Pazhassi Raja | |
---|---|
Directed by | Hariharan |
Written by | M. T. Vasudevan Nair |
Based on | Life of Pazhassi Raja |
Produced by | Gokulam Gopalan |
Starring | Mammootty |
Narrated by | Mohanlal (Malayalam) Kamal Haasan (Tamil) Shah Rukh Khan (Hindi) |
Cinematography | Ramanath Shetty |
Edited by | A. Sreekar Prasad |
Music by | Ilaiyaraaja |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Sree Gokulam Release |
Release date |
|
Running time | 200 minutes |
Country | India |
Language | Malayalam |
Budget | ₹20 crore [1] |
Box office | est.₹49 crore [2] [3] |
Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja is a 2009 Indian Malayalam-language epic period drama film based on the life of Pazhassi Raja, a king who fought against the East India Company in the 18th century. The film was directed by Hariharan, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair and produced by Gokulam Gopalan. It stars Mammootty in lead role with an ensemble supporting cast. The music score and soundtrack were created by Ilaiyaraaja, while its sound design is by Resul Pookutty. [4]
The film won National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam, Best Background Score, Best Audiography and Special Mention (for Padmapriya). It received numerous other accolades, including eight Kerala State Film Awards and seven Filmfare Awards South.
Pazhassi Raja was produced at a cost of ₹20 crore, making it the most expensive film made in Malayalam until that time. [5] It is the first Malayalam film to get a home video release in the Blu-ray format. Originally filmed in Malayalam, Pazhassi Raja was dubbed in Tamil as well as Hindi. The film released on 16 October 2009 across Kerala with 150 prints; it ran for 150 days in theatres and was the highest-grossing film in Malayalam cinema until 2013 when the record was broken by Drishyam . [5] It is often regarded as a classic in Malayalam cinema. [6] The film received an overwhelming response and it has emerged as one of the top grossers in Kerala's box office history. [7] [8] [9]
The film starts in 1796, four years after the occupation of Malabar by the East India Company and towards the end of the First Pazhassi Revolt (1793–1797). The revolt is led by Kerala Varma, the Raja of Pazhassi Palace, of Kottayam house. The exploitation of the native Indian resources by the company had culminated in popular revolts against its authority across the district. With the help of Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja's uncle Kurumbranadu ruler Veeravarma, who is jealous of Pazhassi Raja for his success and influence, and Raja's old companion Pazhayamveedan Chandhu, the Company act against Pazhassi Raja. This forces Pazhassi Raja to escape to the forests of Wayanad. The tribal force led by Neeli captures Assistant Collector Thomas Hervey Baber and his fiancée Dora in the jungle, in spite of his commander's objection. The Raja treats Thomas Baber and Dora as his guest and releases them.
From there, he begins a guerrilla battles against the company. He is supported by his army chief Edachena Kunkan and his brother-in-law Kaitheri Ambu. In the guerrilla battle-front, Pazhassi Raja uses the expertise of Thalakkal Chandu, a Kurichya soldier, and Chandu's fiancée Neeli.
During the initial phases of the battle, the Company loses many men and much money. This compels them to make a peace treaty with Pazhassi Raja. Raja agrees, hoping that this move will bring peace to the area and his people. However, the conditions of the treaty are never observed by the company. This prompts Raja to start the battle again. Similarly, Dora leaves Thomas Baber for England, having learned the betrayal done by the company to the Raja and despite her objection to the hanging of a father and son, who refused to reveal the location of the Raja to the company. He forms useful alliances with many rulers and powerful families in the nearby places like Unni Mootha and his men.
Pazhassi Raja and his army successfully restart the battle. But the Company use heavily armed forces against him and succeed in luring many tribal leaders. This leads to the capture and subsequent hanging of Thalakkal Chandu as he was cheated by a tribal head.
The Company started hunting for Pazhassi and his army chief Edachena Kunkan. In a bloody fight, Edachena Kunkan kills Pazhayamveedan Chandhu. But he is surrounded by the company. Instead of surrendering before them, he commits suicide. This makes Raja's army weaker. But Pazhassi Raja, even though knowing that he is going to die, goes for a last fight against the company. After a glorious fight, Pazhassi Raja is killed by the company. The film ends with the assistant collector Thomas Baber placing the body of the Raja in a litter and his famous words: "He was our enemy. But he was a great warrior, a great man and we honour him." The Company officers respond by saluting the corpse of the Raja and acting as Pall-bearers.
