Manichitrathazhu
Encyclopedia
Manichitrathazhu is a 1993 Malayalam
psychological thriller
-horror
-musical film
written by Madhu Muttam
, directed by Fazil, and produced by Appachan
. The film was an unusual theme in Malayalam cinema
but proceeded to become a high grosser at the box-office. Several other prominent directors such as Siddique-Lal
, Priyadarshan
, and Sibi Malayil
served as second-unit directors.The story is influenced from a tragedy that happened in Alummoottil Tharavadu, a famous central Travancore family, in the 19th century. Shobhana was awarded the National Film Award for Best Actress
for her portrayal of the central character Ganga. The film also stars Mohanlal
, Suresh Gopi
, Nedumudi Venu
, Innocent, Vinaya Prasad
, K. P. A. C. Lalitha
, and Thilakan
in the main roles. The music was composed by M. G. Radhakrishnan
. Venu
won the National Film Award for Best Cinematography
.This Film was a record breaking blockbuster running for 365 days in theatres .
After its runaway success in Kerala
, it was remade after nearly 10 years in various languages, including Kannada (Apthamitra), Tamil
and Telugu
(dubbed) (Chandramukhi
), Bengali
(Rajmohol
), and Hindi (Bhool Bhulaiyaa
).
), arrives at the tharavadu
called Madampilli of the latter. Hailing from a family that follows tradition and superstitions, Nakulan's uncle Thampi (Nedumudi Venu) objects to the couple's idea of moving into the allegedly haunted mansion, which Nakulan ignores. The couple move in anyway, following which seemingly supernatural events begin to happen.
The mansion that Nakulan and Ganga are living in, was occupied in ancient times by Sankaran Thampi, a cruel ancestor and karanavar (head) of the tharavadu who had imprisoned a famous Bharatnatyam dancer, Nagavalli, from Tamil Nadu
. There she pines away for her lover Ramanathan, who arrives, attempting to rescue her. Learning of their affair and their plan to elope, Sanakran Thampi murders Nagavalli in her room at the mansion. Legend has it that on the eighth day of the Durgashtami
(an annual Hindu celebration), Nagavalli returns as a blood-thirsty spirit, intent on killing the chieftain and drinking his blood. With the aid of sorcerers, Nagavalli's spirit is locked up in a section at the mansion (Thekkini). Not long after, Sankaran Thampi commits suicide and his spirit is also locked up in the Thekkini. Both spirits are believed to be haunting the Thekkini, in which they are locked up by means of an ornate enchanted lock (Manichitrathazhu, hence the title of the movie).
After moving in, mostly out of curiosity, Ganga manages to unlock the Thekkini, only to find ancient valuables such as jewellery, etc. Upon learning about the unlocking of the Thekkini, fearing the spirits are on the loose, Nakulan's uncle Thampi and family move in to the mansion to try and re-seal the Thekkini lock, while also looking out for Nakulan and Ganga. However, various unclear sightings of a woman are witnessed around the mansion, along with attempted attacks on various people at the mansion, including Nakulan and Ganga.
While most of the family including Thampi believe that Nagavalli's ghost roams the mansion, Nakulan, disapproving of supernatural theories, suspects Sreedevi of being mentally ill, hence orchestrating the incidents at the mansion. Hearing of this, Thampi and the family fear that Sreedevi might be possessed by Nagavalli's spirit.
Sreedevi (Vinaya Prasad
), Nakulan's cousin and Thampi's daughter, according to tradition, was to be married to Nakulan; however, after finding that Sreedevi had an ominous horoscope, Nakulan's mother withdrew from this proposal, and got Nakulan married to Ganga; later, Sreedevi entered a marriage which was short-lived. Sreedevi's tragic history, along with her perceived gloominess, and her being the only person present during an attack on Ganga, lays cause for suspicion of her.
Dr. Sunny Joseph (Mohanlal
), a brilliant yet frolicsome Psychiatrist
and Nakulan's close friend, is called in to investigate. Soon enough, Sunny finds out that Nakulan's conclusions are not as obvious, and he uncovers a plan to commit a murder during the upcoming Durgashtami
Festival. Sunny's trained psychiatric mind begins to suspect that Ganga could well be the Ghost of Madampilly. He investigates Ganga's history. Ganga grew up in a highly superstitious family and had partaken in various religious rituals. She was unable to come to grips with the fact that her parents were moving the family to Calcutta and chose to stay in the ancestral house, instead. It was a period of great emotional and psychological turmoil for her, and she became afflicted with multiple personality disorder. Madampilly with its share of superstitions and dark tales evokes memories of the olden days in her, and she slowly develops the personality of Nagavalli after having sympathised with her.
Meanwhile, Thampi, having lost faith in Sunny, calls in renowned tantric expert Brahmadattan Namboothirippad (Thilakan) to rid his family of the supernatural menace. As fate has it, both the Namboothirippad and Sunny are old acquaintances and mutually admire each others' expertise in their respective fields. At his own risk, Sunny reveals the secret to Nakulan and Ramanathan. In one of the more memorable scenes of the movie, Ganga also gets to know about her illness during a manifestation of her hidden personality, that of Nagavalli. Sunny, with help of the Namboothirippad, plans an elaborate Tantric ceremony to invoke Ganga's Nagavalli persona and make it believe that it will kill Sankaran Thampi. The plan is put into action and in a fiery climax, the blood thirsty Nagavalli exacts revenge on the cruel Karanavar.
