{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}} {{Use Indian English|date=June 2021}} {{Infobox film | name = Ozhivudivasathe Kali | image = Ozhivudivasathe Kali.jpg | caption = Official poster | director = Sanal Kumar Sasidharan<ref name="Hollywood Reporter">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Kochi/chiselling-out-a-movie-from-fiction/article7528591.ece|title=Chiselling out a movie from fiction|work=The Hindu|location=Kochi, India|date=12 August 2015}}</ref> | producer = Aruna Mathew<br>Shaji Mathew | screenplay = no formal screenplay<ref name="Treating films in a new way">{{cite web|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/150704/entertainment-mollywood/article/treating-films-new-way-0|title= Treating films in a new way |newspaper=Deccan Chronicle|location=Thiruvananthapuram, India|date=2015-07-04}}</ref> | based_on = {{Based on|''Ozhivudivasathe Kali''|Unni R.}}<ref name="Big screen adaptation">{{cite news|url=http://cinetrooth.in/2015/08/15/ozhivudivasathe-kali-big-screen-adaptation-of-a-short-story/|title=Ozhivudivasathe Kali: Big screen adaptation of a short story|publisher=cinetrooth|location=Mumbai, India|date= 3 November 2015}}</ref> | starring = Nistar Ahamed <br/> Arun Nayar <br/> Pradeep Kumar <br/> Baiju Netto <br/> Reju Pillai <br/> Abhija Sivakala | narrator = | music = Basil C J | cinematography = Indrajith S. | editing = Appu N. Bhattathiri | studio = Niv Art Movies<ref name="People Magazine">{{cite news|url=http://www.peoplemagazines.net/an-off-day-game-mumbai-review/|title=Mumbai Review|publisher=People Magazines|date= 3 November 2015}}</ref><ref name="Cinetrooth">{{cite news|url=http://cinetrooth.in/2015/08/15/ozhivudivasathe-kali-big-screen-adaptation-of-a-short-story/|title=Ozhivudivasathe Kali: Big screen adaptation of a short story|publisher=Cinetrooth.com|date=15 August 2015}}</ref> | distributor = Bigdream release<ref name="bigdreamofficial">{{cite web|url=http://www.bigdreamcinema.com/|title=Big Dream Release|publisher=Big Dream Release|access-date=6 December 2015|archive-date=6 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806004420/http://www.bigdreamcinema.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref> | released = {{Film date|df=yes|2015|10|29|IFFK|2016|06|17 |Kerala}} | runtime = 106 minutes | country = India | language = Malayalam | budget = {{INRConvert|20|l}} | gross = }}
'''''Ozhivu Divasathe Kali''''' (English title: '''''An Off-Day Game''''') is a 2015 Indian Malayalam indie drama film directed by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, based on the short story of the same name by Unni R.<ref name="Hindustan times review">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-cinema/an-off-day-game-a-gripping-tale-of-corruption/story-uGn87sMO1W8LEJwReM9hOJ.html|title= A gripping tale of corruption|newspaper=Hindustan Times|location= Panaji, India|date=22 November 2015}}</ref> The film follows five middle-aged men who get together for a booze party during an election holiday in Kerala. It won the 46th Kerala State Film Award for Best Film.<ref name="Ozhivudivasathe Kali adjudged Best film">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kerala-state-film-awards/article8300123.ece|title= 'Charlie' sweeps Kerala State film awards; 'Ozhivudivasathe Kali' adjudged Best film|website=The Hindu|location= Trivandrum, India|date=1 March 2016}}</ref> The film was included in The Hindu's top 25 Malayalam films of the decade and is widely regarded as one of the defining movies of the Malayalam New Wave.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Nagarajan|first=Saraswathy|date=2019-12-19|title=The 25 best Malayalam films of the decade: 'Premam', 'Maheshinte Prathikaram', 'Kumbalangi Nights' and more|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/the-25-best-malayalam-films-of-the-decade-premam-maheshinte-prathikaram-kumbalangi-nights-and-more/article30349548.ece|access-date=2021-07-12|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>
The film was initially showcased at the festival circuits in October 2015, including the International Film Festival of Kerala and the Mumbai Film Festival. It has only 70 shots, with the second half just a single shot. Under Aashiq Abu's initiative, the film got a limited theatrical release in Kerala on 17 June 2016.<ref name="Release on June 17">{{cite news|url=http://www.onlookersmedia.in/comingsoon/ozhivu-divasathe-kali-to-release-on-june-17|title= Ozhivu Divasathe Kali to release on June 17|website=Onlookersmedia.in|date=18 May 2016}}</ref><ref name="Aashiq Abu to distribute Ozhivudivasathe Kali">{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/the-twain-seem-to-meet/article8658159.ece|title= The twain seem to meet|website=The Hindu|date=28 May 2016}}</ref>
==Synopsis== On an election holiday, five friends get together for a booze party. The whole movie is about how they drink, make fun of each other, their fights and arguments and what they do throughout the day. Tired and bored in arguments they plan to play a game. A game they used to play in their childhood.<ref name="Anoffdaygame">{{cite web|url=http://www.anoffdaygame.com/#1|title=Synopsis|website=Anoffdaygame.com|access-date=6 December 2015|archive-date=12 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160112130420/http://www.anoffdaygame.com/#1|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The five of them play find the thief game. Words "cop", "robber", "king", "minister" are written in pieces of paper chits, rolled and thrown. Each one have to pick up a paper and whoever gets the cop will have to guess the one whonis the thief. Punishment will be given to the thief if correctly identified or the cop if he fails to identify the thief.