In an interview with Sify in January 2007, Hariharan said: "We had first toyed with the idea of a film on Payyampalli Chanthu, a warrior, and then we thought of making a film on Thalakkal Chanthu, Pazhassi Raja's lieutenant, as the hero. But eventually we realized that it was the story of Pazhassi himself that needed to be told, in a new light. In this film, we would be focussing on his valiant fight against the British." [10]
M. T. Vasudevan Nair, Hariharan, and Mammootty were working together after two decades; their previous association was Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha , which turned out into a landmark film in Malayalam. It was about Chanthu, a legendary warrior in the Northern Ballads . Through Pazhassi Raja, they made another biopic, on the life of Pazhassi Raja. Gokulam Gopalan was the film's producer. The total budget of the film is about ₹ 20 crores, which makes it the most expensive Malayalam film ever made. [11] [12] The sounds in the battle scenes of the film were recreated under Academy Award winner Resul Pookutty as he joined in the project only after its completion.
The Kerala High Court ordered the producers of the film to avail the benefit of entertainment tax concession for viewers of Pazhassi Raja. [13]
Mammootty plays the title role of Pazhassi Raja. The female lead was offered to former Malayalam film actress, Samyuktha Varma but she refused the offer. [14] There are three heroines: Padmapriya appearing as a tribal girl, Kanika as Pazhassi's wife and Linda Arsenio as Dora Baber, fiancée of Assistant Collector Thomas Baber. [15] Linda is a theatre artist in New York who also acted in the film Kabul Express . [16]
Through this film, Sarath Kumar makes his debut in Malayalam cinema. He portrays Edachena Kunkan, the chief lieutenant to Pazhashi Raja. [17] Suresh Gopi was originally cast for the role. However, he refused to accept. Later, he clarified that he couldn't act in the film for personal reasons, and it would always be a loss for him. [18] Suman portrayed Pazhayamveedan Chandu which marked his acting debut in Malayalam. [19] Biju Menon was originally cast for the role, but he opted out after a few days of shooting, citing physical difficulties in shooting fight scenes.
The filming began in February 2007 from Palakkad. [20] The filming lasted for two and a half years and was completed in August 2009. [21] Sound mixer Resul Pookutty recreated all location scenes to ensure perfection. [21] About the delay in making, Hariharan said: "The film's shoot took two years to complete, when it should have been completed in eight months. The delay was not because of me. Neither was it because my producer, Gokulam Gopalan, was short of money; I must really thank my producer, without whom a film like Pazhassi Raja would never have been made. The delay was because some of the stars were not willing to allot the extra time that was required for the film. They probably didn't realise this film would become a milestone in their careers. Making Pazhassi Raja was a great challenge for me. Directing Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha was a cakewalk, compared to this.". [22]
One of the fight sequence in the film (between Mammootty and Suman) had been deleted from the movie due to over duration. The scene was removed from the theatres in the first week and again added after 75 days. However, this scene was excluded in television broadcast from Disney+Hotstar and other digital prints. Audience were not satisfied on this as they liked the fight sequence very much.
