The film was also selected to be screened under the Indian Panorama category of 49th International Film Festival of India.[6] The film released in theatres on 1 February 2019, receiving positive reviews from critics.
Ram developed the script with Mammootty in mind six years before he narrated it to the actor during early 2015.[7][8] His regular composer Yuvan Shankar Raja with cinematographer Theni Eeswar were confirmed from then.[9] In July, Sadhana, the child artiste from his 2013 film Thanga Meengal, was cast.[10] After P. L. Thenappan was signed on to produce the film under his banner Shree Raajalakshmi Films, and Anjali was cast for the female lead, Ram announced the title Peranbu in January 2016 beginning through a first look poster.[11][12] Before filming, Ram stated that the film's theme is "compassion" and Mammootty plays a family man who "rediscovers himself," while Sadhana plays his daughter and Anjali the wife.[13]
Principal photography commenced on 6 January 2016 in Kodaikanal and was planned to be shot in two schedules, with the next being in Chennai.[14] Mammootty and Sadhana were shot in January end.[15] A lead role is portrayed by Anjali Ameer, a transsexual model from Kerala, in her feature film debut. For the role, the makers were in search until 1 March 2016. She was selected with an audition, after Mammootty noticed a television report about her and suggested to Ram.[16][17] The second schedule was held in and around Chennai from July to September.[18] In mid-2016, the team planned to make a Malayalam version of the film, after Mammootty suggested Ram so.[7][2][19]Suraj Venjaramoodu joined the new version, playing Mammootty's friend.[20] The dubbing and other post-production began from January 2017.[21][17] By September, Yuvan Shankar Raja composed all the songs and started working on the film score.[22][23]
Marketing
The trailer and poster for world wide release launched on 5 January 2019.[24][25]
In January 2018, Ram stated that the film would have theatrical release in the summer of 2018 after its film festival premiers, but it was delayed. It is scheduled to release on February 1, 2019, in theatres worldwide.[31]
Reception
The film opened to positive responses from critics.[32][33] Karthik Kumar of Hindustan Times rated the film 4.5/5 and called the film "a devastatingly beautiful intense emotional drama" and was all praise about Ram's direction and performance by Mammootty and Sadhana. The critic also noted that Peranbu is Ram’s "quietest and most meditative and most rewarding film in years".[34] Sowmya Rajendran of The News Minute rated the film 4/5 and wrote that "the film that takes Tamil cinema to uncharted territories."[35] Gautaman Bhaskaran rated the film 4/5 in his review for News 18 and described the film as an "extraordinarily sensitive portrayal of a father-daughter relationship." The critic however noted that the film "could have been far more powerful if it had been shorter and tighter."[36] In his review for Film Companion, Baradwaj Rangan rated the film 3.5/5 and called the film Ram's "Least Angry, Most Moving Drama, and "in terms of tone, the closest he’s gotten to his guru, Balu Mahendra."[37] Padmakumar K. of Malayala Manorama described the film as "a cinematic wonder that graces all aesthetics."[38] Rating the film 4/5, Haricharan Pudippedi from Firstpost called the film "a devastatingly beautiful coming-of-age drama that is both poignant and equally depressing" and appreciated Mammootty's role as one of his most matured performances.[39] Rating the film as 'Good', film critic Veeyen affirmed that "..brilliantly performed, visually striking and deftly structured, ‘Peranbu’ is an avowal of a fortune that we live with every day, and a prompt to remain forever thankful for the miracle called life." [40] Sudhir Srinivasan described it thus: "Peranbu isn’t just about a single father learning to care for his spastic daughter; it’s about what it is to become capable of true love. It’s about what it is to look past constructs like gender and sex.."[41]
