Pazhassi Raja (film)
Encyclopedia
Pazhassi Raja is a 2009 Malayalam historical drama movie mostly based on the life of Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, a local king from the royal dynasty of Pazhassi Kottayam, Malabar, India. The film was directed by Hariharan
, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair
and produced by Gokulam Gopalan
. It stars Mammootty
in the title role, and Sarathkumar, Manoj K. Jayan
, Kanika Subramaniam
, Padmapriya
, Thilakan
, Peter Handley Evans, Harry Key, Linda Arsenio
and Jagathi Sreekumar in other major roles. The film's music score and soundtrack were created by Ilaiyaraaja
, while its sound design is by Resul Pookutty
. Originally filmed in Malayalam
, the film was also dubbed in Tamil
. The film was released on 16 October 2009 across Kerala with 130 prints. Upon release, it enjoyed critical acclaim collecting 1.53 crore on its opening day. The film was featured in International Film Festivals of Kerala and Mumbai besides many festivals across the world including the prestigious Fukuoka International Film Festival.
(Mammootty
), who belonged to the Kottayam royal family, and his guerilla revolts against the British East India Company
when they imposed high revenue policies among the people of Kottayam Kingdom, comprising the present day Thalassery
Taluk and parts of Wayanad.
Pazhassi Raja is the ruler of Kottayam Kingdom. His family helps the British fight against Tipu Sultan when the latter tries to invade Wayanad. But soon after, the British impose high taxes on the people of Wayanad. Pazhassi Raja opposes this action and does not agree to the new taxes. This enrages the British officials. With the help of Pazhassi Raja's uncle Kurumbranaadu Raja Veeravarma (Thilakan
), who is jealous of Pazhassi for his success and influence, and Pazhassi's old companion Pazhayamveedan Chandhu (Suman
), the British act against Pazhassi Raja. This forces Pazhassi Raja to escape to the forests of Wayanad. The Tribal Force led by Neeli captures Baber and his fiancée in the jungle, in spite of his commander's objection. The Raja treats Baber and his fiancée as his guest and releases them.
From there he begins a guerrilla war against the British. He is supported by his army chief Edachena Kunkan
(Sarathkumar) and his brother-in-law Kaitheri Ambu (Suresh Krishna
). In the guerrilla war-front Pazhassi uses the expertise of Thalakkal Chandu (Manoj K. Jayan
), a Kurichya soldier, and Chandu's fiancée Neeli (Padmapriya).
During the initial phases of the war, the British lose lots of men and money. This compels them to make a peace treaty with Pazhassi Raja. Pazhassi 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 British. This prompts Pazhassi to start the war again. Similarly, Dora leaves Baber for England, having learned the betrayal done by the British 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 British.
He forms useful alliances with many rulers and powerful families in the nearby places like Unni Mootha (Captain Raju
) and his men.
Pazhassi Raja and his army successfully start the war again. But the British 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 (Nedumudi Venu
).
The British start hunting for Pazhassi and his army chief Edachena Kunkan. In a bloody fight, Edachena Kunkan kills Pazhayamveedan Chandhu. But he is surrounded by the British. Instead of surrendering before them, he commits suicide. This makes Pazhassi's army weaker. But Pazhassi Raja, even though knowing that he is going to die, goes for a last fight against the British. After a glorious fight Pazhassi Raja is killed by the British. The film ends with the Assistant Collector Baber (Harry Key) placing the body of the Raja in a Palki and his famous words: "He was our enemy. But he was a great warrior, a great man and we honour him." The British officers respond by saluting the corpse of the Raja and acting as pallbearer
s.
, which turned out into a landmark film in Malayalam. It was about Chanthu, a warrior king from the legends of west. Through Pazhassi Raja, they made another biopic, on the life of warrior king and freedom fighter Pazhassi Raja. Gokulam Gopalan was the film's producer. The total budget of the movie is about 27 crore
s, which makes it the most expensive Malayalam movie ever made. The sounds in the war scenes of the movie were recreated under Academy Award winner Resul Pookutty
as he joined in the project only after its completion.
plays the title role of Pazhassi Raja
. There are three heroines: Padmapriya appearing as a tribal girl, Kanika as Pazhassi's wife and Linda Arsenio
as an English woman. Linda is a theatre artist in New York who also acted in the film Kabul Express
.
Through this film, Sarath Kumar
makes his debut in Malayalam cinema
. He portrays Edachena Kunkan, the chief lieutenant to Pazhashi Raja. Suresh Gopi
was originally cast for the role, however he refused to accept. Later, he clarified that he couldn't act in the film due to personal reasons and it would always be a loss for him. Suman
plays Pazhayamveedan Chandu. 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 lasted for two and a half years and was completed in August 2009. Sound mixer Resul Pookutty recreated all location scenes to ensure perfection. 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."
release with 130 prints in the original Malayalam version and later on November 17 with 150 prints in Tamil
.
Home entertainment released the movie on Blu-ray Disc
, DVD
,SuperDVD and VCD
in india
.It was also the first Malayalam film to be genuinely released on a 1080p High Definition with DTS-HD Master Audio Blu-ray Disc
rated the film five in a scale of five and termed it as a movie "that will be treasured for years to come".
The Malayalam satellite rights were acquired by Asianet
Communications, for a record sum of 2.4 crores. The home video rights was bought by Moser Baer Home Video
for a record sum of 60 lakhs.
