Thursday, September 25, 2008

MohanLal's Chithram

Chithram

Directed by Priyadarshan
Starring Mohanlal, Renjini
Music by Kannur Rajan
Release date(s) 1988
Language Malayalam

Chithram (Translation: Picture) is a 1988 movie directed by Priyadarshan. The movie was remade in Hindi as Chori Chori with Midhun Chakravorthy in the lead.The film ran for 366 days in regular shows and considering the long run of a movie,CHITHRAM is the biggest hit in malayalam cinema along with GODFATHER,which ran for 423 days but after 112 days godfather was reduced to matinee shows.

Plot

Kalyani (Renjini) is the daughter of a wealthy NRI, who has property in Kerala. Kalyani, brought up in Kerala by her uncle Kaimal (Nedumudi Venu), falls in love and decides to marry against the wishes of her father. When her boyfriend finds out that she will be disinherited, he ditches her at the altar.

After a short while, her father decides to retract his disapproval and spend a fortnight's vacation with his daughter and son-in-law. Because her father is already ill and because this may be his last vacation, Kalyani and Kaimal want to make it as happy for him as possible. They decide to conceal the fact that her boyfriend dumped her.

They hire Vishnu (Mohanlal) to play the part of the husband for a fortnight. Meanwhile, another of her uncles who is caretaker of the property and expected to inherit it when Kalyani was disinherited is determined not to let go without a fight. He knows that Vishnu is not Kalyani's boyfriend and suspects that he is only acting. He makes various botched attempts to prove this. Vishnu and Kalyani are not getting along and keep bickering.

Over time, Kalyani begins to fall in love with Vishnu and hopes to marry him for real. Meanwhile, they have a mysterious visitor in (M.G. Soman), who claims to be a relative of Vishnu.

Vishnu finally reveals the truth about his past to Kalyani. Vishnu is actually an escaped convict from a jail in which (M.G. Soman) is the warden. Vishnu is a photographer and he was married to Lizy, a deaf mute dancer. They also have a child. Vishnu discovers that a man was visiting his wife when he was not around and begins to suspect her fidelity.

Coming home one day, he finds the man there and tried to attack him. Lizy dies in the scuffle that follows and he discovers that the man is her brother who has been involved in illegal activities. He regrets his anger and confesses to murdeing his wife. He tells Kalyani that he escaped to make money for a surgery on his child. He also reveals that the warden has come to arrest him but has delayed the arrest till her father leaves.

After a happy fortnight, Kalyani's father returns to the US, Vishnu goes to jail where the gallows await him and Kalyani takes custody of his child.

Cast

Credits

Related Movies

  • Movies by the same director

Vandanam Akkare Akkare Akkare Kadathanadan Ambadi Kilukkam Alludugaru

  • Movies with the same personnel
Thoovanathumbikal

MohanLal's Irupatham Noottandu

Irupatham Noottandu

Directed by K Madhu
Starring Mohanlal Jagathy Suresh Gopi
Release date(s) 1987
Language Malayalam

Irupatham Noottandu is a Malayalam movie released in 1987 directed by K Madhu and featuring Mohanlal, Jagathy and Suresh Gopi.

Plot

The story is about Sagar alias Jacky (Mohanlal) & his accomplice Sekharankutty (Suresh Gopi). Ashwathy (Ambika) is a reporter for a newsmagazine looking to investigate the connection between politics and crime in Kerala. She is drawn to the life of Sagar alias Jacky (Mohanlal) who runs a clandestine gold smuggling business for Shekharankutty (Suresh Gopi), son of the State Chief Minister. Jacky is an enigmatic character who stops the smuggling business from growing because of ethical issues with narcotics, and spends his personal time pining for a girlfriend (Urvashi) who is serving time for murder. Aishwarya publishes a sensational article connecting Jacky to the Chief Minister, and pushes the uneasy relationship between Sekharankutty and Jacky into an open confrontation. Srinath & Jagathy also play important roles.