Ganga wakes up from her hypnotic sleep and learns that she is completely cured of the illness. Sunny expresses his intent to marry Sridevi, and they all drive off happily.
which went on to become one of the most popular film album in Malayalam. Lyrics are written by Bichu Thirumala
, Vaali
and Madhu Muttam
.
Kerala State Film Awards
The movie consistently fetched maximum ratings for its television screenings. Fourteen years after its release this film has been screened more than 12 times on Kerala's leading TV channel, Asianet
. This film has received the maximum TRP rating on every screening. TRP ratings have increased every year. This is a rare record for a movie produced in Kerala.
Malayalam cinema
The Cinema of Kerala or Malayalam cinema refers to the film industry in the Indian state of Kerala, which makes films in the Malayalam language. Malayalam movies typically portray social or family issues and are considered more realistic than films from other parts of India. Malayalam cinema has...
psychological thriller
Psychological thriller
Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of the broad ranged thriller with heavy focus on characters. However, it often incorporates elements from the mystery and drama genre, along with the typical traits of the thriller genre...
-horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
-musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
written by Madhu Muttam
Madhu Muttam
Madhu Muttam is a popular script writer in Kerala, India. His second film as a script writer was the critically acclaimed Malayalam blockbuster Manichitrathazhu which was huge commercial success in Kerala. The film fetched Sobhana the National Award for Best Actress...
, directed by Fazil, and produced by Appachan
Appachan
Maliampurackal Chacko Punnoose, known as Navodaya Appachan is an Indian film producer, director, and entrepreneur. He is mainly involved in Malayalam cinema....
. The film was an unusual theme in Malayalam cinema
Malayalam cinema
The Cinema of Kerala or Malayalam cinema refers to the film industry in the Indian state of Kerala, which makes films in the Malayalam language. Malayalam movies typically portray social or family issues and are considered more realistic than films from other parts of India. Malayalam cinema has...
but proceeded to become a high grosser at the box-office. Several other prominent directors such as Siddique-Lal
Siddique-Lal
Siddique-Lal were a screenwriter and director duo, consisting of Siddique and Lal. They were active together in Malayalam cinema during 1989 - 1995...
, Priyadarshan
Priyadarshan
Priyadarshan is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter. In a career spanning over two decades, Priyadarshan has directed over 80 films in several Indian languages including Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu...
, and Sibi Malayil
Sibi Malayil
Sibi Malayil is an Indian film director of Malayalam cinema best known for his melodramas of the 80s and 90s. Since the mid-1980s he has directed some 40 movies. Movies like Kireedam, Dasharatham, Thaniyavarthanam, His Highness Abdullah, Bharatham, and Akashadoothu defined the way Malayalam movies...
served as second-unit directors.The story is influenced from a tragedy that happened in Alummoottil Tharavadu, a famous central Travancore family, in the 19th century. Shobhana was awarded the National Film Award for Best Actress
National Film Award for Best Actress
The National Film Award for Best Actress is an honor presented annually at the National Film Awards of India to an actress who has delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry...
for her portrayal of the central character Ganga. The film also stars Mohanlal
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
, Suresh Gopi
Suresh Gopi
Suresh Gopinathan Nair , often credited as Suresh Gopi , is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Malayalam cinema; he is famous for his roles in police dramas. He is noted for his leading roles as much as his character roles...
, Nedumudi Venu
Nedumudi Venu
Nedumudi Venu is a popular Malayalam film actor from Kerala, India. He has also written screenplays and has directed one film.- Early life :...
, Innocent, Vinaya Prasad
Vinaya Prasad
Vinaya Prasad is a popular film and television actress in South India.She hails from Udupi. Vinaya made her film debut with a small role in G V Iyer’s Madhwacharya in 1988. She worked in smaller character roles before playing the leading lady in Ganeshana Maduve opposite Ananth Nag...
, K. P. A. C. Lalitha
K. P. A. C. Lalitha
Maheshwari Amma, better known by her stage name K.P.A.C. Lalitha, is a National Award winning Indian film and stage actress. She was the wife of late filmmaker Bharathan.-Biography:...
, and Thilakan
Thilakan
Surendranatha Thilakan , known mononymously as Thilakan, is an Indian actor who works in Malayalam cinema and theatre. He was awarded Padma Shri on 25 January 2009.- Theatre:...
in the main roles. The music was composed by M. G. Radhakrishnan
M. G. Radhakrishnan
M. G. Radhakrishnan was a senior music director and Carnatic vocalist from Kerala. He is highly regarded as one of the most successful light music and film music composer in Malayalam.- Personal life :M. G...
. Venu
Venu Isc
Venu Isc is an Indian cinematographer who has worked in over 80 feature films and has won the National Film Award for Best Cinematography three times, in 1987 , 1993 , 1994 , apart from that he won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Debut Director for Daya in 1998.- Career :Venu graduated in...
won the National Film Award for Best Cinematography
National Film Award for Best Cinematography
The National Film Award for Best Cinematography are given annually. The only female who has won this award is Anjuli Shukla, who won the award for her debut film, Kutty Srank . The most time winners are Santosh Sivan & K.K. Mahajan - 4 awards each for best cinematography category....
