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{{short description|2013 Malayalam comedy caper film}}
{{More plot|date=March 2026}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2026}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2026}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Hotel California film poster.jpg
| caption = Poster
| director = Aji John
| writer = [[Anoop Menon]]
| producer = Josemon Simon
| starring = [[Jayasurya]]<br />Anoop Menon<br />[[Honey Rose]]<br />[[Maria Roy]]<br />[[Aparna Nair]]
| cinematography = Jithu Damodar
| editing = Zian Sreekanth
| music = Shaan Rahman
| studio = HASH cinema
| distributor = Jairaj Release
| released = {{film date|df=y|2013|5|3}}
| country = India
| language = Malayalam
}}
'''''Hotel California''''' is a 2013 Indian [[Malayalam]]-language [[crime caper]] film directed by Aji John and written by [[Anoop Menon]]. It stars [[Jayasurya]], Anoop Menon, [[Saiju Kurup]], [[Shankar (actor)|Shankar Panikkar]], [[Joju George]], [[Honey Rose]], [[Maria Roy]] and [[Aparna Nair]]. The film is produced by Josemon Simon under the banner of Jairaj Films and features music composed by [[Shaan Rahman]], cinematography by Jithu Damodar and editing by Xian. The film's title is derived from [[Hotel California|a song]] by [[Eagles (band)|Eagles]]. It was released on 3 May 2013, to mixed reviews.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 May 2013 |title='Hotel California' has its takers everywhere |url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/hotel-california-has-its-takers-everywhere-609991.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250810030629/https://www.news18.com/news/india/hotel-california-has-its-takers-everywhere-609991.html |archive-date=10 August 2025 |access-date=27 March 2026 |work=[[News18]] |language=en}}</ref>

==Plot==
The film begins with the City Police Commissioner Bharath Chandran jumping over the compound wall of a house who is having an affair with the house owner's wife. The house owner confronts the commissioner and beats and breaks his arm. It then shifts to a man at a friend's house asking where his friend and a don named Jimmy are, as there is work for him to do for the man. He reveals his work is to transport the counterfeit DVD of the upcoming releasing movie Hotel California and in which Jimmy has to transport it through the airport safely. It shifts to Kamala Nambiar a dancer practising dance receives a call informing that what she ordered is ready (It is not revealed what she ordered to audiences). It once again shifts to Aby Mathew a lusting married middle aged man, who contacts a pimp to have sex with a television actress named Swapna Joseph who agrees to have sex with him for a large sum of money. Then Sasi Pillai is shown talking about a hot topic for news reporting about the don named Airport Jimmy. In which it shifts to the scene of Airport Jimmy in high class bar.

==Cast==
{{cast listing|
*[[Jayasurya]] as Sulfur Jimmy alias Airport Jimmy
*[[Anoop Menon]] as Superstar Prem Sagar
*[[Honey Rose]] as Swapna Joseph
*[[Saiju Kurup]] in a dual role as:
**Tarun Singh Deol
**Rafeeq Kunjahammed
*Nikhil as Rafeeq Ahammed
*[[Maria Roy]] as Kamala Nambiar
*[[Shankar (actor)|Shankar]] as Aby Mathew
*[[Joju George]] as Bharath Chandran IPS
*[[P. Balachandran]] as Sasi Pillai
*[[Nandu (Malayalam actor)|Nandu]]
*[[Krishna (Malayalam actor)|Krishna]] as Rashid
*[[Sruthi Lakshmi]] as Linda Tharakan
*[[Thesni Khan]] as Sherly
*[[Sadiq (actor)|Sadiq]] as Ali
*[[Aparna Nair]] as Deepa Pillai
*[[Babu Namboothiri]] as Koshi
*[[Manikuttan]] as Sharat
*[[Sukumari]] as Rafeeq's mother
*[[Sudheesh]] as Bavutty
*[[Narayanankutty]] as Police Officer
*[[Nobi]] as Benny
*[[Krishna Praba]]
*Deepak Nair as Jiyad
*Deepu Parassala
*Kavitha Nair
*Romanch as Director Linguswamy
*Shibu Laban as Shibu
*[[Arun Cherukavil|Arun]]
*[[Kani Kusruti]] in a guest role
*Aji John as John
}}

==Production==
The combination of Anoop Menon and Jayasurya was joined again for the film named ''Pushpakavimaanam'', which is scripted by Anoop. The film was announced after the duo's ''[[Beautiful (2011 film)|Beautiful]]'', and was supposed to be directed by V.K. Prakash. Prakash was initially chosen to direct the film after the 2011 film ''Beautiful''. The director V.K. Prakash felt that such a big film wouldn't begun so soon, thus Anoop Menon bringing forth the script of ''[[Trivandrum Lodge]]'' for the director to start. With the director opting to helm ''Trivandrum Lodge'', Aji John was now chosen to direct ''Pushpakavimaanam''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sidhardhan |first=Sanjith |date=18 October 2012 |title=Anoop Menon and Jayasurya to team up again |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-18/news-and-interviews/34526738_1_anoop-menon-and-jayasurya-trivandrum-lodge-pushpakavimaanam |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729124124/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-18/news-and-interviews/34526738_1_anoop-menon-and-jayasurya-trivandrum-lodge-pushpakavimaanam |archive-date=29 July 2013 |access-date=3 January 2013 |website=[[The Times of India]] |language=en}}</ref> Jayasurya and Anoop Menon were already announced but many actors had been considered for the female lead roles and supporting roles in the film. [[Roma Asrani|Roma]] had opted out the role from ''Hotel California''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vipin |first=Manu |date=19 December 2012 |title=Roma checks into 'Hotel California' |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-19/news-and-interviews/35911457_1_malayalam-film-industry-roma-hotel-california |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012101436/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-19/news-and-interviews/35911457_1_malayalam-film-industry-roma-hotel-california |archive-date=12 October 2013 |access-date=6 January 2013 |website=[[The Times of India]] |language=en}}</ref>

