Vela (film)

2023 Indian crime drama film

Vela

Theatrical release poster

Directed by| Syam Sasi
Written by| M. Sajas
Produced by| George Sebastian
Starring|

* Shane Nigam
* Sunny Wayne
* Sidharth Bharathan

Cinematography| Suresh Rajan
Edited by| Mahesh Bhuvanend
Music by| Sam C. S.

Production
companies

* Cyn-Cyl Celluloid
* Badusha Productions

Distributed by|

* Wayfarer Films (Kerala)
* Truth Global Films (Overseas)

Release date

* 10 November 2023 (2023-11-10)[1]

Running time

| 148 minutes
Country| India
Language| Malayalam

Vela (transl. Job) is a 2023 Indian Malayalam-language crime drama film directed by Syam Sasi in his directorial debut. It stars Shane Nigam and Sunny Wayne in the lead roles, alongside Siddharth Bharathan and Aditi Balan. The story is set in a police control room in Palladium.

Principal photography commenced in June 2022 in Palakkad. The music was composed by Sam C. S., while the cinematography and editing were handled by Suresh Rajan and Mahesh Bhuvanend. This movie is a loosely based on movie The Guilty (2018)

Vela was released in theatres on 10 November 2023.

## Cast

[edit]

* Shane Nigam as CPO Ullas Augustin
* Sunny Wayne as SI Mallikarjunan
* Sidharth Bharathan as CI Ashok Kumar
* Aditi Balan
* Bipin Perumbilli as KK
* M. Sajas as Askar

## Production

[edit]

The script was written by M. Sajas, who previously worked in Mandharam (2018).[2] In an interview with The New Indian Express, M. Sajas said that he wrote the script for the film based on some real-life incidents faced by his father, who was a former police officer.[3] He also got information from some active police officers.[3] The film was produced by George Sebastian under the banner of Cyn-Cyl Celluloid.[4] Suresh Rajan and Mahesh Bhuvanend were recruited as the cinematographer and editor.[5] In an interview with OTTPlay, Sidharth Bharathan said that he was offered the role of a sub-inspector by Syam Sasi before the release of his directorial Chathuram (2022).[6] Principal photography began on 18 June 2022 in Palakkad with a customary puja ceremony.[7] The film also marks the directorial debut of Syam Sasi.[8]

## Music

[edit]

The music and background score was composed by Sam C. S.[9] The audio rights were acquired by T-Series.[10] The first song "Paathakal" was sung by Haricharan and written by Anwar Ali.[11]

Track listingNo.| Title| Lyrics| Singer(s)| Length

|
|
|
|

1.| "Paathakal"| Anwar Ali| Haricharan| 3:29
2.| "Bambadiyo"| Anwar Ali| Sam C. S., Anthony Daasan| 3:21
Total length:| 6:50

## Release

[edit]

It was previously reported that the film would be released in 2022.[12] The film was released in theatres on 10 November 2023.[13] It was distributed in Kerala by Dulquer Salmaan's Wayfarer Films and internationally by Truth Global Films.[14]

## Reception

[edit]

### Critical response

[edit]

S. R. Praveen of The Hindu wrote, "Vela sets up an intriguing premise, but fails to make use of it with things fizzling out in the end."[15] Princy Alexander of Onmanorama wrote, "'Vela' delves into the mystery of the missing boy case by placing two policemen with contrasting ethics at the heart of the drama."[16]

Cris of The News Minute gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "'Vela' is the kind of film that you'd tell someone about as, alright, nothing huge, but keeps you interested."[17] Times Now gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote, "With a well-crafted screenplay and dialogues by M. Sajas, expert editing by Mahesh Bhuvanend, and captivating cinematography by Suresh Rajan, Vela is poised to leave a lasting impression as a standout thriller."[18]

Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Vela is one of those movies that offers a rare experience, thanks in large part to Shane Nigam and Sunny Wayne's remarkable performances, but is hindered by a scarcity of engaging moments."[19] Sajin Shrijith of Cinema Express gave 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Vela is most gripping when the two actors spew venom at each other."[20]

## Accolades

[edit]

Year  | Award  | Category  | Recipient  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

2023  | Kerala Film Critics Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Shane Nigam | [21]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Shane Nigam and Sunny Wayne starrer 'Vela' gets a release date". The Times of India. 23 October 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
2. ^ Staff, Onmanorama (17 September 2022). "Sunny Wayne plays a cop in 'Vela'. First look poster out". Onmanorama. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
3. ^ a b Shrijith, Sajin (28 September 2022). "Vela will present a different side of Shane Nigam: Writer M Sajas". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
4. ^ "Sunny Wayne, Shane Nigam team up for crime drama 'Vela'". The New Indian Express. 30 August 2022. Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
5. ^ "Vela trailer: RDX actor Shane Nigam's film is a thrilling police drama". OTTPlay. 24 August 2023. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
6. ^ Sidhardhan, Sanjith (27 December 2022). "Exclusive! Vela: Sidharth Bharathan explains why he decided to sign Shane Nigam, Sunny Wayne-starrer". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
7. ^ "Vela | വേല (2023)". Mallu Release. Archived from the original on 4 June 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
8. ^ ലേഖകൻ, മനോരമ (3 December 2022). "സണ്ണി വെയ്‌നും ഷെയ്ൻ നിഗമും; വേല ടൈറ്റിൽ പോസ്റ്റർ". Manorama Online (in Malayalam). Archived from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
9. ^ Features, CE (20 October 2023). "Shane Nigam-Sunny Wayne film Vela gets a release date". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 4 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
10. ^ "ഷെയ്ൻ നിഗവും സണ്ണി വെയ്നും പ്രധാന വേഷത്തിലെത്തുന്ന 'വേല'; ലിറിക്കൽ ഗാനം മമ്മൂട്ടി റിലീസ് ചെയ്തു". Mathrubhumi (in Malayalam). 13 October 2023. Archived from the original on 28 October 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
11. ^ "Shane Nigam's 'Vela' unveils romantic melody 'Paathakal' – A Sam CS musical magic!". The Times of India. 15 October 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 25 October 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
12. ^ "Shane Nigam and Sunny Wayne to play cops in the crime drama 'Vela' - EXCLUSIVE!". The Times of India. 30 August 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 31 August 2022. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
13. ^ "Shane Nigam And Sunny Wayne's Vela Gets A Release Date". News18. 21 October 2023. Archived from the original on 29 October 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
14. ^ "കൊമ്പ് കോര്‍ത്ത് ഷെയ്നും, സണ്ണി വെയിനും: വേല പ്രീറിലീസ് ടീസർ റിലീസായി". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd (in Malayalam). 8 November 2023. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
15. ^ Praveen, S. R. (10 November 2023). "'Vela' movie review: This Shane Nigam-starrer fails to make use of its intriguing premise". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
16. ^ Alexander, Princy (10 November 2023). "'Vela' review: Plot twists drive this gripping police drama". Onmanorama. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
17. ^ Cris (10 November 2023). "Vela review: Shane Nigam and Sunny Wayne are great in an average police thriller". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
18. ^ "Vela Movie Review: Shane Nigam, Sunny Wayne Film Weaves Complex Narrative In Enthralling Manner". Times Now. 10 November 2023. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
19. ^ Suresh, Anandu (10 November 2023). "Vela movie review: Shane Nigam, Sunny Wayne deliver superb performances". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023.
20. ^ Shrijith, Sajin (10 November 2023). "Vela Movie Review: Sunny Wayne and Shane Nigam excel in a suitably tense ride". Cinema Express. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023.
21. ^ "Kerala Film Critics Awards announced, Aattam adjudged best film". thehindu.com.

## External links

[edit]

* Vela at IMDb

*[transl.]: translation
*[No.]: Number