.This Film was a record breaking blockbuster running for 365 days in theatres .
After its runaway success in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, it was remade after nearly 10 years in various languages, including Kannada (Apthamitra), Tamil
Tamil cinema
Tamil cinema is the film industry based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, dedicated to the production of films in the Tamil language. It is based in Chennai's Kodambakkam district, where several South Indian film production companies are headquartered...
and Telugu
Telugu cinema
The Cinema of Andhra Pradesh, also referred to as Telugu Cinema or Tollywood, is the Telugu film industry in India. The Telugu language film industry is known for being one of the three largest in terms of no.of films produced yearly in India. The Prasads IMAX theatre in Hyderabad is one of the...
(dubbed) (Chandramukhi
Chandramukhi
Chandramukhi is a 2005 Indian horror, comedy and drama film directed by P. Vasu and produced by Ramkumar Ganesan. With a few deviations, it is a remake of Vasu's 2004 Kannada film Apthamitra, which was in-turn a remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu...
), Bengali
Bengali cinema
Bengali cinema refers to the Bengali language filmmaking industries in the Bengal region of South Asia. There are two major film-making hubs in the region: one in Kolkata, West Bengal, India and the other in Dhaka, Bangladesh .The history of cinema in Bengal dates back to the 1890s, when the first...
(Rajmohol
Rajmohol
Raj Mohol is a 2005 Bengali film starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, Abhishek Chatterjee, Anu Chowdhury, Rachana Banerjee and Bharat Kaul. The film is a remake of Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu .-Story:...
), and Hindi (Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Bhool Bhulaiyaa is a 2007 Bollywood psychological thriller comedy horror film directed by Priyadarshan. The film constitutes the official remake of the 1993 Malayalam film, Manichitrathazhu, which was already remade into several Indian films...
).
Plot
A young couple, Ganga (Shobana) and Nakulan (Suresh GopiSuresh Gopi
Suresh Gopinathan Nair , often credited as Suresh Gopi , is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Malayalam cinema; he is famous for his roles in police dramas. He is noted for his leading roles as much as his character roles...
), arrives at the tharavadu
Tharavadu
Tharavad is a system of joint family practised by people in Kerala, especially Nairs. Tharavadu was a legal entity like a Hindu Undivided Family as per Indian Income Tax laws, and was entitled to own properties. The others, like Namboothriris, Ezhavas, Christians and Muslims also now refer to...
called Madampilli of the latter. Hailing from a family that follows tradition and superstitions, Nakulan's uncle Thampi (Nedumudi Venu) objects to the couple's idea of moving into the allegedly haunted mansion, which Nakulan ignores. The couple move in anyway, following which seemingly supernatural events begin to happen.
The mansion that Nakulan and Ganga are living in, was occupied in ancient times by Sankaran Thampi, a cruel ancestor and karanavar (head) of the tharavadu who had imprisoned a famous Bharatnatyam dancer, Nagavalli, from Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. There she pines away for her lover Ramanathan, who arrives, attempting to rescue her. Learning of their affair and their plan to elope, Sanakran Thampi murders Nagavalli in her room at the mansion. Legend has it that on the eighth day of the Durgashtami
Durga Puja
Durga puja ; দুর্গা পূজা,ଦୁର୍ଗା ପୂଜା,‘Worship of Durga’), also referred to as Durgotsava ; , is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and...
(an annual Hindu celebration), Nagavalli returns as a blood-thirsty spirit, intent on killing the chieftain and drinking his blood. With the aid of sorcerers, Nagavalli's spirit is locked up in a section at the mansion (Thekkini). Not long after, Sankaran Thampi commits suicide and his spirit is also locked up in the Thekkini. Both spirits are believed to be haunting the Thekkini, in which they are locked up by means of an ornate enchanted lock (Manichitrathazhu, hence the title of the movie).
After moving in, mostly out of curiosity, Ganga manages to unlock the Thekkini, only to find ancient valuables such as jewellery, etc. Upon learning about the unlocking of the Thekkini, fearing the spirits are on the loose, Nakulan's uncle Thampi and family move in to the mansion to try and re-seal the Thekkini lock, while also looking out for Nakulan and Ganga. However, various unclear sightings of a woman are witnessed around the mansion, along with attempted attacks on various people at the mansion, including Nakulan and Ganga.
While most of the family including Thampi believe that Nagavalli's ghost roams the mansion, Nakulan, disapproving of supernatural theories, suspects Sreedevi of being mentally ill, hence orchestrating the incidents at the mansion. Hearing of this, Thampi and the family fear that Sreedevi might be possessed by Nagavalli's spirit.
Sreedevi (Vinaya Prasad
Vinaya Prasad
Vinaya Prasad is a popular film and television actress in South India.She hails from Udupi. Vinaya made her film debut with a small role in G V Iyer’s Madhwacharya in 1988. She worked in smaller character roles before playing the leading lady in Ganeshana Maduve opposite Ananth Nag...
), Nakulan's cousin and Thampi's daughter, according to tradition, was to be married to Nakulan; however, after finding that Sreedevi had an ominous horoscope, Nakulan's mother withdrew from this proposal, and got Nakulan married to Ganga; later, Sreedevi entered a marriage which was short-lived. Sreedevi's tragic history, along with her perceived gloominess, and her being the only person present during an attack on Ganga, lays cause for suspicion of her.