, who, like in several films earlier, had used the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra
in Budapest
. Ilaiyaraaja used live orchestration for the score. It took three months for Ilaiyaraaja to complete the re-recording; quite unusual from him, as he is known to take only half a day for routine films. The soundtrack album was released by Think Music on 25 September. The soundtrack received mixed critical reviews and "did not go the way that it was expected". Following the setback of the soundtrack album, Ilaiyaraaja stated that he was not satisfied with the lyrics of poet O. N. V. Kurup
, who penned two songs for the film. These comments, regarding a celebrated poet from Kerala, later lead to many controversies. Ilaiyaraaja, however, eventually won the National Film Award for Best Background Score
Track listing
for a record sum of 62 lakhs. This film is the first regional language film to be released in the Blu-ray format. The DVD version of the film was released on 1 May 2010 as a two-DVD set. This DVD release was distributed worldwide by Moser Baer Home Video. It is available in 16:9 Anamorphic widescreen
, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, progressive
24 FPS
, widescreen
and NTSC
format. Within two days of its release, Pazhassi Raja broke all existing records in Malayalam home video sales by selling over two lakh units.
Hariharan (director)
Hariharan is a Malayali film director. His movies mainly revolved around the cultural and relational aspects of a typical Kerala society. His notable works include Pazhassi Raja, Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, Sargam, Parinayam, Amrutham Gamaya and Nakhakshathangal, which won him national...
, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair
M. T. Vasudevan Nair
Madathil Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair , popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He was born in Kudallur, a small village in the present day Palakkad District, which was under the Malabar District in the Madras Presidency of the British Raj...
and produced by Gokulam Gopalan
Gokulam Gopalan
Gokulam Gopalan is a self-made successful businessman, social worker, film producer and distributor from Kerala, India-Biography:Gopalan was born on 23 July 1944...
. It stars Mammootty
Mammootty
Mammootty is an Indian film actor and producer who works mainly in Malayalam cinema. He has also acted in a few Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada films. During a career spanning more than three decades, he has acted in more than 360 films, and is only next to Prem Nazir in the number of lead roles...
in the title role, and Sarathkumar, Manoj K. Jayan
Manoj K. Jayan
Manoj K. Jayan is an Indian actor who mainly acts in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films. Manoj has won the Kerala State Film Award twice: Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Hariharan's Sargam and Second Best Actor for Hariharan's Pazhassi Raja .-Family and early life:He was born in...
, Kanika Subramaniam
Kanika Subramaniam
Divya Venkatasubramaniam , best known by her stage name Kanika, is an Indian film actress, occasional dubbing artist, playback singer, and TV anchor. Making her debut in the 2002 Tamil film Five Star, she went on to work in other South Indian film industries, including Telugu, Malayalam and...
, Padmapriya
Padmapriya Janakiraman
J. Padmapriya or Padmapriya JanakiramanInitial system is an Indian film actress and model.A classical Tamil bharatanatyam dancer, Padmapriya made her acting debut in the Telugu-language film Seenu Vasanthi Lakshmi , following which she appeared in a number of Malayalam and Tamil-language films...
, 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:...
, Peter Handley Evans, Harry Key, Linda Arsenio
Linda Arsenio
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....
and Jagathi Sreekumar in other major roles. The film's music score and soundtrack were created by Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja is an Indian film composer, singer, and lyricist mainly in the Tamil film Industry. He is regarded as one of the finest music composers in India. Ilaiyaraaja is also an instrumentalist, conductor, and a songwriter...
, while its sound design is by Resul Pookutty
Resul Pookutty
Resul Pookutty is an Indian film sound designer, sound editor and mixer. He, along with Richard Pryke and Ian Tapp won the Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing for the film Slumdog Millionaire...
. Originally filmed in Malayalam
Malayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
, the film was also dubbed in Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
. The film was released on 16 October 2009 across Kerala with 130 prints. Upon release, it enjoyed critical acclaim collecting 1.53 crore on its opening day. The film was featured in International Film Festivals of Kerala and Mumbai besides many festivals across the world including the prestigious Fukuoka International Film Festival.
Plot
The movie is about King Kerala Varma Pazhassi RajaPazhassi Raja
Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja , popularly known as Kerala Simham or Lion of Kerala, was the Hindu Nair King of Kottayam , which was based in modern Kannur District, North Malabar zone of Kerala State in...
(Mammootty
Mammootty
Mammootty is an Indian film actor and producer who works mainly in Malayalam cinema. He has also acted in a few Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada films. During a career spanning more than three decades, he has acted in more than 360 films, and is only next to Prem Nazir in the number of lead roles...
), who belonged to the Kottayam royal family, and his guerilla revolts against the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
when they imposed high revenue policies among the people of Kottayam Kingdom, comprising the present day Thalassery
Thalassery
Thalassery , also known as Tellicherry, is a city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala, India. This is the second largest city of North Malabar in terms of population. The name Tellicherry is the anglicized form of Thalassery. Thalassery municipality has a population just less than 100,000. Established...
Taluk and parts of Wayanad.
Pazhassi Raja is the ruler of Kottayam Kingdom. His family helps the British fight against Tipu Sultan when the latter tries to invade Wayanad. But soon after, the British impose high taxes on the people of Wayanad. Pazhassi Raja opposes this action and does not agree to the new taxes. This enrages the British officials. With the help of Pazhassi Raja's uncle Kurumbranaadu Raja Veeravarma (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:...
), who is jealous of Pazhassi for his success and influence, and Pazhassi's old companion Pazhayamveedan Chandhu (Suman
Suman (actor)
Suman is a South Indian Telugu film actor. He played action hero and romantic hero in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films during the 1980s. After a long while away from cinema, he returned to acting in Tamil films in 2007, starring in S. Shankar's Sivaji: The Boss with Rajinikanth. He has also...