Kerala Varma Pazhassiraja | ||||
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Soundtrack album by | ||||
Released | 20 September 2009 | |||
Recorded | 2006–2009 | |||
Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
Length | 26:42 | |||
Language | Malayalam | |||
Label | Sony Music India | |||
Producer | Ilaiyaraja | |||
Ilaiyaraja chronology | ||||
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The film features six original songs composed by Ilaiyaraaja. The original background score was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, conducted by László Kovács and performed by the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra in Budapest. [23] It took three months for Ilaiyaraaja to complete the background score. [24] On 25 September, Think Music released a soundtrack album, featuring only the songs. [25] The songs received mixed to negative critical reviews and "did not go the way that it was expected". [26] Following the setback of the soundtrack album, Ilaiyaraaja stated that he was not satisfied with the lyrics of the poet O. N. V. Kurup, who penned two songs for the film. Ilaiyaraaja won the National Film Award for Best Background Score [27]
No. | Title | Lyrics | Artist(s) | Length |
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1. | "Maathanganana" | Traditional | K. J. Yesudas | 1:16 |
2. | "Kunnathae" | O. N. V. Kurup | K. S. Chithra | 5:12 |
3. | "Aadiysha Sandhya" | O. N. V. Kurup | K. J. Yesudas, M. G. Sreekumar, Chandra Sekharan, Vidhu Prathap | 5:29 |
4. | "Ambum Kombum" | Gireesh Puthenchery | Ilaiyaraaja, Manjari, Kuttappan | 4:59 |
5. | "Odathandil Thalam Kottum Kattil" | Gireesh Puthenchery | Chandra Sekharan, Sangeetha Sajith | 5:07 |
6. | "Aalamadangal" | Kanesh Punoor | M. G. Sreekumar, Vidhu Prathap, Ashraf Thayineri, Edavanna Gafoor, Faisal Elettil, Krishnanunni | 4:47 |
Source: [28]
All lyrics are written by Vaali; all music is composed by Ilaiyaraaja
No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
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1. | "Mathangananamabjavasa" (Lyrics: Traditional Sanskrit Sloka) | K. J. Yesudas | 1:16 |
2. | "Kundrathu" | K. S. Chithra | 5:12 |
3. | "Aadi Mudhal" | Madhu Balakrishnan, Rahul Nambiar, Roshini | 5:29 |
4. | "Agilamellam" | Murali | 4:59 |
5. | "Moongil Thanni" | Karthik, Roshini | 5:07 |
6. | "Ambum Kombum" | Rahul Nambiar, Priya Himesh | 4:47 |
All lyrics are written by Manoj Santoshi and Manisha Korde; all music is composed by Ilaiyaraaja
No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
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1. | "Pritam Dil" | Shreya Ghoshal | 5:01 |
2. | "Yaar Hai Badle" | Shaan, Kunal Ganjawala | 4:42 |
3. | "Yeh Dharti Bhi" | Shaan, Kunal Ganjawala | 5:16 |
The film was released on 16 October as a Diwali release with 130 prints in the original Malayalam version and later on 17 November with 150 prints in Tamil. [29] Later, on 27 September 2013, Goldmines Telefilms launched the trailer of the Hindi dubbed version of the film, at their YouTube channel. [30] The full Hindi version of the film was digitally released on YouTube on 11 October 2013. [31]
Moser Baer Home Entertainment released the film on Blu-ray Disc, DVD, SuperDVD and VCD in India. The home video rights was bought by Moser Baer for a record sum of ₹ 62 lakhs. Pazhassi Raja was the first regional language film to be released in the Blu-ray format. [32] The DVD version of the film was released on 1 May 2010 as a two-DVD set. Film was screened in HBO internationally as per the reports of Siju Krishnan, a famous Mammootty fan. It was the only instance that a Malayalam film got screened in HBO. [33] It is available in 16:9 Anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, progressive 24 FPS, widescreen and NTSC format. [34]
Nowrunning comments that the film is an "exotic chronicle that stuns us with its fascinating tale", and that "this is the stuff that tours de force are made of". [35] Rediff gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5, praising the script and the technical brilliance of the film. [36] Sify described the film as one "that will be treasured for years to come". [37]
However, Rediff also stated that "sentimentalism bogs down the pace [of the film]" at several occasions of the story. [36] Ilayaraja's music also received criticism, and the critics further accused the film of taking some cinematic liberties on history. [37] The Hindu said, "the host of people who play English Lords and East India Company chiefs appears theatrical. Even Linda Arsenio, the English Lady Dora Baber, isn't spontaneous" and "while on editing, certain parts seem to have been trimmed in haste and hence hang without relevance. Strangely, despite an action-oriented story and mind-boggling stunts, the film sags at points." [38] Other critics pointed the sloppy fight scenes and the English accent of Padmapriya who has dubbed for herself in the film. [39]
Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja collected around ₹ 1.65 crore from first day over the all releasing centres. The film had a record opening, collecting ₹ 7.65 crore in its first week, which was the highest ever first week recorded for a film in Kerala, at the time it was released. [40] [41] [8] The film collected ₹ 31 lakhs in its first week in Chennai box office. [42] In 2 months, the film grossed ₹18 crores. [43] The film collected a revenue of about ₹32 crore after its theatrical run. [44] [45] The film ran for 150 days in 5 theatres in Kerala [46] and grossed ₹49 crore in total as revenue and business. [2] [3]
Malayalam cinema is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Malayalam language, which is widely spoken in the state of Kerala and Lakshadweep islands of india. Malayalam cinema includes the commercial film industry, sometimes known as Mollywood, as well as independent cinema made in Malayalam.