Credits

BOXOFFICE

made at a budget of 16 lakhs then.the film grossed 3crores in the boxoffice. it collected a a share of 1.60 crores

Trivia

  • Jagathy plays a sidekick to Sekharankutty who speaks Telegue every now and then.
  • A sequel has been announced for this movie named `Sagar Elias Jackey from Aasirvad film and proposed Director is Amal Neerad (Big B)

Mohanlal' Thalavattam

Thalavattam

Directed by Priyadarshan
Written by Priyadarshan
Starring Mohanlal, Karthika
Music by Reghu Kumar
Release date(s) 1986
Running time 147 min.
Language Malayalam

Thalavattam is a 1986 movie written and directed by Priyadarshan. Mohanlal plays the role of Vinod in this movie, loosely based on the Jack Nicholson hit One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Plot

Vinod (Mohanlal) becomes mentally ill after his girlfriend Anitha (Lisy), dies because of an electric short circuiting accident during a rock concert. Vinod is admitted into an institution managed by Dr. Ravindran (M.G. Soman).

With the help of Dr. Savithri (Karthika), who is Dr. Ravindran's daughter, and Dr. Unnikrishnan (Nedumudi Venu), Vinod slowly regains his memory and metal equilibrium. Savithri and Vinod fall in love. Dr. Ravindran has already arranged Savithri's marriage with Hari (Mukesh), so he opposes the lovers.

When he finds that Savithri and Vinod are adamant, Dr. Ravindran performs a surgery on Vinod that puts him into a state of coma. Dr. Unnikrishnan, feels that death would be preferable to this vegetative life and kills Vinod. He confronts Dr. Ravindran and confesses to the euthanasia. Savithri overhears the conversation, and loses her mental equilibrium. She is admitted into the same institution as a patient..

Cast

Credits

Related Movies

  • Movies by the same director

Kilukkam Chithram

  • Movies with the same personnel
Akkare Akkare Akkare Kilukkam

MohanLal's Manjil Virinja Pookkal

Manjil Virinja Pookkal

Directed by Fazil
Produced by Navodaya Appachan
Written by Fazil
Starring Shankar Mohanlal Poornima jayaram Nedumudi Venu
Music by Jerry Amaldev
Cinematography Ashok Kumar
Editing by T.R. Shekhar
Distributed by Navodaya Appachan
Release date(s) 1980
Language Malayalam
IMDb profile

Manjil Virinja Pookkal (Malayalam: മഞ്ഞില്‍ വിരിഞ്ഞ പൂക്കള്‍)is a Malayalam movie released in 1980 directed by Fazil and featuring newcomers Mohanlal, Poornima jayaram and Shankar.

Plot

The story is about Prem Kishan(Shankar) falling in love with a woman(Poornima jayaram) whom he knows very little about. Later on he realise that she was already married when her husband Narendran (Mohanlal) comes into picture. Mohanlal debut as the villain in this film, one of the many negative characters he has played in his early stages of career.

Credits

  • Produced by Navodaya Appachan
  • Original Music by Jerry Amaldev
  • Cinematography by Ashok Kumar
  • Film Editing by T.R. Shekhar
  • Lyricist: Bichu Thirumala

Trivia

  • The movie marked the debut of the actors Shanker and Mega star Mohanlal

Mohanlal's Narasimham

Narasimham

Narasimham
Directed by Shaji Kailas
Produced by Antony Perumbavoor
Written by Ranjith
Starring Mohanlal, Thilakan, Jagathy, Aiswarya, NF Vargheese, Kalabhavan Mani, Sai Kumar, Kanaka and Mammootty [Guest Role)
Release date(s) 2000
Language Malayalam
Budget 10 Crores.

Narasimham (also transliterated as Narashimham) is a Malayalam movie released in 2000 that became one of the top grossers in the Malayalam language film history.

Narasimham featured Megastar Mohanlal in the role of Induchoodan, who goes to prison for a crime which he has not committed. The punch line of the movie po mone, Dinesha was also very popular.