), the British act against Pazhassi Raja. This forces Pazhassi Raja to escape to the forests of Wayanad. The Tribal Force led by Neeli captures Baber and his fiancée in the jungle, in spite of his commander's objection. The Raja treats Baber and his fiancée as his guest and releases them.
From there he begins a guerrilla war against the British. He is supported by his army chief Edachena Kunkan
Edachena Kunkan
Edachena Kunkan Nair , was a Wayanad Nayar noble near Tirunelli who joined the war effort of Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja in the 1770s and soon rose to become commander of his armies in Wayanad. His younger brothers Edachena Komappan Nair, Edachena Othenan Nair and Edachena Ammu helped him in war as...
(Sarathkumar) and his brother-in-law Kaitheri Ambu (Suresh Krishna
Suresh Krishna (actor)
Suresh Krishna is a Malayali film actor, known for his negative and character roles. He is noted for his strong characters in Manju Poloru Penkutti, Christian Brothers, Pazhassi Raja and Kutty Srank...
). In the guerrilla war-front Pazhassi uses the expertise of Thalakkal Chandu (Manoj K. Jayan
Manoj K. Jayan
Manoj K. Jayan is an Indian actor who mainly acts in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films. Manoj has won the Kerala State Film Award twice: Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Hariharan's Sargam and Second Best Actor for Hariharan's Pazhassi Raja .-Family and early life:He was born in...
), a Kurichya soldier, and Chandu's fiancée Neeli (Padmapriya).
During the initial phases of the war, the British lose lots of men and money. This compels them to make a peace treaty with Pazhassi Raja. Pazhassi 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 British. This prompts Pazhassi to start the war again. Similarly, Dora leaves Baber for England, having learned the betrayal done by the British 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 British.
He forms useful alliances with many rulers and powerful families in the nearby places like Unni Mootha (Captain Raju
Captain Raju
Captain Raju is a Malayalam film actor. He was born at Omallur in Pathanamthitta District, Kerala.After finishing his graduation in Zoology, Raju joined the Indian Army as a first class officer at the age of 21. He started acting in films after leaving the army service. He has acted in more than...
) and his men.
Pazhassi Raja and his army successfully start the war again. But the British 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 (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 :...
).
The British start hunting for Pazhassi and his army chief Edachena Kunkan. In a bloody fight, Edachena Kunkan kills Pazhayamveedan Chandhu. But he is surrounded by the British. Instead of surrendering before them, he commits suicide. This makes Pazhassi's army weaker. But Pazhassi Raja, even though knowing that he is going to die, goes for a last fight against the British. After a glorious fight Pazhassi Raja is killed by the British. The film ends with the Assistant Collector Baber (Harry Key) placing the body of the Raja in a Palki and his famous words: "He was our enemy. But he was a great warrior, a great man and we honour him." The British officers respond by saluting the corpse of the Raja and acting as pallbearer
Pallbearer
A pall-bearer is one of several funeral participants who helps carry the casket of a deceased person from a religious or memorial service or viewing either directly to a cemetery or mausoleum, or to and from the hearse which carries the coffin....
s.
Cast
- MammoottyMammoottyMammootty is an Indian film actor and producer who works mainly in Malayalam cinema. He has also acted in a few Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada films. During a career spanning more than three decades, he has acted in more than 360 films, and is only next to Prem Nazir in the number of lead roles...
as Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, belonging to the Kottayam Royal Family in North MalabarNorth MalabarNorth Malabar , is a historic as well as geographic distinction in India used to refer the area covering; present Kasaragod and Kannur Districts, Mananthavady taluk of Wayanad District and Koyilandy & Vatakara taluks of Kozhikode District in modern Kerala and the entire Mahé sub-Division of...
, 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....
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... - Sarathkumar as Edachena KunkanEdachena KunkanEdachena Kunkan Nair , was a Wayanad Nayar noble near Tirunelli who joined the war effort of Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja in the 1770s and soon rose to become commander of his armies in Wayanad. His younger brothers Edachena Komappan Nair, Edachena Othenan Nair and Edachena Ammu helped him in war as...
, Pazhassi Raja's army chief - Manoj K. JayanManoj K. JayanManoj K. Jayan is an Indian actor who mainly acts in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films. Manoj has won the Kerala State Film Award twice: Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Hariharan's Sargam and Second Best Actor for Hariharan's Pazhassi Raja .-Family and early life:He was born in...
as Thalakkal ChanduThalakkal ChanthuThalakkal Chandu was an archer and the commander-in-chief of the Kurichya soldiers of the Pazhassi Raja who fought the British forces in the Wayanad jungles in the early period of the 19th century....
, a Kurichya soldier and an expert in guerrilla warfare - Suresh KrishnaSuresh Krishna (actor)Suresh Krishna is a Malayali film actor, known for his negative and character roles. He is noted for his strong characters in Manju Poloru Penkutti, Christian Brothers, Pazhassi Raja and Kutty Srank...
as Kaitheri Ambu, Pazhassi Raja's brother in law - PadmapriyaPadmapriya JanakiramanJ. Padmapriya or Padmapriya JanakiramanInitial system is an Indian film actress and model.A classical Tamil bharatanatyam dancer, Padmapriya made her acting debut in the Telugu-language film Seenu Vasanthi Lakshmi , following which she appeared in a number of Malayalam and Tamil-language films...
as Neeli, Thalakkal Chandu's fiancée and the leader of women Kurichya soldiers - Kanika SubramaniamKanika SubramaniamDivya Venkatasubramaniam , best known by her stage name Kanika, is an Indian film actress, occasional dubbing artist, playback singer, and TV anchor. Making her debut in the 2002 Tamil film Five Star, she went on to work in other South Indian film industries, including Telugu, Malayalam and...
