Ustad Hotel (2012)

Ustad Hotel is a Malayalam drama directed by Anwar Rasheed from a script by Anjali Menon, set largely in Kozhikode. Faizal, known as Faizi (Dulquer Salmaan), trains to become a chef in Switzerland, a path his father Abdul Razak (Sidhique) firmly opposes. When a job offer comes up in the UK, his father takes away his passport to stop him from leaving, and Faizi is left to cook at the restaurant run by his grandfather Karim (Thilakan) in Kozhikode. Along the way he meets Shahana (Nithya Menen). Mamukkoya, Kunchan, Maniyanpilla Raju, Lena and Praveena appear in supporting roles. Food sits at the heart of the film, and Anjali Menon's screenplay draws on the local culture of Kozhikode and on Sufi philosophy. Listin Stephen produced it under Magic Frames, with music by Gopi Sundar, cinematography by Loganathan Srinivasan and editing by Praveen Prabhakar. Parts were shot on Kozhikode beach and in Rajasthan. Ustad Hotel released in theatres in June 2012 and was later remade in Kannada as Gowdru Hotel.