Mammootty made a cameo appearance in the movie enacting the role of a lawyer.

The film had a total of three songs tuned by M.G Radhakrishnan, of which "Dhaankinakkam" attained a high level of popularity.

Mohanlal' Vaanaprastham

Vaanaprastham

Directed by Shaji N. Karun
Produced by Mohanlal Pierre Assouline Suresh Balaji Guy Marignane
Written by Shaji N. Karun Reghunath Paleri Pierre Assouline (story)
Starring Mohanlal Suhasini Mani Ratnam Mattanoor Shankara Marar Kukku Parameshwaram Venmani Haridas Kalamandalam Gopi Venmani Vishnu
Music by Zakir Hussain
Cinematography Santosh Sivan Renato Berta
Editing by A. Sreekar Prasad Joseph Guinvarch
Release date(s) 1999
Running time 119 mins
Language Malayalam

Vaanaprastham (The Last Dance) (1999) is an Indo-French-German produced feature film, directed by Shaji N. Karun. The film is in Malayalam. It stars Mohanlal, Suhasini Mani Ratnam, and Mattanoor Shankara Marar. The film's music is composed by Zakir Hussain. The film was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival (AFI Fest) in 1999.

Plot

The story revolves around a male Kathakali dancer Kunhikuttan (Mohanlal), an admirable and respected performer but a member of a lower caste. He struggles to come to terms with the rejection and estrangement of his father, a member of an upper caste who disapproves of his son. Poor, unhappy, and stuck in an arranged marriage that provides no relief, he gets by for the sake of his daughter. One night, whilst performing as Arjuna from the epic Mahabarata on stage, his dance is witnessed by Subhadra (Suhasini), a well educated member of an upper caste family. Defying the norms of India's rigid caste system, they have a son, but it soon becomes clear that Subhadra loves the character Arjuna from his stage performances, and not Kunhikuttan the dancer. More in love with the valiant, noble hero of the Mahabarata, than the dancer Kunhikuttan, she rejects him and refuses to let him see his son. Denied access to his son, and rejected by his father, Kunhikuttan returns to the stage, leaving behind his hero roles to play demonic characters, reaching within the dark corners of his mind, becoming increasingly resentful and full of anger, until one last dance which brings the feature to a stunning end.

Awards

The film has been nominated for the following awards since its release:

1999 AFI Fest (USA)

The film has won the following awards since its release:

2000 Istanbul International Film Festival (Turkey)

2000 Bombay International Film Festival (India)

2000 National Film Awards (India)

MohanLal's Kireedam

Kireedam (1989 film)

Directed by Sibi Malayil
Produced by Dinseh Panicker
Written by Lohithadas
Starring Mohanlal, Thilakan, Murali, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Jagathy Sreekumar, Parvathi, Cochin Haneefa, Jagadeesh, Manian Pillai Raju, Sankaradi, Philomina, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Mamukkoya
Distributed by Seven Arts
Release date(s) 1989
Language Malayalam
Followed by Chenkol

Kireedam is a film directed by Sibi Malayil and written by Lohithadas; it's about a Keralite youth whose hopes and aspirations are shattered by a combination of fate and human failing. It explores how society typecasts individuals and forces them to act that part whether they like it or not. The word "Kireedam" means crown in Malayalam. The film continues the same theme from Sibi Malayil's earlier film Thaniyavartanam (which also had its screenplay by Lohithadas).