as Kaitheri Makkam, Pazhassi Raja's wife - Harry Key as Assistant Collector Thomas Hervey Baber
- Linda ArsenioLinda ArsenioLinda 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....
as Dora, fiancée of Assistant Collector Baber - Peter Handley Evans as Major James Gordon
- SumanSuman (actor)Suman is a South Indian Telugu film actor. He played action hero and romantic hero in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films during the 1980s. After a long while away from cinema, he returned to acting in Tamil films in 2007, starring in S. Shankar's Sivaji: The Boss with Rajinikanth. He has also...
as Pazhayamveedan Chandhu - 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 Kurumbranaadu Raja Veeravarma - Jagathy SreekumarJagathy SreekumarSreekumar Achary, better known by his stage name Jagathy Sreekumar, is an Indian film actor who has performed in more than 1,000 Malayalam films. He has also directed two films and has written screenplays for two films...
as Kanara Menon - 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 Moopan - DevanDevanDevan was one of the greatest of twentieth century Tamil writers, known for his witty and humorous stories. Many people think of him as the 'Wodehouse' of Tamil writings....
as Kannavathu Nambiar - Lalu AlexLalu Alex- Early life :Lalu Alex was born in a Jacobite Christian family in Piravom near Muvattupuzha, Kerala.-Career:He started his career as a supporting actor in early 1980s. He has started his career in supporting as well as in villanoeus roles in I. V...
as Emman Nair - Captain RajuCaptain RajuCaptain Raju is a Malayalam film actor. He was born at Omallur in Pathanamthitta District, Kerala.After finishing his graduation in Zoology, Raju joined the Indian Army as a first class officer at the age of 21. He started acting in films after leaving the army service. He has acted in more than...
as Unni Mootha - Jagadeesh as Bhandari
- MamukkoyaMamukkoyaMamukkoya is a popular Malayalam comedian actor. His unique usage of Mappila dialect and style marks his presence in the industry. He has acted in more than 450 Malayalam films and is the first winner of State award for Best Comedian in malayalam films, the category introduced in 2009- Career...
as Athan Gurukkal - Murali MohanMurali MohanMurali Mohan Maganti is an Indian film actor, producer and a businessman from Telugu cinema. He has also been active in politics for the Telugu Desam Party of Andhra Pradesh, in India.-Early life:...
as Chirakkal Raja - Ajay Rathnam as Subeidhar Cheran
- Susheel Kumar as Sekaran Warrier
- Urmila UnniUrmila UnniUrmila Unni is a classical dancer and Indian actress, appearing in Malayalam films. Her daughter Uthara Unni is also an actress.she has acted in many malayalam films and in a tamil movie with surya.-External links:*...
as Chirakkal Thamburatty - Valsala Menon as Kaitheri Thamburatty
- YaminiYaminiYamini YāmīnĪ, which means 'night' in Sanskrit. It may also refer to:* Yami - Another name for Yami is YāmīnĪ. In Vedic beliefs, Yamī is the first woman, along with her twin brother, Yama...
as Unniamma - Ross Elliot as Colonel Bowls
- Tommy Donelly as Governor Duncan
- Robin Pratt as Lieutenant Maxwell
- Simon Hewitt as Captain Dickinson
- Gary Richardson as Major Clapham
- Glen David Short as Major Murray
- J. Brandon Hill as Major Stephen
Development
M. T. Vasudevan Nair, Hariharan and Mammootty are working together after two decades, their previous association was Oru Vadakkan VeeragathaOru Vadakkan Veeragatha
Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha is a 1989 Malayalam film directed by Hariharan, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and starring Mammootty, Balan K. Nair, Suresh Gopi, Madhavi, Geetha, and Captain Raju.The film is based on a legend about the famous Chekavar warriors of present day northern Kerala...
, which turned out into a landmark film in Malayalam. It was about Chanthu, a warrior king from the legends of west. Through Pazhassi Raja, they made another biopic, on the life of warrior king and freedom fighter Pazhassi Raja. Gokulam Gopalan was the film's producer. The total budget of the movie is about 27 crore
Crore
A crore is a unit in the Indian number system equal to ten million , or 100 lakhs. It is widely used in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan....
s, which makes it the most expensive Malayalam movie ever made. The sounds in the war scenes of the movie were recreated under Academy Award winner Resul Pookutty
Resul Pookutty
Resul Pookutty is an Indian film sound designer, sound editor and mixer. He, along with Richard Pryke and Ian Tapp won the Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing for the film Slumdog Millionaire...
as he joined in the project only after its completion.
Casting
MammoottyMammootty
Mammootty is an Indian film actor and producer who works mainly in Malayalam cinema. He has also acted in a few Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada films. During a career spanning more than three decades, he has acted in more than 360 films, and is only next to Prem Nazir in the number of lead roles...
plays the title role of Pazhassi Raja
Pazhassi Raja
Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja , popularly known as Kerala Simham or Lion of Kerala, was the Hindu Nair King of Kottayam , which was based in modern Kannur District, North Malabar zone of Kerala State in...
. There are three heroines: Padmapriya appearing as a tribal girl, Kanika as Pazhassi's wife and Linda Arsenio
Linda Arsenio
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....
as an English woman. Linda is a theatre artist in New York who also acted in the film Kabul Express
Kabul Express
Kabul Express is a Bollywood film that was released on 15 December 2006. The film stars John Abraham, Arshad Warsi, Pakistani actor Salman Shahid, Afghan actor Hanif Hum Ghum and American actress Linda Arsenio...
.
