Randamoozham

After years of speculation, looks like novel Randamoozham is going to be made as a movie. We as fans of MT and Randamoozham cannot comprehend how topic that vast and canvas that big could be made into a movie. But we are sure that MT being MT will come up with a fitting screen version.

Bheema is all set for a new act. Nearly three decades after M.T. Vasudevan Nair’s masterpiece novel ‘Randamoozham’ (Second Turn), floored Malayalis, the Pandava warrior from the Mahabharata is eyeing the big screen.
M.T.’s celebrated novel is going to be made into a film by Hariharan. M.T. is working on the script, even as Hariharan is doing his own homework for what is perhaps the most ambitious project of the writer-director duo in their association of over 30 years.['Randamoozham' to make its screen debut]

The announcement about the movie has led to furious discussions and intense speculation about casting of this  movie in various film forums and webs sites and in public minds. As  we said earlier, being huge fans of this novel do not want nothing but the best set of actors to enact  the various characters of this novel. We are curious to know your take on who should do the following characters:

• Bheeman
• Draupadi
• Arjunan
• Yudhishtiran
• Vidurar
• Krishnan
• Kunti
• Karnan

Update (May 8th): If your comment has to be approved, you need to provide your suggestions for all the characters listed above. This is to make the “M” fans stretch their brains a bit. Earlier comments have not been deleted.

As the legend goes,  blue lotus blooms as a sign of god’s  answer to one’s prayers.  Movie lovers in Kerala been praying for good cinema for a while and we were hoping that Lal Jose’s Neelathamara would be the answer.  Reading the reviews we are not 100% sure about it as the opinion is divided. The story of a maid servant falling in love with the rich boy might have been new in the 70s, but it is no longer so. We had many variations of theme, among which Nandanam is our favorite.

So even though there is nothing new in the story for the viewer in 2009, what is unique is Lal Jose’s treatment, the new actors which the movie introduces, Vijay Ulakanathan’s camera work, and Vidyasagar’s melodious music[Read Neelathamara's music review by Vivek Ranjit here].

Nowrunning.com says:

Kailash is my pick of the lot, when it comes to the performers in the film. He is as much a hot blooded, charismatic and flirtatious youngster of the 70′s as one can be. Confident and remarkably talented, this young actor is one who would be around for a long time to come. Archana is every bit the demure, coy village girl and the innocent sweetheart. Samvrutha puts up a starkly moving performance that should count among the best that she has come up with till now in her career.

Lal Jose is the man when it comes to creating verse on screen. Beautifully shot, Neelathamara has been conceptualized with an effervescent artistry. Vijay Ulakanathan’s camera work is nothing short of brilliant. The three songs that have been set to tune by Vidyasagar are mind blowingly melodious to say the least.

Neelathamara does make an effort to wedge itself into today’s world. And I would grant it to Lal Jose and his team for having done the best with a theme that felt right three decades back.

Hindu offers some interesting tidbits:

Where the first ‘Neelathamara’ ends, the present one opens. The remake is actually the flashback. MT has woven a topical twist to his old script which jells well. Sreedevi Unni who dons the mother’s role stands out for her natural acting.

Archana Kavi has that vulnerable look and understated emotions that go well with rural girls. The male protagonist is played by Kailash. The smaller characters like the caretaker, the man under the banyan tree and the old servant leave an impression with the viewer.

Rainmaker’s review:

Lal Jose has done justice to the script written perhaps a bit too much as well. His handling of the sequences is true with the pace of the story. He has been able to extract creditable performances from the cast especially new comers. Cinematography is superb and one of the best reasons to watch the movie. Lighting is superbly done in night sequences. It looks poetic. Music is lilting with ‘Anuraga’ being one of the best melodies of the year. The Ghazal during the sad sequences is aesthetically shot. There is no injection of unwanted comedy, drama to increase the length. Its sharp as much as the script demands. 1 hour and 45 odd minutes.

