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Rajamanikyam | |
---|---|
Directed by | Anwar Rasheed |
Written by | T. A. Shahid |
Produced by | Valiyaveettil Siraj |
Starring | Mammootty |
Cinematography | Sanjeev Shankar |
Edited by | Ranjan Abraham |
Music by | Alex Paul |
Production company | Valiyaveettil Movie International |
Distributed by | Valiyaveettil Release & PJ Entertainments |
Release date |
|
Running time | 126 minutes |
Country | India |
Budget | ₹2.30 crore [2] |
Rajamanikyam is a 2005 Indian Malayalam-language action comedy film directed by Anwar Rasheed and written by T. A. Shahid. It stars Mammootty as the titular businessman, along with Rahman, [3] Manoj K Jayan, Cochin Haneefa, Ranjith, Salim Kumar, Sai Kumar, Bheeman Raghu, Sindhu Menon, and Padmapriya in supporting roles. The music is composed by Alex Paul.
It tells the story of Rajamanikyam aka Bellary Raja (Mammootty), a Karnataka based illiterate businessman who tries to unite his warring siblings. [4] [5] The film was remade in Kannada as Bellary Naga (2009) with Vishnuvardhan in lead. Rajamanikyam was the highest grossing Malayalam movie until 2008. [6] The film was released on 1 November during Deepawali. The film was dubbed and released in Tamil with same name in 2007.
In a village in Southern Kerala bordering Tamil Nadu lives a wealthy and respectful businessman named Raja Rathnam Pillai. Following the demise of his first wife, he marries Muthu Lakshmi so that Raja Selvam, the child from his first marriage will not grow up without the love and care of a mother. Unknown to him, Muthu Lakshmi already has a son, whom she calls Muthu.
On the night of the wedding, Muthu knocks at the door of Raja Rathnam, demanding that he be shown his mother. Once Raja Rathnam realises the truth, he takes Muthu into his care, giving him love, affection and a new name, "Rajamanikyam". Muthu returns the favour duly, as when Selvam ends up killing one of the children of their village, he takes up the blame and leaves the village, after getting a bit on his left eye.
Several years later, Raja Rathnam's two grown-up children, Selvam and Rani, quarrel for their father's wealth. Selvam, aided by his childhood buddy Simon Nadar also notches up a plot to frame his own father in a murder case. Raja Rathnam is implicated in a sensitive political murder. As a result, Raja Rathnam is arrested and remanded. While taking Rathnam to the prison from the premises of the court, a wide scale altercation erupts - between Rathnam's supporters and the sycophants of the slain politician. Amidst the chaos, a huge stone is pelted at Raja Rathnam - severely injuring him. (The stone is pelted by the actual assailant). Witnessing the riots, Raja Rathnam dies of a heart attack - sitting inside the police van - while being taken to the prison.
After his death the two siblings are summoned by the family lawyer to read out the provisions of Raja Rathnam's will. But to their surprise, they find that control of all the assets of their father have been transferred to a Bellary based businessman named Bellary Raja. They fail to recognize that Bellary Raja is none other than Rajamanikyam.
Raja Selvam and Rani Rathnam tries to thwart Manikyam in order to regain control of their father's wealth. But Manikyam never falls for any of their attempts and he uses his adopted brother and manager Raju to stabilize the assets of his stepfather and prevents it from getting into the hands of his siblings, thereby preserving it. Raja effectively uses the help of his thug friends to restore order in the establishment. Manikyam's identity is revealed by himself at a crucial juncture and revelation stuns the entire family. Simon and Raja Selvam sends a goon to kill Bellary from his blind side. However, Bellary thwarts the attempt, lightly wounding him.
Differences emerge between Raja Selvam and Simon Nadar regarding a financial liability. Simon betrays Selvam him and he is held captive by a boorish Tamil moneylender Perumal - who demands the repayment for the release of Selvam. Rani - unaware of the latter developments - blames Manikyam in order to deny them their claim over their father's wealth. Manikyam comes to the rescue and pays the required amount of money to release Raja Selvam. He emotionally narrates his hardships and love for his siblings - stirring the emotions of his mother and siblings. Feeling deeply disappointed - on being unable to fulfill his father's wish to unite their family, Manikyam prepares to leave for Bellary.
At that night Selvam, being absolutely drunk and weeping comes to Manikyam's house and apologizes for all his past deeds and embraces him - burying all differences. He asks Manikyam not to leave them. Manikyam is deeply moved and laments that, Raja Rathnam was unfortunate as he 'left early' (An untimely death) and he could not witness the conciliation. Varghese, a close confidant of Raja Rathnam, reveals that, Raja Rathnam was rather 'packed off' (A murder) - resulting in the narration of the deceit and Manikyam and acolytes go in search for the actual assailant. When the real culprit is caught, he reveals the main conspirator was Simon Nadar. Selvam and Simon gets into an argument-turned-fight. Selvam gets beaten badly by Simon and his goons was about to be killed. However, Manikyam, Raju and their henchman Varkey came to rescue Selvam and fight off Simon and his henchmen.