Through this film, Sarath Kumar
Sarath Kumar
Sarathkumar Ramanathan is an Indian journalist, film actor, politician, body builder and the current president of the South Indian Film Artistes' Association. He started his career in Tamil cinema playing negative roles, and later played minor roles in other movies. He was first chosen for the...
makes his debut 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...
. He portrays Edachena Kunkan, the chief lieutenant to Pazhashi Raja. 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...
was originally cast for the role, however he refused to accept. Later, he clarified that he couldn't act in the film due to personal reasons and it would always be a loss for him. Suman
Suman (actor)
Suman is a South Indian Telugu film actor. He played action hero and romantic hero in Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam films during the 1980s. After a long while away from cinema, he returned to acting in Tamil films in 2007, starring in S. Shankar's Sivaji: The Boss with Rajinikanth. He has also...
plays Pazhayamveedan Chandu. Biju Menon
Biju Menon
Biju Menon is an Indian film actor who has mainly worked in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films. He appears mostly in supporting roles, but has also acted in antagonistic roles. He made his debut in 1995 in Mannar Mathai Speaking...
was originally cast for the role but he opted out after a few days of shooting, citing physical difficulties in shooting fight scenes.
Filming
The filming began on February 2007 from PalakkadPalakkad
Palakkad , formerly known as Palghat, is a municipality and a town in the state of Kerala in southern India, spread over an area of 26.60 km2.The city is situated about north of state capital Thiruvananthapuram. It is the administrative headquarters of Palakkad District...
. The filming lasted for two and a half years and was completed in August 2009. Sound mixer Resul Pookutty recreated all location scenes to ensure perfection. 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
Gokulam Gopalan
Gokulam Gopalan is a self-made successful businessman, social worker, film producer and distributor from Kerala, India-Biography:Gopalan was born on 23 July 1944...
, 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
Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha
Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha is a 1989 Malayalam film directed by Hariharan, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and starring Mammootty, Balan K. Nair, Suresh Gopi, Madhavi, Geetha, and Captain Raju.The film is based on a legend about the famous Chekavar warriors of present day northern Kerala...
was a cakewalk, compared to this."
Release
The film was released on October 16 as a DiwaliDiwali
Diwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...
release with 130 prints in the original Malayalam version and later on November 17 with 150 prints in Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
.
Home video
Moser BaerMoser Baer
Moser Baer is the world's 2nd largest optical storage media manufacturer and supplies to the world's top dozen brands. They now make CD-R's for Memorex , TDK , Verbatim Sony and Agfa-Gevaert . They used to make CD-R's for Imation and Staples . The company was founded in New Delhi in 1983...
Home entertainment released the movie on Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
, DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
,SuperDVD and VCD
VCD
VCD is a three-letter abbreviation with multiple meanings, as described below:* VCD Athletic, semi-professional football team* Video CD* Voice command device* Value change dump * Vocal cord dysfunction* Visual Communication and Design...
in india
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.It was also the first Malayalam film to be genuinely released on a 1080p High Definition with DTS-HD Master Audio Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
Critical response
The movie received overwhelmingly positive reviews from the critics and was also well received at the box office. 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'. Rediff gave the movie four stars, praising the technical brilliance of the movie and the script. SifySify
Sify Technologies Limited is an Internet service provider established in 1998, based in Chennai, India.-Company profile:...
rated the film five in a scale of five and termed it as a movie "that will be treasured for years to come".
Box office
The film collected 1.53 crores in the first day. It grossed around 4.85 crore in one week. Within 21 days of release, it grossed 8.5 crores. Reportedly, the film's total gross collection is around 22 crores.The Malayalam satellite rights were acquired by 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...
Communications, for a record sum of 2.4 crores. The home video rights was bought by Moser Baer Home Video
Moser Baer
Moser Baer is the world's 2nd largest optical storage media manufacturer and supplies to the world's top dozen brands. They now make CD-R's for Memorex , TDK , Verbatim Sony and Agfa-Gevaert . They used to make CD-R's for Imation and Staples . The company was founded in New Delhi in 1983...
for a record sum of 60 lakhs.