Rediff.com comments:

The performance of newcomers Archana and Kailash comes very close to be called enchanting. Archana shows the class of a veteran displaying requisite vulnerability spontaneously. Her expressions and body language convey more than her dialogues. We just hope that this is just the beginning of a long innings. Kailash displays the haughtiness of the male of yesteryears who believes that he is a superior being. He may initially miss being a chocolate boy hero. But, he will surely come on his own as time goes by. Rima’s role as Ammini — Kunjimalu’s sounding board — is insignificant and not well chiselled as one would expect. Or was it truncated on the editor’s table?

All in all, Neelathamara, is lush film without a solid core.

IndiaGlitz gushes about it:

M T seems to be in his familiar terrain, with precise, crisp but powerful dialogues. Interlaced with themes of sensuality, infidelity and sincere romance, the director has created a visual marvel with the aid of cinematographer Vijay Ulaganath and art director Gokuldas. The flashback really gives the feel of ‘being there’, with its realistic settings and greenish tones. Recreation of the early eighties with minute detailing, from that cigarette packs to note books, tape recorders and newspapers is a definitely applaudable directorial stuff. Lal Jose and his regular crew once again displays why they are called as masters of mainstream Mollywood.

With a duration of just 110 minutes, ‘Neelathamara’ races steadily asking the viewers to want for more. Sticking to that impeccable styles of M T, with a little more directorial and technical finesse than some veterans who usually handle M T scripts and with loads of understated but impactful substories and strains, this is definitely a must watch for a serious movie lover. The coming weeks of the movie at the box office will prove, how far the current generation has equipped themselves to get on to the range that an M T script and visuals offer. Hat’s off to Lal Jose and his team to prove that young makers are still here to bring back the splendour of that eighties.

Image courtesy: rediff.com

Wait was worth! For Malayalam cinema, it’s history in making – literally. The forgotten story of a prince, barely mentioned in our history books comes alive through the brilliant writing of MT, the majestic acting of Mammotty and direction of Hariharan. We hope that the producer recovers his investment.

Nikhil writes:

The movie portrays some of the revolts which the Company collectively called the Pychy(Pazhassi/Cotiote) Revolts. These revolts were against the unscrupulous and commercial administration of the company. The siege and the loot of Pazhassi Kovilakom by the company threw Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja(Mammootty)and his wife into a life in exile. Pazhassi Rajah’s ability to mobilize Kurichyar (tribals) and Muslims against the company goes on in the background. Every scene is so meticulously shot and the flow so smooth that you would fail to realize that the movie is 200 minute long.We should be thankful to Venu and Ramanath Shetty  for the gifting a visual treat. The battle scenes look stunning and captivates your eyes,ears and mind. Resul Pookkutty’s sound recording makes you ask if an SDM can get him an Oscar,what will he win for PR?

Mammootty does not portray a larger than life character but handles the character soberly,with finesse and perfection. More than Mammooty,I liked Sharat Kumar in the movie. He was very much apt for the role of Edachena Kungan,the army commander. His physique and histrionic skills leave him hand in glove with the role. It was his influence that brought in Thalakkal Chanthu(Leader of the Kurichyar tribe)(Manoj K Jayan)and the tribals into Pazhassi’s fold. The guerrilla war scenes involving Neeli(Padmapriya)(Chanthu’s fiancee), Thalakkal Chanthu are splendidly executed.

Ratheesh Comments:

Leading a period film like Pazhassi Raja, on a vast canvas with numerous stars and supporting cast and technicians, might have been an extremely strenuous task; I suppose Pazhassi Raja might have required much more project management skills from director Hariharan than any other Malayalam movie made before. And he has to be appreciated for the end product. Frames of Pazhassi Raja are a beauty to watch. There is a scene in the film where we see the interior walls of a palace with beautiful murals painted on it (I guess they were made specially for the movie), and the sunlight reflecting from a small pond creating interesting patterns on the walls. The British have come to capture Pazhassi Raja from his palace, and we know the scene is not going to be a very peaceful one; but it is the beauty of the visuals that attracted my attention even in scenes like this. Hariharan, along with his art director and photographer, has taken great pains to make this visual splendor consistent throughout the movie. Another area to worth mention is the appearance and performances of all the lead actors. It was amazing to see Mammootty, who might be in his mid fifties, playing the main role and looking just like the warrior prince of our imagination, as if coming straight out of a painting in almost every scene.

sify.com says:

Hariharan and MT Vasudevan Nair have proved their brilliance when they team up several times before and once again, they underline their eminence, with a genuine effort. The technical aspects like Ramanath Shetty’s cinematography, Ravi Dewan’s action, Resul Pookkutty’s sound and Sreekar Prasad’s editing have also succeeded in taking to a different level.