Dr. Sunny Joseph (Mohanlal
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
), a brilliant yet frolicsome Psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
and Nakulan's close friend, is called in to investigate. Soon enough, Sunny finds out that Nakulan's conclusions are not as obvious, and he uncovers a plan to commit a murder during the upcoming Durgashtami
Durga Puja
Durga puja ; দুর্গা পূজা,ଦୁର୍ଗା ପୂଜା,‘Worship of Durga’), also referred to as Durgotsava ; , is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi, Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Navami and...
Festival. Sunny's trained psychiatric mind begins to suspect that Ganga could well be the Ghost of Madampilly. He investigates Ganga's history. Ganga grew up in a highly superstitious family and had partaken in various religious rituals. She was unable to come to grips with the fact that her parents were moving the family to Calcutta and chose to stay in the ancestral house, instead. It was a period of great emotional and psychological turmoil for her, and she became afflicted with multiple personality disorder. Madampilly with its share of superstitions and dark tales evokes memories of the olden days in her, and she slowly develops the personality of Nagavalli after having sympathised with her.
Meanwhile, Thampi, having lost faith in Sunny, calls in renowned tantric expert Brahmadattan Namboothirippad (Thilakan) to rid his family of the supernatural menace. As fate has it, both the Namboothirippad and Sunny are old acquaintances and mutually admire each others' expertise in their respective fields. At his own risk, Sunny reveals the secret to Nakulan and Ramanathan. In one of the more memorable scenes of the movie, Ganga also gets to know about her illness during a manifestation of her hidden personality, that of Nagavalli. Sunny, with help of the Namboothirippad, plans an elaborate Tantric ceremony to invoke Ganga's Nagavalli persona and make it believe that it will kill Sankaran Thampi. The plan is put into action and in a fiery climax, the blood thirsty Nagavalli exacts revenge on the cruel Karanavar.
Ganga wakes up from her hypnotic sleep and learns that she is completely cured of the illness. Sunny expresses his intent to marry Sridevi, and they all drive off happily.
Cast
- MohanlalMohanlalMohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star...
as Dr. Sunny Joseph - Shobana as Ganga & Nagavalli
- Suresh GopiSuresh GopiSuresh Gopinathan Nair , often credited as Suresh Gopi , is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Malayalam cinema; he is famous for his roles in police dramas. He is noted for his leading roles as much as his character roles...
as Nakulan - Nedumudi VenuNedumudi VenuNedumudi Venu is a popular Malayalam film actor from Kerala, India. He has also written screenplays and has directed one film.- Early life :...
as Thampy - Vinaya PrasadVinaya PrasadVinaya Prasad is a popular film and television actress in South India.She hails from Udupi. Vinaya made her film debut with a small role in G V Iyer’s Madhwacharya in 1988. She worked in smaller character roles before playing the leading lady in Ganeshana Maduve opposite Ananth Nag...
as Sreedevi - ShridharSridhar (Kannada actor)Sridhar is an Indian actor in the Kannada film industry, and also a dance scholar, performer and choreographer, trained in Bharatanatyam. He also holds a degree in Engineering...
as Mahadevan - InnocentInnocent VincentInnocent Thekkethala , popularly known as Innocent, is a Malayalam film actor and producer. He was born in Irinjalakuda in Thrissur district of Kerala, India. He is one of the most successful and leading comedy actors of Malayalam cinema...
as Unnithan - SudheeshSudheeshSudheesh is an Indian actor who mainly works in Malayalam cinema.-Filmography:-External links:****...
as Chanthu - KPAC Lalitha as Bhasura
- ThilakanThilakanSurendranatha Thilakan , known mononymously as Thilakan, is an Indian actor who works in Malayalam cinema and theatre. He was awarded Padma Shri on 25 January 2009.- Theatre:...
as Brahmadattan Nampoothirippadu - Kuthiravattam PappuKuthiravattam PappuKuthiravattam Pappu, often credited as Pappu, was a popular Indian stage and film actor. His repertoire of acting was based on his unique style and use of the Kozhikodan dialect, impeccable timing and the capability to grasp the subtle nuances of any character and mould it into his signature "Pappu...
as Kattuparamban - Ganesh KumarK. B. Ganesh KumarKeezhoote Balakrishna Pillai Ganesh Kumar is an Indian film and TV actor and politician, now serving as Minister for Forests & Environment, Sports and Cinema in the Government of Kerala. He was elected to the State Legislative Assembly from Pathanapuram in Kollam district for the first time in...
as Dasappan Kutty - RudraRudra' is a Rigvedic God, associated with wind or storm, and the hunt. The name has been translated as "The Roarer", or "The Howler"....
as Alli
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the movie has been composed by M. G. RadhakrishnanM. G. Radhakrishnan
M. G. Radhakrishnan was a senior music director and Carnatic vocalist from Kerala. He is highly regarded as one of the most successful light music and film music composer in Malayalam.- Personal life :M. G...
which went on to become one of the most popular film album in Malayalam. Lyrics are written by Bichu Thirumala
Bichu Thirumala
Bichu Thirumala is an Indian lyricist and poet from Kerala, who works in the Malayalam film industry. He, along with O. N. V. Kurup, is known for creating the style of arranging beautiful words in Malayalam film songs. In Malayalam cinema, Thirumala led the group of lyricist who wrote songs for...
