Big box-office response to Mohanlal's 'Hello'

July is generally a dull month for Malayalam cinema with the rains playing spoilsport, but seven releases bucked the trend this year. None, however, could affect the Mohanlal starrer "Hello" that continues to top the charts.

The top five Malayalam films are:

1 "Hello" - The Mohanlal film stays at the top despite strong competition from new releases. Director duo Rafi-Mecartin has made the real blockbuster of the year.

2. "Nadiya Kolapetta Rathri" - K. Madhu makes yet another thriller with Suresh Gopi as the cop. But there is nothing new in the effort to make it work in the long run.

3. "Arabikatha" - Director Lal Jose's film bashes the Left in Kerala. The film, featuring Sreenivasan in the main lead, has stayed popular with the viewers for its realistic portrayal of Malayalis living in the Gulf.

4. "Mission 90 Days" - Mammootty dons a military uniform yet again to play a commando chasing down the assassins of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. Director Major Ravi's effort has got a mixed response from the audience.

5. "Veeraaleepattu" - Director Kukku Surendran tries to make an offbeat film on the father-son relationship. But the clichйd approach mars the effort.

Indo-Asian News Service