PremiumFans hail Mohanlal's comeback in Neru, here's why we think it's start of another interesting journey
Mohanlal has convincingly portrayed a seasoned lawyer in Jeethu Joseph's Neru, making an attempt to bring new perspectives to the role.
Mohanlal, Poster of Neru | Photo: Instagram/ mohanlal
Last Updated: 06.17 PM, Dec 22, 2023
Fans of Mohanlal are ecstatic as Jeethu Joseph's Neru, which was released on December 21, is receiving great reviews. The movie is helmed as the actor's comeback following a string of underwhelming Malayalam productions that failed to find success at the box office or win over the public.
He took to social media to thank the entire Neru team, his fans, and the audience for their support for this film. “Much obliged. Humbled by all the love pouring in for #Neru,” he wrote.
Director Priyadarshan had also praised Jeethu Joseph in a post on his Facebook account. “Talent never fades, and you have used it rightfully, Jeethu, exploring Mohanlal’s talent! Hats off to you for the success of Neru,” he noted.
The courtroom drama also features Jagadish, Sidhique, Anaswara Rajan, and Priyamani in lead roles. During the promotion of the film, Mohanlal had remarked that Neru is among his favourite films in which he has worked, and he is playing a character focused on performance after a long gap.
Lalettan's fans overwhelmed by the actor’s performance
After watching shows on the first day of Neru's release, Mohanlal fans are thrilled to see their favourite actor in form after a while. They expressed their support for the actor and his performance on social media in multiple posts. Speaking to an online publication, a fan said that moviegoers would recall this date that marked the actor's return. Another said he got goosebumps from Mohanlal's performance in the climax.
Online reviewers expressed their excitement for the film and said that his portrayal of Vijayamohan would astound viewers.
Jeethu Joseph-Mohanlal film
Since the release of Drishyam in December 2013, Jeethu Joseph and Mohanlal's combination has performed incredibly well at the box office. The Malayali audience has high expectations for a film by the two, as demonstrated by the response to the Neru trailer. Drishyam 2, which is available on Amazon Prime, was a much-awaited movie in 2021, and 12th Man in 2022 received positive reviews for its compelling story. The latter is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
Also Read: Neru – Mohanlal and Jeethu Joseph's courtroom drama gets extra shows due to high demand from audience
Why Neru marks Mohanlal's start of a comeback?
It has been a long time since Mohanlal portrayed a character with emotional depth, besides Georgekutty in Drishyam 2. Jeethu Joseph is the among the only filmmakers who can give the actor a greater opportunity to show that he is still the exceptional performer that he used to be.
Mohanlal has convincingly portrayed a seasoned lawyer, making an attempt to bring new perspectives to the role. The actor has also mastered the mannerisms and dialogue delivery, which has a genuine effect on the audience. The beginning of his impressive comeback is hinted at by Neru, which has brought him success after a run of box office setbacks in recent years.
The actor's movie has not been released around Christmas in quite some time. Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham in 2021 and Odiyan in 2018 were his prior December releases. Both films received average reviews, with many criticising the mediocre acting and uninteresting plots. A few of these films' inorganic dialogues were also made fun of online. His films, Lucifer, Pulimurugan, and Drishyam 2, were the only hits he had in Malayalam in the previous eight years.
Meanwhile, the audience had praised the actor's performance in films like Janatha Garage (Telugu), Kaappaan (Tamil), and Jailer (Tamil).
The actor has an interesting lineup of projects for 2024, including his directorial debut through the epic fantasy film Barroz. Mohanlal will be playing a wrestler in Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Malaikottai Vaaliban, which is expected to release in January. He will also be seen in the Telugu film Vrushubha and Jeethu Joseph’s Ram. The filming of Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Empuraan is also progressing.