, Vaali
Vaali (poet)
Vaali is a Tamil poet and lyricist who writes Tamil poetry and film song lyrics. Most recently he has extended lyrics for a couple of songs in Engeyum Kaadhal for the music of Harris Jayaraj. He has also acted in several films, most notably Hey Ram, Parthale Paravasam and Poi Kaal Kudhirai...
and Madhu Muttam
Madhu Muttam
Madhu Muttam is a popular script writer in Kerala, India. His second film as a script writer was the critically acclaimed Malayalam blockbuster Manichitrathazhu which was huge commercial success in Kerala. The film fetched Sobhana the National Award for Best Actress...
.
| Song Title | Singer(s) | Lyrics |
|---|---|---|
| "Oru Murai Vandhu" | Dr. K. J. Yesudas K. J. Yesudas Kattassery Joseph Yesudas is an Indian classical musician and playback singer.Yesudas sings Indian classical, devotional, and popular music. He has recorded more than 50,000 songs in many languages including Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati, Oriya, Marathi, Punjabi,... , K. S. Chitra |
Vaali Vaali (poet) Vaali is a Tamil poet and lyricist who writes Tamil poetry and film song lyrics. Most recently he has extended lyrics for a couple of songs in Engeyum Kaadhal for the music of Harris Jayaraj. He has also acted in several films, most notably Hey Ram, Parthale Paravasam and Poi Kaal Kudhirai... , Bichu Thirumala Bichu Thirumala Bichu Thirumala is an Indian lyricist and poet from Kerala, who works in the Malayalam film industry. He, along with O. N. V. Kurup, is known for creating the style of arranging beautiful words in Malayalam film songs. In Malayalam cinema, Thirumala led the group of lyricist who wrote songs for... |
| "Pazham Tamil" | K. J. Yesudas | Bichu Thirumala |
| "Palavattam Pookkaalam" | K. J. Yesudas | Madhu Muttam Madhu Muttam Madhu Muttam is a popular script writer in Kerala, India. His second film as a script writer was the critically acclaimed Malayalam blockbuster Manichitrathazhu which was huge commercial success in Kerala. The film fetched Sobhana the National Award for Best Actress... |
| "Varuvaanillarumee" | K. S. Chithra | Madhu Muttam |
| "Akkuthikkuthanakkombil" | G. Venugopal G. Venugopal G. Venugopal is an Indian playback singer, active mainly in Malayalam films. He also has Tamil and Telugu songs to his credit. Venugopal started his career in the film Odarathammava Aalariyam and has sung in more than 280 films and over 250 albums since then.G. Venugopal is a graduate of Kerala... , K. S. Chithra, Sujatha Mohan Sujatha Mohan Sujatha Mohan , usually credited as Sujatha, is an award-winning Indian playback singer who is popular for singing in Malayalam and Tamil movies. She has also sung for Telugu, Kannada and Hindi movies. She is widely popular for her evergreen melodies and her sweet voice is considered to be her... , M G Radhakrishnan |
Bichu Thirumala |
| "Kumbham Kulathil Ariyathe" | K. J. Yesudas | Bichu Thirumala |
| "Uthunga Sailangalkkum" | Sujatha Mohan | Bichu Thirumala |
| "Oru Murai" (Bit) | Sujatha Mohan | Vaali |
| "Oru Murai" (Tamil Version) | K. S. Chithra | Vaali |
Awards
National Film AwardsNational Film Awards
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it is administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.Every year, a national panel...
- Best ActressNational Film Award for Best ActressThe National Film Award for Best Actress is an honor presented annually at the National Film Awards of India to an actress who has delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry...
- Sobhana - Best CinematographyNational Film Award for Best CinematographyThe National Film Award for Best Cinematography are given annually. The only female who has won this award is Anjuli Shukla, who won the award for her debut film, Kutty Srank . The most time winners are Santosh Sivan & K.K. Mahajan - 4 awards each for best cinematography category....
- Venu
Kerala State Film Awards
- Best ActressKerala State Film Award for Best ActressThe Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress winners:-References:**...
- Sobhana - Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic ValueKerala State Film Award for Best Popular FilmThe Kerala State Film Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value winners:-References:**...
- Best Makeup ArtistKerala State Film Award for Best Makeup ArtistThe Kerala State Film Award for Best Makeup Artist winners:-References:**...