Plot

The story revolves around Sethumadhavan (Mohanlal), the son of Achuthan Nair (Thilakan), a Police Constable who wishes to make his son a Police Inspector one day. Sethu, a recent college graduate, has many opportunities to enter different fields but he goes with his father's dream of becoming an Inspector. Achuthan Nair gets transferred into a town whose residents are troubled by the rowdy Keerikkadan Jose (Mohan Raj). The police force in the town turns a blind eye to the acts of Keerikkadan Jose. One day Achuthan Nair gets information that Keerikkadan Jose is creating trouble in the market place. Being an honest police man he goes on site to investigate where he takes him on. Hearing of trouble Sethu too rushes to the market place. Achuthan Nair is no match for the goon and Sethumadhavan tries to intervene before his father gets killed. A fight ensues between Keerikkadan Jose and Sethumadhavan and both are arrested by the police. Since he managed to defeat the reigning rowdy, Sethumadhavan is typecast a rowdy by the people of the town.

After recovering, Keerikkadan Jose targets Sedhumadhavan and his family. With the police failing to protect him, Sethumadhavan is forced to fight for his life and ends up killing Keerikkadan.

Trivia

Writer Lohithadas got the idea for the film when he heard about an incident that happened in a village bar. A young man who recently moved to the area was having few drinks when the local 'gangster' walked into the bar. Everyone stood up to show respect, apart from this guy. Apparently there was an argument and fighting between the two and the gangster was beaten up really badly. When he realised who he had beaten up the guy left that village forever fearing for his life. Lohithadas decided to write a story imagining what would have happened if the guy had stayed on the village.

Mohanlal won the 1990 Indian National Award: Special Jury Award / Special Mention (Feature Film) for this film.

A sequel was released in 1993 titled Chenkol.

In 1993, Priyadarshan remade the film in Hindi as Gardish starring Jackie Shroff and Dimple Kapadia consolidating his Bollywood career.

In 2007, the film was again remade in Tamil as Kireedam starring Ajith and Trisha Krishnan under the banner of Anil Ambani's Adlabs Films.

Cochin Haneefa, who had played purely villan roles till then (1989), made his debut as a comedian in this film. He has played the same role in the tamil version now after 18 yrs.

The now-famous Malayalam singer,M. G. Sreekumar, a school friend of Mohanal and director, Priyadarshan, won critical acclaim and bagged the "Kerala State Award" for the song."Kaneer Poovinte".

Mohanlal's Manichitrathazhu

Manichitrathazhu

Th
Directed by Fazil
Produced by Appachan
Written by Madhu Muttam
Starring Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi, Shobana
Release date(s) 1993
Running time 169 min.
Language Malayalam, occasional Tamil

Manichitrathazhu (translation: The Ornate Lock) is a 1993 Malayalam Film directed by Fazil. The story is influenced from a tragedy happened in Alummoottil tharavadu, a famous central Travancore family, in 19th century [1]. The storyline dealt with a psycho-thriller genre, which was an unusual theme in Malayalam cinema but proceeded to become a big hit. Several other prominent directors such as Siddique-Lal, Priyadarshan and Sibi Malayil directed the second-unit production of the movie. Shobhana was awarded the National Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of the central character, Ganga.

After its runaway success in Kerala, it was remade after nearly 10 years in languages Kannada (Apthamitra), Tamil (Chandramukhi), Telugu (Chandramukhi) and Hindi (Bhool Bhulaiyaa). The central character played by Shobhana was played by Soundarya in Apthamitra , by Jyothika in Chandramukhi and by Vidya Balan in Bhool Bhulaiyaa. All remakes of Manichitrathazhu went on to become big commercial successes.

Plot

The plot involves a young couple, Ganga (Shobhana) and Nakulan (Suresh Gopi) arriving at the ancestral "Tharavadu" mansion of the latter. Ignoring the protests of their superstitious uncle, they move in to mansion, when unusual and supernatural events begin to happen. Suspicion falls on Sreedevi (Vinaya Prasad), Nakulan's cousin, who is known to be suffering from depression after a failed marriage.

Dr. Sunny Joseph (Mohanlal), a frolicsome psychiatrist and Nakulan's close friend is called in to investigate. Soon it becomes evident that Ganga, affected by Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD), is behind the mystery, haunted by a troubled past.