Yes, there are aspects which one feels could have been better,like Ilayaraja’s music but the film as a whole is good enough that makes us forget those flaws. Critics might say that the film has taken some cinematic liberties and in fact it does but on the whole it is engaging and entertaining.

Gems like these happen only once in a while and when it does, never give it a miss. Two big thumbs up for this masterpiece of our times!

Rediff comments:

M T Vasudevan Nair’s script has lots of cinematic moments that give scope to use Mamootty’s megastar image to good use as a person who uses the capability of people from different sections of society to fight the foreign intruders.

Pazhassi who has been termed as revolutionary by the British uses techniques of guerrilla warfare against them. For this he avails the expertise of tribals lead by Thalakkal Chanthu (Manoj K Jayan). There are other people also who unflinchingly support him like Edachena Kunkan (Sarath Kumar), who is his commander-in-chief.

This film is technically several notches above the standard fare offered in Malayalam cinema. It would not be an exaggeration if we say that it is comparable to the best in Indian cinema.

The camera work by Venu and Ramanath Shetty give the film a sleek look. The action sequences remind us of the internationally acclaimed Chinese martial art movies of recent times like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero.

Mamootty may be the hero of this film but, he does not hog the limelight. There is ample scope for other stars like Sarath Kumar and even Manoj K Jayan to exhibit their histrionic skills and use their star aura.

berlytharangal says

According to NowRunning.com:

Hariharan’s film is truly a masterpiece in that it has the manner, matter and mood of a monumental epic, in the finest sense of the word. This is no ordinary film that tells the story of a hero; rather, it’s a stellar celluloid piece that vividly recaptures every moment in history, never for a moment losing out on the human drama, never compromising on its immense scope or scale, never ever letting go of its elaborate craft and detail.

The film is full of invigorating battle sequences that literally involve a mammoth cast of hundreds and hundreds of people. Magnificently staged, they feel real, and mounted on a giant-scale entertainment canvas, this is perhaps the first time ever that a Malayalam film awes you on account of its visual brilliance. There are any number of spectacular sequences here that would surprise you on account of their visceral energy.

The PFC review says:

Mammootty proves that he is indeed a director’s delight. He plays the Raja, who is supposed be in his fifties, with such gait and maturity that we are astounded at the resourcefulness of this actor. There are very few moments where he gets emotionally disturbed, very few words he speaks. Strikingly different from what we expect out of such an actor, who delivers fireworks most of the time. That, in fact, is why we love this medium, isn’t it? When such creative geniuses turning the table, and setting their own terms of engagement with the audience. A shot where Pazhassi watches from atop a hill, far away from the site of the battle, as the British barricades fortress explodes in the midst of dense green forest. Yes, Mammootty, MT and Hariharan declare, this is our interpretation of Pazhassi, leave yours at home.

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(Note: We have been getting  lot of comments these days that we just stole the wikipedia content and pasted it here. These comments have said that this is “typical mallu” behavior. Since these people seem to have discovered Internet yesterday, here are some clarifications: Can’t you consider for a moment that our article was so good that we edited the Wikipedia page and added it? Difficult to believe? Wikipedia being edited by “typical Mallus” ?  How can that happen?

Our article was posted on June 1, 2007 (see the url of this post).  This is the Wikipedia Pazhassi article as of July 12, 2007. Now notice what happens on 25th January 2008. See who made the edits? Can’t believe eh? One more thing: There is another Wikipedia page on Pazhassi Raja Movie. Guess who created the page?)

The late 17th century was a time of wars for the British. The Americans had declared Independence in 1776 and  the French Revolution happened between 1789 and 1799. King George III ruled Britain while John Adams was the President of United States in the 1790s. In India at that time, the Marathas and Mysore were fighting the British. It was at this time that Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja revolted against the British in Kerala. We at Varnachitram.com were lamenting about lack of historicals in Malayalam and it’s exciting to know that this exhilarating chapter of history is being captured on the celluloid.