- P. N. Mani
Character map of Manichitrathazhu and its remakes
| Manichithrathazhu (1993) | Aaptamitra Aaptamitra Apthamitra is a 2004 Kannada movie starring Vishnuvardhan, Ramesh Arvind, Soundarya and Avinash. This was actress Soundarya's last film. This was inspired from a Malayalam movie Manichitrathazhu . It was a box-office hit and ran successfully for a year. It was followed by its sequel, Aptharakshaka... (2004) | Chandramukhi Chandramukhi Chandramukhi is a 2005 Indian horror, comedy and drama film directed by P. Vasu and produced by Ramkumar Ganesan. With a few deviations, it is a remake of Vasu's 2004 Kannada film Apthamitra, which was in-turn a remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu... (2005) | Chandramukhi Chandramukhi Chandramukhi is a 2005 Indian horror, comedy and drama film directed by P. Vasu and produced by Ramkumar Ganesan. With a few deviations, it is a remake of Vasu's 2004 Kannada film Apthamitra, which was in-turn a remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu... (2005) | Rajmohol Rajmohol Raj Mohol is a 2005 Bengali film starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, Abhishek Chatterjee, Anu Chowdhury, Rachana Banerjee and Bharat Kaul. The film is a remake of Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu .-Story:... (2005) | Bhool Bhulaiya (2008) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malayalam | Kannada | Tamil | Telugu | Bengali | Hindi |
| "Dr. Sunny Joseph" (Mohanlal Mohanlal Mohanlal Vishwanathan Nair , known mononymously as Mohanlal , is a National Award-winning Indian actor, producer, singer and writer who is well known for his versatile and natural acting in Indian cinema & hence widely known as the Universal Star... ) |
"Dr.Vijay" (Vishnuvardhan Vishnuvardhan Sampath Kumar , popularly known as Vishnuvardhan , was a prominent Indian film actor. He has acted in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil films. He has acted in over 220 movies in total that includes 200 Kannada movies, 5 Hindi movies, 5 Telugu movies, 3 Malayalam movies and 6 Tamil movies... ) |
"Dr.Saravanan" (Rajnikanth Rajnikanth Rajinikanth is an Indian film actor, media personality, and cultural icon. He made his debut as an actor in the National Film Award-winning motion picture Apoorva Raagangal , directed by K. Balachander, whom the actor considers his mentor.... ) |
"Dr.Eeshwar" (Rajnikanth Rajnikanth Rajinikanth is an Indian film actor, media personality, and cultural icon. He made his debut as an actor in the National Film Award-winning motion picture Apoorva Raagangal , directed by K. Balachander, whom the actor considers his mentor.... ) |
"Dr.Agni" (Prasenjit Chatterjee Prasenjit Chatterjee Prosenjit Chatterjee Prosenjit Chatterjee Prosenjit Chatterjee (also Prosenjit Chatterjee or Proshenjit Chattopadhyay , professionally known as Proshenjit, is a Bengali film actor. His fans affectionately called him Bumba Da... ) |
"Dr.Aditya Shrivastav" (Akshay Kumar Akshay Kumar Akshay Kumar is an Indian film actor, producer and martial artist who has appeared in over a hundred Hindi films. When he began his acting career in the 1990s, he primarily starred in action films and was particularly known for his appearances in feature films commonly called the "Khiladi series",... ) |
| "Nakulan" (Suresh Gopi Suresh Gopi Suresh Gopinathan Nair , often credited as Suresh Gopi , is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Malayalam cinema; he is famous for his roles in police dramas. He is noted for his leading roles as much as his character roles... ) |
"Ramesh" (Ramesh Aravind Ramesh Aravind Ramesh Aravind or Ramesh is a popular Kannada, Tamil and Telugu movie actor. He is considered one of the most versatile actors in Indian cinema.-Early days:... ) |
"Senthilnathan" (Prabhu Ganesan Prabhu Ganesan Prabhu Ganesan is a Tamil film actor and producer. He is the son of veteran actor Sivaji Ganesan.-Personal life:A native of Tamil Nadu, Prabhu was born to Sivaji and Kamala Ganesan. He has an elder brother Ramkumar Ganesan who is a film producer, and two sisters, Shanthi and Thenmozhi. He did his... ) |
"Kailash" (Prabhu Ganesan Prabhu Ganesan Prabhu Ganesan is a Tamil film actor and producer. He is the son of veteran actor Sivaji Ganesan.-Personal life:A native of Tamil Nadu, Prabhu was born to Sivaji and Kamala Ganesan. He has an elder brother Ramkumar Ganesan who is a film producer, and two sisters, Shanthi and Thenmozhi. He did his... ) |
(Abhishek Chatterjee Abhishek Chatterjee - Filmography :*Alo *Bariwali .... Abhijeet... aka The Lady of the House*Dahan .... Palash ... aka Crossfire*Pathbhola .... Gupi-External links:... ) |
"Siddharth Chaturvedi" (Shiney Ahuja Shiney Ahuja Shiney Ahuja is an Indian actor who won the Filmfare Best Debut Award for Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi in 2006.- Early life :... ) |
| "Ganga" (Shobana) |
"Ganga" (Soundarya Soundarya Soundarya was a film actress who appeared in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films. She acted in more than 90 films, most of them in Telugu. She was killed in a plane crash near Bangalore.-Film career:... ) |
"Ganga" (Jyothika Saravanan Jyothika Saravanan Jyothika Sadanah-Saravanan is a former Indian film actress who predominantly appeared in Tamil films. She also acted in a few Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi films. She gained critical acclaim for her performances in Kushi, Perazhagan, Chandramukhi and Mozhi, winning one Filmfare and three... ) |
"Ganga" (Jyothika Saravanan Jyothika Saravanan Jyothika Sadanah-Saravanan is a former Indian film actress who predominantly appeared in Tamil films. She also acted in a few Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi films. She gained critical acclaim for her performances in Kushi, Perazhagan, Chandramukhi and Mozhi, winning one Filmfare and three... ) |
"Deboshri" (Anu Chowdhury Anu Chowdhury Anu Choudhury born Choudhury Anasuya Dash on August 30, 1979 is a leading Oriya language and Bengali actress in Bhubaneswar based Oriya Cinema at Ollywood and calcutta based Bengali Cinema at Tollywood respectively.She has starred in more than 50 films... ) |
"Avni" (Vidya Balan Vidya Balan Vidya Balan is an Indian actress, who appears in Hindi films. After graduating with a degree in sociology, she started her career starring in music videos, television shows and commercials, before appearing in feature films.... ) |
