Utharam

Last updated

Utharam
Utharam poster.jpg
Promotional poster
Directed by V. K. Pavithran
Written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair
Based onNo Motive by Daphne du Maurier
Produced byAkbar
Starring Mammootty
Suparna
Sukumaran
Parvathy
Cinematography Ramachandra Babu
Edited byRavi
Music by Johnson
(background score)
Vidhyadharan
(songs)
Distributed bySrudhi Combines
Release date
  • 4 May 1989 (1989-05-04)
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam

Utharam (English: Answer) is a 1989 Malayalam mystery-thriller film, starring Mammootty, Suparna, Sukumaran, and Parvathy. It was written by Malayalam writer M. T. Vasudevan Nair based on the short story No Motive by Daphne du Maurier. [1] [2] [3] Utharam is considered one of the best investigative thrillers in Malayalam cinema. [4]

Contents

Plot

Selina Joseph, a budding poet leading a happy family life, commits suicide on a very "usual" day by shooting herself with her husband's gun. The police write this off as a freak accident, but her husband, planter Mathew, realizes that it was a suicide. He is perplexed as to the motive of her action. He becomes increasingly depressed and drowns his worries in alcohol.

Balachandran Nair, a Delhi-based journalist and close friend of Mathew, who was close to both Selina and Mathew, decides to look into the reasons that led her to commit suicide. He advises Mathew to stop drinking and ruining his health as Selina wouldn't have wanted that. Mathew and the household servants confirm that Selina was happy with her life and that there was no motive for her suicide.

Balu starts his investigation of Selina's past by tracking down different people from her past. Balu focuses on Selina's school days after a relative reveals that Selina had to drop off from school after she was badly injured in a bus accident during a school trip. Balu sets off to Bengaluru and promises to keep in touch with Mathew via letter or telephone. Balu finds out from the school principal that there was no accident, and Selina was dismissed when it was found that she was pregnant. Balu meets Selina's school mate Prof. Shyamala Menon, who had lost touch with Selina after she discontinued her grade 10 studies abruptly. Selina and Shyamala were best friends in their school days. Though hesitant at first, Shyamala narrates an incident from their school days, and Balu realizes the truth behind the pregnancy.

Balu finds out that after Selina was dismissed from school, her father arranged for her to deliver the child without anyone knowing about the pregnancy. As she was unaware of the circumstances that led to her getting pregnant, she considered herself to be a virgin and called her son Immanuel, meaning the son of the Holy Virgin Mary. Her child was moved to an orphanage by her father Antony without her knowledge. Selena loses her memory after a car accident and forgets her child.

After this, Balu decides to find out if anything unusual had taken place on the day of her suicide. The house help tells him that a rag picker boy was caught stealing from the yard that day, and Selina had asked the child for his name. Upon hearing that his name was Immanuel Antony, Selena realizes that it was her son. Seeing her son after a decade as a rag picker, she is shocked and commits suicide. Balu decides not to reveal the unpleasant truth to Mathew.

The film ends with Shyamala and Balu falling in love with each other, finding Immanuel - Selina's son, and adopting him for Selina.

Cast

Soundtrack

All songs are composed by Vidhyadharan with lyrics by O. N. V. Kurup. The background score of the film was done by Johnson.[ citation needed ]

Track #SongSinger(s)
1"Manjin Vilolamam" (M) G. Venugopal
2"Manjin Vilolamam" (F) B. Arundhathi
3"Ninnilasooyayarnnu"B. Arundhathi
4"Swaramidarathe"G. Venugopal, B. Arundhathi
5"Aalthirakkilum"B. Arundhathi
6"Snehikkunnu Njan"B. Arundhathi
7"Tibetan Folk Song"Various Artists

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parvathy Jayaram</span> Indian actress and classical dancer (born 1970)

Ashwathy Kurup, better known by her stage name Parvathy, is an Indian former actress, costume designer and classical dancer, who appeared in Malayalam films.

Vattamparambil Krishnan Pavithran, known mononymously as Pavithran (1950–2006) was an Indian cinema director. He primarily concentrated on Malayalam films.

<i>Vaisali</i> (film) 1989 Indian film

Vaisali is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language epic mythological drama film directed and edited by Bharathan. Produced by M. M. Ramachandran and scripted by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, it was an adaptation of a sub-story told by Vedavyasa to Yudhishthira in the epic Mahabharatha. It is the story of Vaisali, a devadasi girl who was assigned the mission of seducing Rishyasringa, the son of Vibhandaka and bringing him to Champapuri to perform a Yajna to bring rain.

<i>Oru CBI Diary Kurippu</i> 1988 film by K. Madhu

Oru CBI Diary Kurippu is a 1988 Indian Malayalam-language mystery thriller film directed by K. Madhu, written by S. N. Swamy, and starring Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Jagathy Sreekumar, Mukesh, and Sukumaran. The lead character, CBI officer Sethurama Iyer is inspired by a police officer named Radha Vinod Raju, Jammu and Kashmir cadre IPS Officer, who in 2009 was appointed as the first chief of India's National Investigation Agency. It was the highest grossing Malayalam film at that time. Considered one of the best crime thrillers in Malayalam, it eventually developed a cult following. This is the first installment in the CBI film series featuring Mammootty as Sethurama Iyer.

<i>Jagratha</i> 1989 film by K. Madhu

Jagratha: CBI Diary - Part 2 (transl. Caution) is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language mystery thriller film directed by K. Madhu, starring Mammootty, Mukesh and Jagathy Sreekumar.

<i>Roudram</i> 2008 Indian film

Roudram is a 2008 Indian Malayalam-language action crime thriller film written and directed by Renji Panicker. It stars Mammootty, Sai Kumar, Vijayaraghavan and Rajan P Dev.