Accolades
The film has received many major accolades upon release. The list includes:| Awards | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Organisation | Award | Category | Name | |
Directorate of Film Festivals The Directorate of Film Festivals in India is an organization that initiates and presents the most prestigious film ceremonies in India. These are the International Film Festival of India, the National Film Awards and the Indian Panorama... |
National 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 Feature Film in Malayalam National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam The National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam winners:... |
Gokulam Gopalan Gokulam Gopalan Gokulam Gopalan is a self-made successful businessman, social worker, film producer and distributor from Kerala, India-Biography:Gopalan was born on 23 July 1944... |
|
| Special Jury Award | Padmapriya Padmapriya Janakiraman J. Padmapriya or Padmapriya JanakiramanInitial system is an Indian film actress and model.A classical Tamil bharatanatyam dancer, Padmapriya made her acting debut in the Telugu-language film Seenu Vasanthi Lakshmi , following which she appeared in a number of Malayalam and Tamil-language films... |
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| Best Background Score National Film Award for Best Music Direction The National Film Award for Best Music Direction are given annually. In years 1994, 1995 and 2010, an award for Best Background Score was instituted by the Jury, which was won by Johnson and by Ilaiyaraaja . Ilaiyaraaja and A. R... |
Ilaiyaraaja Ilaiyaraaja Ilaiyaraaja is an Indian film composer, singer, and lyricist mainly in the Tamil film Industry. He is regarded as one of the finest music composers in India. Ilaiyaraaja is also an instrumentalist, conductor, and a songwriter... |
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| Best Audiography National Film Award for Best Audiography The National Film Award for Best Audiography winners:... |
Resul Pookutty Resul Pookutty Resul Pookutty is an Indian film sound designer, sound editor and mixer. He, along with Richard Pryke and Ian Tapp won the Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing for the film Slumdog Millionaire... |
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Kerala State Chalachitra Academy Kerala State Chalachitra Academy is an autonomous non-profit institution working under the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. It was founded in August 1998 for the promotion of cinema in Kerala, considering the fact that cinema is the most popular art form in Kerala... |
Kerala State Film Award The Kerala State Film Awards are the most prestigious film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Chalachitra Academy since 1998 on behalf of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala, India.... |
Best Director Kerala State Film Award for Best Director The Kerala State Film Award for Best Director winners:-References:**... |
Hariharan Hariharan (director) Hariharan is a Malayali film director. His movies mainly revolved around the cultural and relational aspects of a typical Kerala society. His notable works include Pazhassi Raja, Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, Sargam, Parinayam, Amrutham Gamaya and Nakhakshathangal, which won him national... |
|
| Best Screenplay | M. T. Vasudevan Nair M. T. Vasudevan Nair Madathil Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair , popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He was born in Kudallur, a small village in the present day Palakkad District, which was under the Malabar District in the Madras Presidency of the British Raj... |
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| Second Best Actor Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor The Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor winners:- Best Comedy Artist :The Kerala State Film Award for Best Comedy Artist winners:-References:**... |
Manoj K. Jayan Manoj K. Jayan Manoj K. Jayan is an Indian actor who mainly acts in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films. Manoj has won the Kerala State Film Award twice: Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Hariharan's Sargam and Second Best Actor for Hariharan's Pazhassi Raja .-Family and early life:He was born in... |
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| Second Best Actress Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress The Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress winners:-References:**... |
Padmapriya Padmapriya Janakiraman J. Padmapriya or Padmapriya JanakiramanInitial system is an Indian film actress and model.A classical Tamil bharatanatyam dancer, Padmapriya made her acting debut in the Telugu-language film Seenu Vasanthi Lakshmi , following which she appeared in a number of Malayalam and Tamil-language films... |
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| Best Film Editor Kerala State Film Award for Best Editor The Kerala State Film Award for Best Editor winners:-References:**... |
A. Sreekar Prasad A. Sreekar Prasad Akkineni Sreekar Prasad better known as Sreekar Prasad is an National Award winning Indian film editor.-Brief lifesketch:He was born to editor A. Sanjivi. Veteran L. V. Prasad was his maternal uncle. He was a graduate in Literature and started his film editing career in Telugu films... |
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| Best Art Director Kerala State Film Award for Best Art Director The Kerala State Film Award for Best Art Director winners:-References:**... |
Muthuraj | |||
| Best Costume Designer Kerala State Film Award for Best Costume Designer The Kerala State Film Award for Best Costume Designer winners:-References:**... |
Natarajan | |||
| Best Dubbing Artist Kerala State Film Award for Best Dubbing Artist The Kerala State Film Award for Best Dubbing Artist winners:-References:**... |
Shoby Thilakan | |||
Filmfare Filmfare is an English-language tabloid-sized magazine about Indian cinema. Published by The Times Group, India's largest media services conglomerate, in Mumbai , it highlights the doings of the Bollywood film scene... |
Filmfare Awards South Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the South Indian film industry. The awards are separately given for Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films... |
Best Film Filmfare Award for Best Feature Film (Malayalam) The Filmfare Best Film Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Malayalam films.... |
||
| Best Director Filmfare Award for Best Director (Malayalam) The Filmfare Best Director Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Malayalam films.... |
Hariharan Hariharan (director) Hariharan is a Malayali film director. His movies mainly revolved around the cultural and relational aspects of a typical Kerala society. His notable works include Pazhassi Raja, Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, Sargam, Parinayam, Amrutham Gamaya and Nakhakshathangal, which won him national... |
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| Best Supporting Actor Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor Award (Malayalam) The Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Malayalam films.... |
Manoj K. Jayan Manoj K. Jayan Manoj K. Jayan is an Indian actor who mainly acts in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films. Manoj has won the Kerala State Film Award twice: Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Hariharan's Sargam and Second Best Actor for Hariharan's Pazhassi Raja .-Family and early life:He was born in... |
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| Best Supporting Actress Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress Award (Malayalam) The Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Malayalam films.... |
Padmapriya Padmapriya Janakiraman J. Padmapriya or Padmapriya JanakiramanInitial system is an Indian film actress and model.A classical Tamil bharatanatyam dancer, Padmapriya made her acting debut in the Telugu-language film Seenu Vasanthi Lakshmi , following which she appeared in a number of Malayalam and Tamil-language films... |