The mansion that Nakulan and Ganga were living in was occupied in ancient times by a cruel Thampi chieftain, who had imprisoned a famous Bharatnatyam dancer, Nagavalli. There she pines away for her lover Ramanathan. Ganga who grew up listening to folklore and ghost stories from her grandmother identifies with the character Nagavalli. This empathy gradually leads to psychosis. When Ganga turns into Nagavalli the characters of the house-hold turn into the characters of a bygone era in her eyes.

Sunny correctly identifies the source of the violent happenings at the mansion, and convinces Nagavalli to renounce Ganga's body once she is allowed to execute the cruel chieftain. He dresses up Nakulan as the ancient king, and at the crucial moment, replaces Nakulan with a dummy. Nagavalli in Ganga is fooled into believing that she has taken her revenge, and Ganga recovers from multiple personality disorder with the help of Sunny.

Cast

Crew

Awards

  • Best Actress Award: Shobhana
  • Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment
  • Best Singer: K J Yesudas

Character map of Manichithrathazhu and its remakes

Manichitrathazhu (Malayalam) Aaptamitra (Kannada) Chandramukhi (Tamil) Bhool Bhulaiya (Hindi) Rajmohol (Bengali)
Dr. Sunny Joseph (Mohanlal) Dr. Vijay (Vishnuvardhan) Dr. Saravanan (Rajnikanth) Dr. Aditya Shrivastav (Akshay Kumar) Dr. Raghu (Prasenjit Chatterjee)
Nakulan (Suresh Gopi) Ramesh (Ramesh Aravind) Senthilnathan (Prabhu Ganesan) Siddharth Chaturvedi (Shiney Ahuja)
Ganga (Shobana) Ganga (Soundarya) Ganga (Jyothika) Avni (Vidya Balan)
Sreedevi (Vinaya Prasad) Soumya (Prema) Durga (Nayantara) Radha (Amisha Patel)
Thampy (Nedumudi Venu) (Satyajit) Kandaswamy (Nassar) Badrinarayan Chaturvedi (Manoj Joshi)
Unnithan (Innocent) Mukunda (Dwarakesh) Murugesan (Vadivelu) Batukshankar Upadhyay (Paresh Rawal)

Trivia

  • The story is influenced from a tragedy happened in Alummoottil tharavadu, a famous central Travancore family, in 19th century.
  • Manichitrathazu was one of the all time hits of Malayalam films running for more than 200 days.
  • This movie fetched maximum rating consistently for its television screening. Fourteen years after its release this film so far screened more than 12 times in kerala's leading TV channel Asianet. This film has got the maximum TRP rating on every screening. Interestingly TRP ratings were increasing by every year.This is a rare record for any movie ever produced in kerala.
  • Manichitrathazu had also spurred to other remakes in other languages later such as Aaptamitra in Kannada starring Vishnuvardhan, Chandramukhi in Tamil and Telugu starring Rajnikanth and the recently released Bhool Bhulaiyaa in Hindi.
  • The central character played by Shobhana is named Ganga in the all the remakes except Bhool Bhulaiya.
  • All 3 South-Indian versions (Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil) earned the actresses playing the central character (Shobhana, Soundarya, Jyothika Saravanan, respectively) the State Awards for Best Actress of the respective states (Kerala, Karnataka and Tamilnadu)
  • The character of the psychiatrist in all 4 versions have studied or worked in the USA.
  • Aaptamitra, the Kannada version is a deviated version of Manichitrathazhu, in which the character of psychiatrist is given more screen presence in order to please the fans of Vishnuvardhan, who plays the role in it. The Rajinikanth starrer Tamil version Chandramukhi followed the same pattern, both films being directed by P. Vasu. The Hindi version Bhool Bhulaiyaa directed by Priyadarshan however stuck to the original script.
  • The story was not credited to Madhu Muttam in Aaptamitra and Chandramukhi, in which the story was credited to the director P. Vasu himself. However, in Bhool Bhulaiyaa the story was credited to Madhu Muttam, following a Kerala Highcourt verdict in a case filed by him.