| "Sreedevi" (Vinaya Prasad Vinaya Prasad Vinaya Prasad is a popular film and television actress in South India.She hails from Udupi. Vinaya made her film debut with a small role in G V Iyer’s Madhwacharya in 1988. She worked in smaller character roles before playing the leading lady in Ganeshana Maduve opposite Ananth Nag... ) |
"Soumya" (Prema Prema Prema may refer to:*Prema – actress in the Kannada Film Industry*Prema – 1952 Telugu film*Prema – Telugu film starring Venkatesh and Revathi*Prema – British recording artiste... ) |
"Durga" (Nayantara Nayantara Nayantara , is an Indian film actress. She made her acting debut in 2003 in the Malayalam film Manassinakkare. She debuted in Tamil cinema with Ayya and in Telugu cinema with Lakshmi , following which she starred alongside popular lead actors... ) |
"Durga" (Nayantara Nayantara Nayantara , is an Indian film actress. She made her acting debut in 2003 in the Malayalam film Manassinakkare. She debuted in Tamil cinema with Ayya and in Telugu cinema with Lakshmi , following which she starred alongside popular lead actors... ) |
"Malini" (Rachana Banerjee Rachana Banerjee Rachana Banerjee is a Bengali actress in Calcutta-based Bengali Cinema at Tollywood.She was born on October 2, 1978 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. Apart from Bengali movies she has also done several Oriya movies, many along with Siddhanta Mahapatra... ) |
"Radha" (Amisha Patel Amisha Patel Ameesha Patel is an Indian actress who appears in mainly Bollywood movies. Making her acting debut in the blockbuster Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai , Patel won critical praise for her performance in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha , which became one of the biggest hits in the history of Hindi cinema, earning her a ... ) |
| Mahadevan (Sridhar Sridhar (Kannada actor) Sridhar is an Indian actor in the Kannada film industry, and also a dance scholar, performer and choreographer, trained in Bharatanatyam. He also holds a degree in Engineering... ) |
(Vineeth Vineeth Vineeth is an Indian film actor and classical dancer who has acted in several well received films in his native Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. He studied in Good Shepherd Public School, Ooty, and at St. Joseph's Boys' High School, Thalassery.Vineeth is nephew of the famous Travancore... ) |
(Vineeth Vineeth Vineeth is an Indian film actor and classical dancer who has acted in several well received films in his native Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. He studied in Good Shepherd Public School, Ooty, and at St. Joseph's Boys' High School, Thalassery.Vineeth is nephew of the famous Travancore... ) |
(Vineeth Vineeth Vineeth is an Indian film actor and classical dancer who has acted in several well received films in his native Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. He studied in Good Shepherd Public School, Ooty, and at St. Joseph's Boys' High School, Thalassery.Vineeth is nephew of the famous Travancore... ) |
(Vineeth Vineeth Vineeth is an Indian film actor and classical dancer who has acted in several well received films in his native Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. He studied in Good Shepherd Public School, Ooty, and at St. Joseph's Boys' High School, Thalassery.Vineeth is nephew of the famous Travancore... ) |
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| "Thampy" (Nedumudi Venu Nedumudi Venu Nedumudi Venu is a popular Malayalam film actor from Kerala, India. He has also written screenplays and has directed one film.- Early life :... ) |
(Satyajit Satyajit Satyajit is a common Indian name. The word is a compound of the words for truthful , and winner . Some noted personalities with the name Satyajit are:*Satyajit Ray - noted filmmaker.*Satyajit Padhye - ventriloquist and TV personality.... ) |
"Kandaswamy" (Nassar Nassar Nassar is a Tamil actor, producer, writer, director, lyricist, and singer. He has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English films. He is often cited as part of India's specialist character actors, along with the likes of Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri and Nana Patekar... ) |
(Nassar Nassar Nassar is a Tamil actor, producer, writer, director, lyricist, and singer. He has appeared in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi and English films. He is often cited as part of India's specialist character actors, along with the likes of Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri and Nana Patekar... ) |
"Badrinarayan Chaturvedi" (Manoj Joshi Manoj Joshi Manoj Joshi is an Indian journalist and author. As of 2009, he is Comment Editor with the Mail Today newspaper in India.He finished his schooling from the prestigious St. Joseph's College in Nainital. After an undergraduate degree at St. Stephen's College, Delhi, Joshi studied history at Lucknow... ) |
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| "Unnithan" (Innocent) |
"Mukunda" (Dwarakesh) |
"Murugesan" (Vadivelu Vadivelu Vadivelu , often referred to as Vadivel, is a Tamil film actor,comedian and playback singer. Since 2000, he has acted as a comedian in various Tamil films. During his career, Vadivelu has won several Filmfare Awards and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards... ) |
"Basavaiah" (Vadivelu Vadivelu Vadivelu , often referred to as Vadivel, is a Tamil film actor,comedian and playback singer. Since 2000, he has acted as a comedian in various Tamil films. During his career, Vadivelu has won several Filmfare Awards and Tamil Nadu State Film Awards... ) |
"Batukshankar Upadhyay" (Paresh Rawal Paresh Rawal Paresh Rawal is an Indian actor of Gujarati background.Making his film debut in 1984, he mainly played supporting and villain roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Since 2000 he has mostly played comic roles.- Family and early life :... ) |
Reception
Manichitrathazhu ran for more than 300 days. The film grossed a distributor's share of more than 3 crores, a large sum then.The movie consistently fetched maximum ratings for its television screenings. Fourteen years after its release this film has been screened more than 12 times on Kerala's leading TV channel, Asianet
Asianet
Asianet Communications Limited is an Indian media conglomerate jointly owned by STAR TV and Jupiter Entertainment. Formed in 1991 and headquartered in the city of Thiruvananthapuram in the south Indian state of Kerala, the company owns several television channels including Asianet, the first...