In their fight against Tipu Sultan, Pazhassi Raja had helped the British, but following the Mysore withdrawal, their relationship fell apart. His fight was not a freedom struggle, but was triggered by the British taxation rules and the first revolt happened between 1793 and 1797. It is at this point that standard text books mention him and little is known about his early life.

When Kerala was ruled by the folks from Mysore, Tipu and Haider, their officers used to collect taxes directly from the farmers bypassing the land lords, but he British changed this and decided to collect taxes directly from the Kings. The amount fixed as tax by the British was unreasonable and people did not have the capacity to pay that much. Faced with revolts from people, the kings were unable to collect the taxes.

After Tipu left, the British ignored Pazhassi Raja and gave the land around Kottayam to his uncle on lease. This insult to Kerala Varma, who was loved by his people, also helped in triggering the revolt. Pazhassi Raja stopped collecting taxes in Kottayam and this upset the British. Since the king was popular, they could not do anything but stop collecting tax for a year, but to add more insult, they extended the lease given to his uncle for another five years. On June 28, 1795, Pazhassi Raja challenged the British by stopping all tax collection and giving refuge to people who were who were considered revolutionaries by the British.

The Army was deployed in Kottayam and troops under Lt. Gordon tried to arrest the king in his palace, but he had already escaped. The British negotiated with him and allowed him to return, but another misunderstanding caused him to flee again to the mountains of Wynad. In case you are wondering why Pazhassi would flee to Wynad from Kottayam, it should be understood that Pazhassi belonged to the Kottayam Royal Family which is near Thalassery in Kannur district.

Showing that there are no permanent enemies or friends, he sought the help from Mysore, from the same people he helped the British fight. 1797 saw a series of revolts resulting in the loss of lives for many British soldiers and they were forced to withdraw. With an army of thousands of Nairs, Pazhassi inflicted such defeat on the British that they were forced to retreat and negotiate. The lease with his uncle was canceled and Pazhassi agreed to live peacefully with the British.

In 1799, after the fall of Srirangapatnam, the British decide to take over Wynad which Pazhassi claimed as his own. The peace treaty was broken and with an army of Nairs and Muslims, Pazhassi decided to wage a guerilla war from the mountains of Wynad. The fighting started in June of 1800, and the British strategy was to isolate Pazhassi from his Southern Malabar supporters. They succeeded and Pazhassi was left roaming in the forests with his wife and few supporters.

His supporters like Chuzhali Nambiar, Peruvayal Nambiar and Kannavathu Shankaran Nambiar were caught and hanged, but this did not halt Pazhassi. In 1802 Edachena Kangan Nair and Thalakkal Chanthu captured Panamaram Fort and killed the 70 British soldiers there and this victory brought a new vigor to the resistance movement.

An increase in tax at this stage upset the local population which rose in revolt. The Pazhassi soldiers made use of this and inflicted more damage on the British. Besides this the British troops caught diseases and it looked like they were in deep trouble.

Thomas Harvey Babar, a young British officer came as the sub collector of Thalassery in 1804 and was assigned the responsibility of suppressing the Pazhassi revolution. In April, he issued a directive making it illegal for the local population to help the revolutionaries and  he also mandated that the British should be informed about the movements of the revolutionaries. On June 16th, a reward was announced for the capture of Pazhassi and his commanders and soon Thalakkal Chanthu was captured. On Nov 30, 1805, Pazhassi was shot dead.

His body was taken back with respect by the British and cremated, but his death bought an end to the resistance movement. The other leaders either committed suicide or left the country. Though the Pazhassi movement was suppressed, the British did not have peaceful times, for in Kochi and Travancore, Paliyathachan and Velu Thampi Dalava were just warming up.