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| Best Lyricist Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist Award (Malayalam) The Filmfare Best Lyricist Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Malayalam films.... |
O. N. V. Kurup O. N. V. Kurup Ottaplakkal Nambiyadikkal Velu Kurup , popularly known as O. N. V. Kurup or simply O. N. V., is a Malayalam poet and lyricist from Kerala, India, who won Jnanpith Award,the highest literary award in India for the year 2007. He is considered one of the finest living lyrical poets in India. O. N.... |
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| Best Male Playback Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Award (Malayalam) The Filmfare Male Playback Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Malayalam films.... |
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,... for "Aadiushassandhya Poothathivide" |
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| Best Female Playback Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Award (Malayalam) The Filmfare Best Female Playback Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Malayalam films.... |
K. S. Chithra K. S. Chithra K. S. Chithra often credited as Chithra , is an Indian playback singer who has made her mark in the Indian music playback industry. Popularly known as Chinna Kuyil of South India, she has lent her voice to Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Oriya, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Badaga and Punjabi films... for "Kunnathe Konnaykum" |
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| Best Movie | ||||
| Best Director | Hariharan Hariharan (director) Hariharan is a Malayali film director. His movies mainly revolved around the cultural and relational aspects of a typical Kerala society. His notable works include Pazhassi Raja, Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, Sargam, Parinayam, Amrutham Gamaya and Nakhakshathangal, which won him national... |
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| Best Script Writer | M. T. Vasudevan Nair M. T. Vasudevan Nair Madathil Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair , popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He was born in Kudallur, a small village in the present day Palakkad District, which was under the Malabar District in the Madras Presidency of the British Raj... |
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| Best Actress | Kanika | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Manoj K. Jayan Manoj K. Jayan Manoj K. Jayan is an Indian actor who mainly acts in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films. Manoj has won the Kerala State Film Award twice: Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Hariharan's Sargam and Second Best Actor for Hariharan's Pazhassi Raja .-Family and early life:He was born in... |
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| Best Special Performance | Padmapriya | |||
| Best Music Director | Ilaiyaraaja Ilaiyaraaja Ilaiyaraaja is an Indian film composer, singer, and lyricist mainly in the Tamil film Industry. He is regarded as one of the finest music composers in India. Ilaiyaraaja is also an instrumentalist, conductor, and a songwriter... |
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| Best Singer (Female) | K. S. Chithra K. S. Chithra K. S. Chithra often credited as Chithra , is an Indian playback singer who has made her mark in the Indian music playback industry. Popularly known as Chinna Kuyil of South India, she has lent her voice to Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Oriya, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Badaga and Punjabi films... |
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| Best Sound Effects & Engineering | Resul Pookutty Resul Pookutty Resul Pookutty is an Indian film sound designer, sound editor and mixer. He, along with Richard Pryke and Ian Tapp won the Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing for the film Slumdog Millionaire... and Amrit Pritam |
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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... |
Asianet Film Awards The Asianet Film Awards is the most prominent award ceremony for Malayalam films presented annually by Asianet, a Malayalam-language television network from the south-Indian state of Kerala. The awards ceremony has been instituted to honour both artistic and technical excellence in the Malayalam... |
Best Film | ||
| Millenium Actor | Mammootty Mammootty Mammootty is an Indian film actor and producer who works mainly in Malayalam cinema. He has also acted in a few Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada films. During a career spanning more than three decades, he has acted in more than 360 films, and is only next to Prem Nazir in the number of lead roles... |
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| Best Singer (Female) | K. S. Chithra K. S. Chithra K. S. Chithra often credited as Chithra , is an Indian playback singer who has made her mark in the Indian music playback industry. Popularly known as Chinna Kuyil of South India, she has lent her voice to Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Oriya, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Badaga and Punjabi films... |
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Mathrubhumi Mathrubhumi is a Malayalam language newspaper that is published from Kerala, India. Mathrubhumi was founded by K. P. Kesava Menon, an active volunteer in the Indian freedom struggle against the British.-History:... Amrita TV Amrita TV Amrita TV, launched in 2005, as a 24-hour Malayalam, general entertainment & news satellite channel with a global footprint, has been honoured with 54 State Awards for Excellence in Television—the only channel in India to be bestowed with such a recognition in just two years since inception... |
Best Film | |||
| Best Actor | Mammootty Mammootty Mammootty is an Indian film actor and producer who works mainly in Malayalam cinema. He has also acted in a few Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada films. During a career spanning more than three decades, he has acted in more than 360 films, and is only next to Prem Nazir in the number of lead roles... |
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| Best Supporting Actor | Manoj K. Jayan Manoj K. Jayan Manoj K. Jayan is an Indian actor who mainly acts in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films. Manoj has won the Kerala State Film Award twice: Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Hariharan's Sargam and Second Best Actor for Hariharan's Pazhassi Raja .-Family and early life:He was born in... |
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| Best Supporting Actress | Padmapriya | |||
| Best Sound Effects & Engineering | Resul Pookutty Resul Pookutty Resul Pookutty is an Indian film sound designer, sound editor and mixer. He, along with Richard Pryke and Ian Tapp won the Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing for the film Slumdog Millionaire... |
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| Best Lyricist | O. N. V. Kurup O. N. V. Kurup Ottaplakkal Nambiyadikkal Velu Kurup , popularly known as O. N. V. Kurup or simply O. N. V., is a Malayalam poet and lyricist from Kerala, India, who won Jnanpith Award,the highest literary award in India for the year 2007. He is considered one of the finest living lyrical poets in India. O. N.... |
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Surya TV Surya TV is a Malayalam television channel in India. Established in 1998 October 7, Surya TV is the first digital channel of India and now the channel is telecasted in MPEG4 format. The channel is in the second position among Malayalam channels. The channel is part of Sun Network and telecast... |
Best Script Writer | M. T. Vasudevan Nair M. T. Vasudevan Nair Madathil Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair , popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He was born in Kudallur, a small village in the present day Palakkad District, which was under the Malabar District in the Madras Presidency of the British Raj... |