. This film has received the maximum TRP rating on every screening. TRP ratings have increased every year. This is a rare record for a movie produced in Kerala.
Remakes
- Manichithrathazhu later inspired remakes and sequels in other languages, such as Apthamitra and its sequel Aptharakshaka in Kannada starring Vishnuvardhan, ChandramukhiChandramukhiChandramukhi is a 2005 Indian horror, comedy and drama film directed by P. Vasu and produced by Ramkumar Ganesan. With a few deviations, it is a remake of Vasu's 2004 Kannada film Apthamitra, which was in-turn a remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu...
in Tamil and Telugu starring Rajnikanth and its sequel in Telugu titled Nagavalli starring VenkateshVenkateshVenkatesh may refer to:* Venkateswara: A Hindu Deity* G. K. Venkatesh , composer of film music in Kannada cinema during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s* A...
, and Bhool BhulaiyaaBhool BhulaiyaaBhool Bhulaiyaa is a 2007 Bollywood psychological thriller comedy horror film directed by Priyadarshan. The film constitutes the official remake of the 1993 Malayalam film, Manichitrathazhu, which was already remade into several Indian films...
in Hindi. - The central character played by Shobhana is named Ganga in the all the remakes except Bhool Bhulaiya. In that film, the character is named Avni, played by Vidya BalanVidya BalanVidya Balan is an Indian actress, who appears in Hindi films. After graduating with a degree in sociology, she started her career starring in music videos, television shows and commercials, before appearing in feature films....
. - All three South-Indian versions (Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil) earned the actresses playing the central character (Shobhana, SoundaryaSoundaryaSoundarya was a film actress who appeared in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films. She acted in more than 90 films, most of them in Telugu. She was killed in a plane crash near Bangalore.-Film career:...
, Jyothika SaravananJyothika SaravananJyothika Sadanah-Saravanan is a former Indian film actress who predominantly appeared in Tamil films. She also acted in a few Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi films. She gained critical acclaim for her performances in Kushi, Perazhagan, Chandramukhi and Mozhi, winning one Filmfare and three...
, respectively) the State Awards for Best Actress of the respective states (KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and Tamilnadu). - In Apthamitra (the Kannada version) the character of psychiatrist, played by Vishnuvardhan, is given more screen time. The Tamil version, ChandramukhiChandramukhiChandramukhi is a 2005 Indian horror, comedy and drama film directed by P. Vasu and produced by Ramkumar Ganesan. With a few deviations, it is a remake of Vasu's 2004 Kannada film Apthamitra, which was in-turn a remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu...
, which starred Rajinikanth, followed the same pattern. Both films were directed by P. Vasu. However, the Hindi version (Bhool BhulaiyaaBhool BhulaiyaaBhool Bhulaiyaa is a 2007 Bollywood psychological thriller comedy horror film directed by Priyadarshan. The film constitutes the official remake of the 1993 Malayalam film, Manichitrathazhu, which was already remade into several Indian films...
, directed by PriyadarshanPriyadarshanPriyadarshan is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter. In a career spanning over two decades, Priyadarshan has directed over 80 films in several Indian languages including Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu...
) stuck to the original script. - The story was not credited to Madhu MuttamMadhu MuttamMadhu Muttam is a popular script writer in Kerala, India. His second film as a script writer was the critically acclaimed Malayalam blockbuster Manichitrathazhu which was huge commercial success in Kerala. The film fetched Sobhana the National Award for Best Actress...
in Apthamitra 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 high court verdict in a case filed by him. - The film was dubbed into TeluguTelugu languageTelugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
as ChandramukhiChandramukhiChandramukhi is a 2005 Indian horror, comedy and drama film directed by P. Vasu and produced by Ramkumar Ganesan. With a few deviations, it is a remake of Vasu's 2004 Kannada film Apthamitra, which was in-turn a remake of the 1993 Malayalam film Manichithrathazhu...
. - Sequel to Tamil titled Chandramukhi 2 is announced with Ajith Kumar supposedly playing the lead.