Photo courtesy: Sify.com

Even though Kalaripayattu maybe more popular outside Kerala, movies based on the subject have always fascinated Malayalis. “Chanthu”, “Othenan”, “Unniyarcha” and “Aringodar” are all on a first name basis with us. Out of the Vadakkanpaatu movies, Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha was the most notable one since it saw the coming together of three people – each veterans in their own fields – MT Vasudevan Nair, arguably the most eminent living Malayalam writer today, Mammotty the Megastar and Hariharan who did classics like Panchagni, Armitham Gamaya and Nakhashatangal.

Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha came to the theaters in 1989 and the protagonist, Chanthu Chekavar, was played by Mammotty. The movie boasted of an impressive star cast – Suresh Gopi as Aromal Chekavar, Madhavi as Unniyarcha, Geetha as Kunjunnooli, Balan K Nair as Kannappan Chekavar and Capatain Raju as Aringodar. Mammotty was simply brilliant as Chanthu – one really had to feel for his character – a man “more sinned against than sinning” and Suresh Gopi played the conceited character of Aromal Chekavar to perfection.

Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha was a landmark in Malayalam cinema and a fitting successor to the the other Kalaripayattu-based based movies such as “Palattu koman“, “Kannappanunni” and “Thacholi Othenan“. History said that Chanthu, the protagonist was a “chathiyan” – when he was accused of cheating in the duel between Aringodar and Aromal Unni. However MT Vasudevan Nair, along with Hariharan, portrayed Chanthu as a tragic-hero, a victim of circumstances and the movie turned to a big hit and appreciated by the mass and critics alike. It won the National Award for Mammotty.

The USP of the movie was undoubtedly its script – by MT. The best dialogues were reserved for Mammootty. These dialogues became such a hit that they ended up being mouthed by umpteen mimicry artists. Parodies came out. Chanthu became one of the most imitated “items” on stage.

The songs, all melodies, were penned by K Jayakumar IAS and composed by another veteran – Bombay Ravi. The best song was Chandana lepa Sugandham sung by Yesudas (The song was such a hit that it was often sung at competitions. I remember when I was at school at the time, no less than four people – including yours truly – tried to exhibit their vocal skills on stage by singing this song – but all of us met the same disastrous result) Even though Chanthu was widely perceived as a cheat, MT’s portrayal resulted in Vadakkan Veeragatha becoming a massive hit.
As is the norm these days, a sequel to the movie is being made – “Payyamveli Chanthu” – which brings together, the MT-Hariharan-Mammotty trio. Ironically, when there is a paucity of producers and distributors, whenever a big budget movie is involved, this one had no less than THREE producers vying for each other to produce the movie. Finally Liberty Basheer is the winner.

Naturally the expectations from the movie would be as gargantuan as the sets that need to be erected for this sequel. The only solace for Liberty Basheer is that he need not go location hunting in New Zealand/Dubai/London/ Singapore for shooting songs in this movie. Rather he can do it in some “mana” or beside some “kolam”.

Incidentally, Payyamveli Chanthu, bears no relation to “Chathiyan” Chanthu. He was believed to have been associated with Pazhassi Raja and is supposedly mentioned in the Malabar Manual written by William Logan, who was an authority on the subject. The movie will hit the theatres next Vishu.

Also see: Will they be able to recreate the magic

Compared to other film industries in India, Malayalam cinema has always maintained an excellent standard mainly due to brilliance of a handful of talented story writers and directors. As they wove celluloid magic, it raised the standards of viewers as well as the aspiring directors and writers. In this article we look at the careers of few writers who turned directors like M.T.Vasudevan Nair, Padmarajan, Lohithadas, Renjith, Renji Panicker, Srinivasan and others.

In the past we had some eminent writers from Malayalam literary world writing for Malayalam cinema. Gnanpith award winner M.T.Vasudevan Nair is eminent figure in Malayalam literature and stories and screenplays of some of the best Malayalam movies came from his pen. M.T. wrote his first screenplay in 1969 for the movie Olavum Theeravum, directed by P.N.Menon. Later in 1973 he decided to direct his own story for Nirmalyam, which went on to win a host of state and National awards. He directed few more movies (Mohiniattam,Varikuzhi, Manju, Kadavu) including one as recently as in 2000 (Oru Cheru Punchiri).