Mohanlal Viswanathan ), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam film industry besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Kannada films. Mohanlal has a prolific career spanning over four decades, during which he has acted in more than 400 films. The Government of India honoured him with Padma Shri in 2001, and Padma Bhushan in 2019, India's fourth and third highest civilian honours, for his contributions to Indian cinema. In 2009, he became the first actor in India to be awarded the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army. Mohanlal was named as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema" by CNN.
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail, known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty, is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam-language films. He has also appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and English-language productions. In a career spanning five decades, he has appeared in more than 420 films, predominantly in lead roles. He is the recipient of several accolades, including three National Film Awards, eleven Kerala State Film Awards, eleven Kerala Film Critics Awards and fifteen Filmfare Awards South. He was honored with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award by the Government of India in 1998, for his contributions to cinema. He was also honored with the Kerala Prabha Award by the Government of Kerala in 2022. Mammootty was named as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema" by CNN.
Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, also known as Cotiote Rajah and Pychy Rajah, was the de facto head of the Kottayam Kingdom in the Malabar region of Kerala between 1774 and 1805. His struggles with the British East India Company is known as the Cotiote War. Pazhassi's rebellion against the British is often touted as one of the earliest acts of freedom fight in India. He earned the epithet "Kerala Simham" on account of his martial exploits.
Hariharan is an Indian film director who has directed over 50 Malayalam films. His movies mainly revolve around the cultural and relational aspects of a typical Keralite society. His most notable works include Sharapancharam (1979), Panchagni (1986), Idavazhiyile Poocha Mindappoocha (1979), Amrutham Gamaya (1987), Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989), Sargam (1992), Parinayam (1994) and Pazhassi Raja (2009) which has won him wide critical acclaim. In 2019, he was awarded the J. C. Daniel Award, Kerala government's highest honour for contributions to Malayalam cinema.
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Padmapriya Janakiraman, better known mononymously as Padmapriya, is an Indian actress who mainly appears in Malayalam films. Padmapriya made her acting debut in the Telugu film Seenu Vasanthi Lakshmi in 2004.
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Manoj Kadampoothramadam Jayan, also known as Manoj K. Jayan is an Indian actor who acts in Malayalam films in addition to a few Tamil films. Manoj has won three Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor for his portrayals of Hariharan's "Kuttan Thampuran" in Sargam (1992), "Thalakkal Chandu" in Pazhassi Raja (2009) and "Kunjiraman" in Farook Abdul Rahiman's Kaliyachan. He has played "Kuttan Thampuran" (Sargam), "Thirumangalath Neelakandan Namboothiri" (Perumthachan), "Kunjunni Namboothiri" (Parinayam), "Unnikrishnan" (Venkalam), "Ananthakrishna Warrier" (Sopanam), "Digambaran" (Anandabhadram) and "Thalakkal Chandu".
Linda Arsenio is an American actress and model from Texas. She has predominantly appeared in Indian films in various languages. She is probably best known for her performance as Jessica Beckham in the 2006 Hindi film Kabul Express.
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Pokkiri Raja is a 2010 Indian Malayalam-language action masala film written by Udaykrishna–Sibi K. Thomas and directed by Vysakh. The film stars Mammootty and Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead roles along with a supporting cast including Shriya Saran, Siddique, Nedumudi Venu, Vijayaraghavan, Salim Kumar, Suraj Venjaramoodu and Riyaz Khan. The film marks the debut of Shriya Saran in Malayalam cinema and Vysakh's directorial debut.
Edachena Kunkan was a Wayanad Nair noble from Tirunelli, Wayanad, Kerala, India who joined the war effort of Pazhassi Raja during the 1770s and became commander of the Raja's army. His younger brothers joined him as generals. Kunkan was a popular leader in Wayanad, gathering support from people of many classes for Raja's war against the East India Company.
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Pazhassi Raja is a 1964 Malayalam biographical film, directed and produced by Kunchako. It is written by well known playwright Thikkodiyan and is based on the life of warrior king Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja. It stars Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair in the title role, with Prem Nazir, Sathyan, Satyapal, S. P. Pillai, Rajashree and Pankajavalli in other important roles.
Pazhayaveettil Chandu Nambiar, also known as Pazhayamviden Chandu, was a general of Pazhassi Raja whose betrayal led to the death of his Raja and the British victory in the Cotiote War.
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