Bangalore-Kochi flight. They date, and Kuttan changes from a reserved and shy person to a trendy person to impress her, but his dreams are shattered when her ex-boyfriend arrives at her flat and he realizes that she was only trying to get back with him. He breaks off his relationship with her. Kunju and Das's personal life keeps falling into despair. After an argument, one day, Kunju, upon inspecting a room in their apartment that Das never lets anyone enter, is shocked to find it filled with photos, knickknacks, and possessions of a strange girl. In horror of not having a place in Das's heart and life, she leaves him and returns home to Kerala in sorrow, with Kuttan. There they are still pulled into despair as Kuttan's father has abandoned his rich family and gone for a permanent pilgrimage, willing all his wealth and its rights to Kuttan and his sister. Kuttan has to bring his mother to Bangalore, after she convinces him to. Aju was a bike racer, but due to a foul incident, he is forced to serve a year's ban from racing. He falls for a radio jockey named Sarah, but when he finally meets her in person, he finds that she is a paraplegic. He begins to like her attitude and follows her. They become good friends, but Aju is saddened when he learns that Sarah is to leave for Australia on a university scholarship. Meanwhile, as Kunju and Das are in the middle of getting a divorce, Aju learns that a few years back, Das was a former bike racer. He then went by the name Shiva and was the leader of his biking gang. Shiva had given up on racing after he was involved in an accident that killed his love Natasha Francis. Upon knowing what happened, Kunju decides to return to Bangalore and works towards her MBA. She gradually wins over a repentant Das and soon arranges for him to meet Natasha's parents. After the meeting, Das is able to let go of his past. Kunju forgives him and they get their marital life on track. Kuttan's mother gets to know about the urban Indian culture with her neighbors, and after three months, decides to visit her daughter in Oklahoma. In the airport, Kuttan and his mother see Meenakshi, who will be an air hostess in Kuttan's mother's flight to America. Meenakshi approaches Kuttan and reveals that her relationship with the old boyfriend has broken permanently, and she will be waiting for his call. Just seconds after that, Kuttan goes by and talks with her, telling her to leave him. Aju gets a chance to race on the same day that Sarah has to leave for Australia. With Kunju, Kuttan, and Das cheering for him, he wins the race. After the race, Aju realizes how important Sarah is to him and that meeting her changed his life. He asks her not to leave for Australia. Sarah forgoes her scholarship to stay with Aju in Bangalore. In the end, Kuttan marries his neighbor in Bangalore, a foreigner named Michelle, a European Bharathanatyam dancer who has embraced the culture of India. The film ends with Kunju, Das, Aju, and Sarah breaking into their room and all of them posing for a photo. 