At box office, Dileep, Manju go head-to-head

The posters of Malayalam movies released for Christmas. –Photo: Thulasi Kakkat

The box-office fate of the films is likely to set tongues wagging as to who is more saleable.

The box-office tug-of-war in Mollywood has a touch of real life drama during this Christmas.

For the first time since their separation as a couple, actors Manju Warrier and Dileep will have their films go head-to-head in the tinsel town.

Jo and the Boy, directed by the young Rojin Thomas, who made his debut two years ago with the hit movie Philips and the Monkey Pen , has Manju in the lead along with the child actor Sanoop Santhosh. The movie hit the cinemas on Thursday.

Dileep will hit the silver screen on Christmas Day with Two Countries opposite Mamta Mohandas, his pair from the successful Jithu Joseph-movie My Boss in 2012. A lot is expected from the film written by Rafi and directed by Shafi at as the Dileep-Shafi combo has in the past delivered hits like Kalyanaramanand Marykkundoru Kunjadu.

Manju dons the role of Joan Mary John in the light-hearted film while Dileep plays UIlas in the transcontinental rom-com set in Canada. After a sabbatical from the industry for 14 years, Manju’s comeback movie How Old Are You had hit the screens in May last year, a month after the Dileep movieRingmaster was released. That was how close the two had come head-to-head in the box office since the separation.

While the two actors may play down the pitching of their films against each other, the box-office fate of the films is likely to set tongues wagging as to who is more saleable.

A season with big guns like Mohanlal, Mammootty and Prithviraj missing in action, though Prithvi has his previous releases Amar Akbar Antony and Anarkkali still being screened in limited shows in multiplexes, Martin Prakkat’s musical love story Charlie with Dulquer Salman and Parvathy in the lead has evoked much interest.

Directed by John Varghese Adi Kapyare Kootamani , a movie which revolves around a boys’ hostel, has Aju Varghese, Dhyan Sreenivasan and Namitha Pramod in the lead.

Meanwhile, Tamil movie buffs have reasons to cheer as the sequel to the successful movie Pasanga has hit the theatres with actor Surya in the lead. Hindi flicks Dilwale and Bajirao Mastani released last week continue their run though with limited shows.