First couple of rounds of the game go smooth, albeit unplanned. The third round takes an unexpected turn where the friends kill the one who got the theif chit. The friends in a drunken state still think its a part of their game and laugh as they leave the dead man.
==Cast== *Nisthar Sait as ''Dharman'' *Baiju Netto as ''Dasan'' *Girish Nair as ''Thirumeni'' *Pradeep Kumar as ''Vinayan'' *Reju R Pillai as ''Narayanan'' *Abhija Sivakala as Geetha *Arun Nair as ''Ashokan'' *Sridhar P.U. as ''Ganeshan''
==Development and production== The film is based on the story of well-known short story writer Unni R. The story has been successfully adopted to make political satire. There was no script while shooting the film. The film has some unique features because of this making pattern.<ref name="Deccanan Chronicle">{{cite news|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/150704/entertainment-mollywood/article/treating-films-new-way-0|title=Treating films in a new way|newspaper=Deccan Chronicle|location=Thiruvananthapuram, India|date=4 July 2015}}</ref> All the dialogues are evolved due to improvisations and it contains some fine long takes. One of the lengthy shots conceived in the film is 53 minutes.
==Reception==
===Critical response=== Charu Nivedita called this film, 'a miracle in Indian cinema'.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://newsable.asianetnews.tv/south/charu-nivedita-ozhivu-divasathe-kali | title=This ₹20 lakh Malayalam film is among India's finest ever | work=Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd }}</ref> Deborah Young of The Hollywood Reporter gave a positive review, saying that "''The classic buddy movie is cleverly revisited with a critical eye on Indian politics and society... Sasidharan builds suspense all the way to the sickening climax.''"<ref>{{cite web|title='An Off-Day Game': Mumbai Review|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/an-day-game-mumbai-review-836260|author=Deborah Young|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=2 November 2015|access-date=8 June 2016}}</ref> Gautaman Bhaskaran of the Hindustan Times gave a positive review. He called the film "''a griping tale of corruption''" and concluded by saying "An Off-Day Game, finally, is a brutal look at the way the Constitution is used for the benefit of some, at the way caste politics and colour prejudices have been wrecking our lives."<ref>{{cite web|title=An Off-Day Game: A gripping tale of corruption|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-cinema/an-off-day-game-a-gripping-tale-of-corruption/story-uGn87sMO1W8LEJwReM9hOJ.html|author=Gautaman Bhaskaran|newspaper=Hindustan Times|date=22 November 2015|access-date=8 June 2016}}</ref> After the 17the of June theatrical release, G. Ragesh of Manorama Online gave a favorable review with a 3 stars out of 5. Ragesh concluded with "''Ozhivu Divasathe Kali must be watched as a political movie, but without any prejudice. It's a deliberate take on hypocrisies in the society, an entertaining trial in which you would find yourself either in the spot of the victim or the culprit''."<ref>{{cite web|title='An Off-Day Game': Mumbai Review|url=http://english.manoramaonline.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/ozhivu-divasathe-kali-movie-review.html|website=Manorama Online|date=17 June 2015|access-date=19 June 2016}}</ref>
==Awards and accolades== * FIPRESCI Award for the Best Malayalam film in the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK)<ref name="Indiatoday">{{cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/pti-feed/story/malayalam-film-sweeps-all-iffk-awards-529359-2015-12-11|title=Malayalam film sweeps all IFFK awards|publisher=Indiatoday|date=11 December 2015}}</ref> *Kerala State Film Award for Best Film - 2015 *Kerala State Film Award for Best Sound Recordist - 2015 * Official Selection in International Film Festival of Kerala IFFK2015<ref name="newindianexpress">{{cite news|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/Nine-Malayalam-Movies-at-IFFK--2015/2015/10/12/article3075226.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123231821/http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/Nine-Malayalam-Movies-at-IFFK--2015/2015/10/12/article3075226.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 November 2015|title=Nine Malayalam Movies at IFFK- 2015|publisher=The New Indian Express}}</ref><ref name="Malayalam Cinema">{{cite news|url=http://www.iffk.in/index.php?page=malayalamcinema_15/|title=Malayalam Cinema Today|publisher=Kerala State Chalachitra Academy}}</ref> * Official Selection in Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image MAMI2015<ref name="mumbaifilmfestival">{{cite news|url=http://www.mumbaifilmfestival.com/f2-2.html|title=JIO MAMI WITH STAR INDIA|publisher=Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image}}</ref><ref name="Jamuura">{{cite news|url=http://www.jamuura.com/blog/mami-full-line-up-revealed-incl-some-of-the-best-fresh-work-from-india-the-world/|title=Mumbai Film Festival Full Line-up Revealed|publisher=Jamura.com|date=7 October 2015|archive-date=10 October 2015|access-date=6 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151010015947/http://www.jamuura.com/blog/mami-full-line-up-revealed-incl-some-of-the-best-fresh-work-from-india-the-world/|url-status=dead}}</ref> * Selection in Film Bazaar Recommends, Goa <ref name="filmbazaar buzzing">{{cite news|url=http://www.screendaily.com/news/whats-the-buzz-at-film-bazaar-2015/5097239.article|title= What's the buzz at Film Bazaar 2015?|publisher=screendaily.com|date=24 November 2015}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}} <!--- After listing your sources please cite them using inline citations and place them after the information they cite. Please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:REFB for instructions on how to add citations. --->
==External links== * {{IMDb title|4920960|An Off-Day Game}} * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ5qNvknPFc Official trailer]
{{KeralaStateFilmAwardBestFilm}}
Category:2015 films Category:2015 Malayalam-language films Category:Films directed by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan Category:Malayalam-language drama films Category:2015 Indian films Category:2015 drama films