<i>Kariyilakkattu Pole</i> 1986 Indian film

Kariyilakkattu Pole is a 1986 Indian Malayalam-language mystery thriller film written and directed by P. Padmarajan. It is based on the radio drama Sisirathil Oru Prabhatham by Sudhakar Mangalodayam, the plot follows DySP Achuthankutty who is investigating the murder of a film director, Harikrishnan. The film stars Mohanlal, Mammootty, Rahman, Sripriya, Karthika, Jalaja, and Unni Mary. The background score was composed by Johnson. A Padmarajan classic, the film is widely considered one of the best investigative thrillers ever made in Malayalam.

<i>Witness</i> (1988 film) 1988 Indian film

Witness is a 1988 Indian Malayalam language crime thriller film, directed by Viji Thampi and co-written by Jagathy Sreekumar, starring Jayaram, Jagathy Sreekumar, Parvathy, Madhu, Sukumaran and Thilakan in the lead roles.

<i>Darling Darling</i> (2000 film) 2000 Indian film

Darling Darling is a 2000 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy-drama spoof film directed by Rajasenan and written by Udayakrishna and Siby K. Thomas. This love triangle movie Stars Dileep, Vineeth and Kavya Madhavan in lead roles.This movie was remade in Kannada in 2001 as Jodi and in Telugu in 2001 under the same name.

<i>Carnivel</i> 1989 Indian film

Carnivel is a 1989 Malayalam comedy film written by S. N. Swamy and directed by P. G. Viswambharan. The film centres on the backdrops of a carnival. It stars Mammootty, Parvathy, Sukumaran and Babu Antony in pivotal roles. The film was shot in Thrissur and nearby areas including Puthukkad during March April.

<i>Immanuel</i> (film) 2013 Indian film

Immanuel, also publicized as Emmanuel, is a 2013 Malayalam comedy-drama film, directed by Lal Jose and produced by S. George. The film stars Mammootty in the title role with Fahadh Faasil and Reenu Mathews. Lal Jose has stated that it is a "soft film sans hullabaloo" and "essentially tells the story of Immanuel's intrinsic goodness even in the face of adversity."

New generation films is a Malayalam film movement developed in the early 2010s, characterized by fresh and unusual themes and new narrative techniques. Films of the new wave differ from conventional themes of the past two decades and introduced several new trends and techniques to the Malayalam film industry. While the new generation formats and styles are deeply influenced by global trends, their thematics are firmly rooted in Malayalee life and mindscapes.

<i>Purappadu</i> (1990 film) 1990 Indian film

Purappadu is a 1990 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by Jeassy. The film stars Mammootty, Parvathy Jayaram, Sumalatha and Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair in the lead roles. The musical score of the film is by Ouseppachan and the lyrics are written by O. N. V. Kurup. The film deals with social issues.

Ezhuthapurangal is a 1987 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by Sibi Malayil and produced by Mathew George. The film stars Suhasini Maniratnam, Ambika, Parvathy Jayaram and Murali in the lead roles. The film has musical score by Johnson and Vidyadharan. Suhasini Mani Ratnam won the Kerala State Film Award For Best Actress for this film.

Reenu Mathews is an Indian actress who has acted in Malayalam films. She works as a cabin crew member for Emirates (airline) in Dubai. She made her debut in Immanuel (2013), opposite Mammootty, directed by Laljose. She has acted with Mohanlal in Ennum Eppozhum, directed by Sathyan Anthikad & with Prithviraj Sukumaran in Sapthamasree Thaskaraha. She has paired with Mammooty again in Praise the Lord.

<i>Uppum Mulakum</i> Indian-Malayalam language sitcom

Uppum Mulakum is an Indian Malayalam-language sitcom that has been airing on Flowers TV since December 14, 2015. R. Unnikrishnan created the sitcom and directed the First season and the second season. Third season is directed by Afsal Abdul Latheef. Uppum Mulakum chronicles the daily lives of Balachandran Thampi, his wife Neelima, and their five children.

<i>The Priest</i> (2021 film) 2021 film by Jofin T. Chacko

The Priest is a 2021 Indian Malayalam-language supernatural horror mystery film directed by debutant Jofin T. Chacko. The film stars Mammootty, Nikhila Vimal and Baby Monica. Manju Warrier appears in an extended cameo role in the second half of the film. Produced jointly by B. Unnikrishnan and Anto Joseph, the film features original score and soundtrack composed and produced by Rahul Raj.

<i>Operation Java</i> 2021 Indian film by Tharun Moorthy

Operation Java is a 2021 Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller film produced by V Cinemas International, written and directed by Tharun Moorthy. It stars an ensemble cast including Balu Varghese, Lukman Avaran, Binu Pappu, Irshad, Shine Tom Chacko, Mamitha Baiju and Vinayakan. The story details an investigation undertaken by a cyber cell police station in Kochi. The film released on 12 February 2021 and received positive reviews from critics.

<i>Night Drive</i> (film) 2022 Indian film

Night Drive is a 2022 Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller film directed by Vysakh and written by Abhilash Pillai starring Indrajith Sukumaran, Roshan Mathew, Anna Ben and Siddique. The movie depicts the story of a young couple and how they land in trouble when they meet with an accident. The film was released on 11 March 2022.

References

  1. ↑ Sanoop K.V., Pavithran, the genius, One India, 19 November 2009
  2. ↑ Kurup, Aradhya (19 October 2019). "30 years since its release, why Mammootty's 'Utharam' still remains a relevant thriller". The News Minute . Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  3. ↑ "Five best investigative crime thrillers in Malayalam cinema". The Times of India . 29 August 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  4. ↑ "'Utharam' - Five best investigative crime thrillers in Malayalam cinema". The Times of India. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.