Manikyam releases a bull towards Simon and kills him for killing Raja Rathnam and trying to destroy his family. He reunites with Rajaselvam and takes him home. The movie ends when Rajamanikyam, who is half-blind, says, "Now I have both eyes", signifying Raju (whom he considers a brother) and Selvam.
Narayanankutty and Pradeep Kottayam appear as board members of Rajarathnam group. Biju Sopanam appears in an uncredited role as an aide to the assassin, played by Santosh Jogi.
Actor Suraj Venjaramoodu was roped in to help Mammootty get the hang of the slang spoken in the border areas of Trivandrum. Mammootty was highly praised for rendering the slang efficiently and that contributed greatly to it becoming a mega mass film. Rajamanikyam was completed in Pollachi in a record time of 55 days.
Sreenath Nair of the Deccan Herald wrote, "Mammooty does justice to his superstar tag and his portrayal of Bellary Raja eclipses the rest of the cast - Cochin Haneefa, Sai Kumar, Manoj K Jayan, etc. Anwar Rasheed's debut is not bad but more care on delineation, music and cinematography would have helped the Bellary Raja." [7]
The film was released to high expectations, with Valiyaveethil Films collecting ₹2 crore from theatre advances for the film. [8] It was released on 4 November 2005 in 45 theatres in Kerala, on the occasion of Ramzan, along with Ananthabhadram and Boyy Friennd. [9] The film was a major commercial success and became the highest grossing Malayalam film until 2008. [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] The film ran for more than 140 days in the theaters. [22] [23] It was the highest grossing malayalam movie of the year. It is the first Malayalam film to have ₹1 crore center gross from Ernakulam. The film completed its 100 days at Kavitha, Ernakulam, from where it got a record distributors' share of Rs. 42 lakhs. [24] [25] The film also ran for 200 days in Thiruvananthapuram Kripa theatre. [26]
The character of Bellary Raja attained cult status in Kerala. The dialogues of the film were referred to in many other films most noteworthy being in Malayalam film Premam (during the second intro of Nivin Pauly). Moreover, the costumes of Mammootty in the film went onto become a trend setter in Kerala. [27] Mammotty's dialogue in the film, "Yevan Puliyanuketta…." has become an iconic Malayalam catchphrase. [28]
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 410 films, predominantly in lead roles. He is the recipient of several accolades, including three National Film Awards, nine Kerala State Film Awards, eleven Kerala Film Critics Awards and thirteen Filmfare Awards South. For his contribution to film, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 1998. In 2022, he was honoured with Kerala Prabha Award, the second-highest honour given by the Government of Kerala.
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Mammootty, is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam films. He has acted in more than 400 films in Malayalam and other languages including Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, English and Kannada films. He has starred in both art house and blockbuster films.
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No.20 Madras Mail is a 1990 Indian Malayalam-language comedy thriller film directed by Joshiy and written by Dennis Joseph from a story by Harikumar. The film stars Mohanlal in lead role and Jagadish, Maniyanpilla Raju, M. G. Soman, Ashokan, and Suchitra Murali in supporting roles, while Mammootty appears in an extended cameo as himself. The background score was composed by S. P. Venkatesh while the song was composed by Ouseppachan. The plot follows three youngsters who are embroiled in the murder mystery of a young woman in a train journey from Thiruvananthapuram to Madras. No.20 Madras Mail was released on 16 February 1990 and received positive reviews. Almost half of the film was shot inside a train. Four years later, the film was remade in Hindi as Teesra Kaun by Partho Ghosh.
Azhakiya Ravanan is a 1996 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy-drama film directed by Kamal and written by Sreenivasan. The film has an ensemble cast of Mammootty, Bhanupriya, Sreenivasan, Innocent, Biju Menon, Rajan P. Dev, and Cochin Haneefa. Former child artist Kavya Madhavan portrayed Anuradha's younger self. The move was produced by V. P. Madhavan Nair under the banner of Murali Films, while the music was composed by Vidyasagar, his debut Malayalam movie. The 2015 film Chirakodinja Kinavukal is a spin-off to this film.
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Happy Husbands is a 2010 Indian Malayalam-language comedy film directed by Saji Surendran and written by Krishna Poojappura. It is the remake of 2002 Tamil film Charlie Chaplin. The film stars Jayaram, Jayasurya and Indrajith Sukumaran in title roles with Samvrutha Sunil, Bhavana, Rima Kallingal, Vandana Menon, and Suraj Venjaramoodu in supporting roles. The film completed a 150-day theatrical run.
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Valyettan is a 2000 Indian Malayalam-language action drama film directed by Shaji Kailas and scripted by Ranjith. It stars Mammootty, Shobana, Sai Kumar, N. F. Varghese, Siddique and Manoj K Jayan. It was remade in Kannada as Jyeshta by director Suresh Krissna with Vishnuvardhan in the lead role. The film was released in Kerala on 10 September 2000. The film was a commercial success and was the highest grossing Malayalam film of the year 2000.
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