It’s interesting to note that the movies directed by MT usually wins a lots awards as well as critical acclaim whereas movies directed by other directors on stories written by MT usually perform very well in box office. Off late he’s not very active in this field. Directors are willing to give an arm or a leg to get MT’s screenplays to direct.

P.Padmarajan was a noted writer before he ventured into cinema and his first novel Nakshathrangalaey Kaaval won the Kerala Sahithya Academy award in 1972. His first venture, Peruvazhiambalam, as director and writer, in 1979 won national and state awards. After that he wrote for other directors(Kanamarayathu, Rathinirvedam, Thakara), as well as directed his stories himself (Aparan, Innale, Thoovana Thumbikal, Moonnampakkam).

He’s the one person whose movies were succesful whether he was the director or just writer. His death in 1991 coincided with the end of the best period for Malayalam cinema.

Lohithadas is another talented writer-director. His wrote the screenplay of Thaniyavarthanam in 1987 which was directed by Sibi Malayil. That team went on to create hits after hits afther that (Kireedom, Dasaratham, His Highness Abdullah, Bharatham). He wrote for other directors also, like Amaram, directed by Bharathan. In 1997 Lohithadas decided to go solo and he wrote and directed the movie Karunyam which was followed by Bhoothakkannadi (1997), Ormacheppu (1998), Kanmadam (1998), Arayannegalude Veedu (2000), Joker (2000), Soothradharan (2001), Kasthuriman (2003), Chakram (2003).

Lohithadas the director was not as succesful as Lohithadas the writer. None of the movies he directed became superhits. Some of them found average success while some of them didn’t do well. The person affected most by Lohithadas taking up director’s mantle was Sibi Malayil for his career was never the same after the breakup.

As a writer Renjith has amazing range for he has written comedies (Peruvannapurathe Viseshangal), action (Devasuram, Narasimham), emotional dramas (Maya Mayooram, Krishnagudiyil Oru Pranayakalathu), contemporary/social issues (Shubha Yatra) and that cute movie Nandanam. He had teamed up with a wide range of directors like Kamal, Sibi Malayil, and Shaji Kailas Then in 2001 he decided to direct the sequel of Devasuram, called Ravanaprabhu, by himself. Except for Ammakilikoodu he never wrote for any other director after that.

Renji Panikkar’s writing career started in 1991 with Aakasha Kottayile Sultan. In 1993 he teamed up with Shaji Kailas to create Sthlathe Pradhana Payyans. He found his true forte, contemporary political dramas and teamed up with Shaji Kailas to give explosive hit after hit (Mafia, Ekalavyan,Commissioner) and the careers of Shaji Kailas and Suresh Gopi blossomed along with that.

The last movie of Shaji-Renji was The King in 1995. They went in separate path for unknown reasons and Shaji Kailas didn’t see a hit again. Renji teamed up with Joshi to give a few hits and a huge miss (Dubai in 2001). In 2005 he came back with a bang as a director with movie Bharathchandran I.P.S revitalising the career of Suresh Gopi

Other writers who turned to direction include Srinivasan, Ranjan Pramod and Rafi-Mecartin. Some of these writer-directors didn’t find success in their new avatars. Lohithadas had a decent hit in Joker, but rest of his directorial ventures didn’t do well. Renjith tasted success in Nandanam and Ravanaprabhu, but rest of the movies he directed were average hits or flops. Rafi-Mecartin had hits in Punjabi House and Thenkasi Pattanam, but their later movies didn’t do well.

Some of them are coming back to where they started first – writing. Lohithadas is writing a screenplay for Pramod Pappan, Renjith is writing for Joshi, Rafi-Mecartin duo is writing for Shafi. So for directors like Shaji Kailas and Sibi Malayil, there might be still something left in their careers to look forward to.

It is a time of reunion in Malayalam cinema. This time it is the turn of the team behind ‘Kireedom’- one of the greatest films in Malayalam cinema history.

Mohanlal, who won a National award for his performance in the film, Sibi Malayil who shoot to fame with the film, Lohitha Das – the scriptwriter who tasted commercial success for the first time with Kireedom and the producer Unni who even came to be known as Kireedom Unni after the film’s phenomenal success, have agreed to work together on another project shortly.[Kireedom team unites again]