The producers of the film had already set aside 2.5 million just for the shots inside aeroplanes and in airports. ₹60,000 was spent an hour for shooting in aeroplanes. Not many Malayalam films have been shot inside aeroplanes due to the formalities and the heavy expenses involved. The film's airport scenes in Kerala were shot in [[Cochin International Airport]] in January 2013.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Zachariah |first=Ammu |date=6 January 2013 |title=Hotel California shoot progresses |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-01-06/news-and-interviews/36173809_1_trivandrum-lodge-anoop-menon-hotel-california |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507150831/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-01-06/news-and-interviews/36173809_1_trivandrum-lodge-anoop-menon-hotel-california |archive-date=7 May 2013 |access-date=1 July 2013 |work=[[The Times of India]] |language=en}}</ref> The makers had set aside an extra 2.5 million for the shoot, since they will require five to six days of shoot; six to seven hours a day. The crew had earlier checked out the aeroplane set at the Ramoji Film City, but what the crew were looking for were something bigger. The film's story unfolds in the business class of the plane.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Prakash |first=Asha |date=28 January 2013 |title='Hotel California' pays heavily for aeroplane shoot |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/malayalam/news-and-interviews/Hotel-California-pays-heavily-for-aeroplane-shoot/articleshow/18206554.cms?referral=PM |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140629120434/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/malayalam/news-and-interviews/Hotel-California-pays-heavily-for-aeroplane-shoot/articleshow/18206554.cms?referral=PM |archive-date=29 June 2014 |access-date=27 March 2026 |website=[[The Times of India]] |language=en}}</ref>

== Soundtrack ==
The music was composed by Shaan Rahman.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 August 2014 |title=Hotel California (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Single |url=https://music.apple.com/in/album/hotel-california-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/908532123 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20260328000300/https://music.apple.com/in/album/hotel-california-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/908532123 |archive-date=28 March 2026 |access-date=23 March 2026 |website=[[Apple Music]] |language=en}}</ref> Lyrics were written by Anoop Menon.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hotel California (2013) |url=https://en.msidb.org/m.php?7359 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221201153951/https://en.msidb.org/m.php?7359 |archive-date=1 December 2022 |access-date=23 March 2026 |website=en.msidb.org |language=en}}</ref>

{{Track listing
| headline = Track listing
| extra_column = Singer(s)
| title1 = Ee Raavin
| length1 =
| lyrics1 =
| extra1 = Shaan Rahman
| title2 = Manju Theerum
| length2 =
| lyrics2 =
| extra2 = [[Vijay Yesudas]]
| title3 = Njaanoru Vedan
| length3 =
| lyrics3 =
| extra3 = Shaan Rahman
| title4 = Welcome to Hotel California
| note4 = instrumental
| length4 =
| lyrics4 =
| extra4 = –
}}

== Reception ==
Aswin J Kumar of ''[[The Times of India]]'' rated the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and wrote, "''Hotel California'' might be able to generate a few chuckles even with its lewd taste. But when it comes to loving a film as a whole, it falls flat".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kumar |first=Aswin J |title=Hotel California Movie Review |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movie-reviews/hotel-california/movie-review/19892913.cms |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250528152250/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movie-reviews/hotel-california/movie-review/19892913.cms |archive-date=28 May 2025 |access-date=23 March 2026 |website=[[The Times of India]] |language=en}}</ref> Paresh C Palicha of [[Rediff.com]] rated the film one out of five stars and wrote, "''Hotel California'' has no plot and look like a half baked effort from director Ali John".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Palicha |first=Paresh C |date=6 May 2013 |title=Review: Ignore Hotel California |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/south-review-ignore-hotel-california/20130506.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230301021845/https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/south-review-ignore-hotel-california/20130506.htm |archive-date=1 March 2023 |access-date=23 March 2026 |website=[[Rediff.com]] |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title}}

[[Category:2013 crime comedy films]]
[[Category:2013 Indian films]]
[[Category:2013 Malayalam-language films]]
[[Category:Films about lookalikes]]
[[Category:Films directed by Aji John]]
[[Category:Films scored by Shaan Rahman]]
[[Category:Films set in airports]]
[[Category:Films shot at Ramoji Film City]]
[[Category:Films shot in Dubai]]
[[Category:Films shot in Kochi]]
[[Category:Films shot in Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Indian crime comedy films]]

Hotel California (film) - Revision history

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