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| Best Actor | Mammootty Mammootty Mammootty is an Indian film actor and producer who works mainly in Malayalam cinema. He has also acted in a few Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada films. During a career spanning more than three decades, he has acted in more than 360 films, and is only next to Prem Nazir in the number of lead roles... |
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| Best Actress | Padmapriya | |||
| Best Art Director | Muthuraj | |||
| Best Make-up man | George | |||
| Best Costume designer | Natarajan | |||
| Best Male Dubbing Artiste | Shoby Thilakan | |||
Vanitha Vanitha is an Indian magazine published fortnightly by the Malayala Manorama group. Although its name translates to "woman" in Malayalam, it includes articles on a variety of topics, and is not strictly a women's magazine. Published in Malayalam and Hindi, it is the largest selling magazine in... |
Best Script Writer | M. T. Vasudevan Nair M. T. Vasudevan Nair Madathil Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair , popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He was born in Kudallur, a small village in the present day Palakkad District, which was under the Malabar District in the Madras Presidency of the British Raj... |
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| Best Actor | Mammootty Mammootty Mammootty is an Indian film actor and producer who works mainly in Malayalam cinema. He has also acted in a few Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada films. During a career spanning more than three decades, he has acted in more than 360 films, and is only next to Prem Nazir in the number of lead roles... |
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| Best Actress | Padmapriya | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Sarath Kumar Sarath Kumar Sarathkumar Ramanathan is an Indian journalist, film actor, politician, body builder and the current president of the South Indian Film Artistes' Association. He started his career in Tamil cinema playing negative roles, and later played minor roles in other movies. He was first chosen for the... |
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| Best Male Singer | 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,... |
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| Best Female Singer | K. S. Chithra K. S. Chithra K. S. Chithra often credited as Chithra , is an Indian playback singer who has made her mark in the Indian music playback industry. Popularly known as Chinna Kuyil of South India, she has lent her voice to Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Oriya, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Badaga and Punjabi films... |
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| Best Film | ||||
| Best Actor | Mammootty Mammootty Mammootty is an Indian film actor and producer who works mainly in Malayalam cinema. He has also acted in a few Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada films. During a career spanning more than three decades, he has acted in more than 360 films, and is only next to Prem Nazir in the number of lead roles... |
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| Second Best Actor | Manoj K. Jayan Manoj K. Jayan Manoj K. Jayan is an Indian actor who mainly acts in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films. Manoj has won the Kerala State Film Award twice: Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Hariharan's Sargam and Second Best Actor for Hariharan's Pazhassi Raja .-Family and early life:He was born in... |
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| Best Music Director | Ilaiyaraaja Ilaiyaraaja Ilaiyaraaja is an Indian film composer, singer, and lyricist mainly in the Tamil film Industry. He is regarded as one of the finest music composers in India. Ilaiyaraaja is also an instrumentalist, conductor, and a songwriter... |
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Historical inaccuracies
Several inaccuracies in the film relate to the clothes worn and items used by people at the time.- Pazhassi Raja and other lead characters are shown with a pin-kuduma (hair tied to the back), which was worn predominantly in Tamil Nadu. Hindus from Kerala traditionally wore a mun-kuduma (hair on the top of the scalp, to the left or right), with closely shaven hair around it. The characters of the film are shown with long hair.
- Pazhassi Raja and his commanders did not wear Roman-style laced sandals, as shown in the film, nor did they wear elaborate shirt-like upper body coverings, but instead would have had a simple upavasthram (upper cloth) that would have been draped from the shoulder (in some scenes Pazhassi Raja does wear this).
- The sword used by Pazhassi Raja was not the TalwarTalwarThe talwar is a type of curved sword or sabre from India and modern-day Pakistan...
-shaped curved sword, as seen in the film, but instead was the Kalaripayattu-style sword used in Kerala at the time.
- The film depicts Thalakkal Chandu's fiancée leading her own fierce band of Amazon archers into battle. Events surrounding the Raja's rebellion are extremely well documented, and anything as unusual in the eyes of the soldiers or officials fighting the Raja as a band of female warriors, would surely have appeared somewhere in the records. But, historians had never come across a single suggestion of any women taking an active part in these fights.
- Thomas Baber's wife appears in the film, however she is incorrectly called Dora. Her real name was in fact Helen Baber. Her maiden name was Helen Somerville Fearon, and she came from Edinburgh. She had married in 1795 aged just 15 to Captain Donald Cameron, of the Bombay Army at Portsmouth. The East India Company depot on the Isle of Wight was nearby, this many have been a last minute affair prior to Cameron boarding an East Indiamen before setting out on the long journey east. Helen will have arrived in India in 1796, and must have presumably travelled with the Major to Tellicherry shortly afterwards. On the 17th March 1797 the Major was leading a force down the Periah Pass when he was killed. Aged 17 she was already a widow. Thomas Baber had married her at Tellicherry the following year.
Controversies
The Kerala High Court ordered the producers of the movie to avail the benefit of entertainment tax concession for viewers of Pazhassi Raja. This was after a complaint was filed stating that the earlier entertainment tax exemption given by the Government of Kerala was not used to lower the prices of the tickets and hence indirectly benefited the producer.Music
The original score and songs were composed by IlaiyaraajaIlaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja is an Indian film composer, singer, and lyricist mainly in the Tamil film Industry. He is regarded as one of the finest music composers in India. Ilaiyaraaja is also an instrumentalist, conductor, and a songwriter...
, who, like in several films earlier, had used the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra
Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra
The Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra is the most prestigious symphony orchestra in Hungary. Based in the capital Budapest, it has stood as one of the pillars of the country's musical life since its founding in 1923 as the Metropolitan Orchestra...
in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. Ilaiyaraaja used live orchestration for the score. It took three months for Ilaiyaraaja to complete the re-recording; quite unusual from him, as he is known to take only half a day for routine films. The soundtrack album was released by Think Music on 25 September. The soundtrack received mixed critical reviews and "did not go the way that it was expected". Following the setback of the soundtrack album, Ilaiyaraaja stated that he was not satisfied with the lyrics of poet O. N. V. Kurup
O. N. V. Kurup
Ottaplakkal Nambiyadikkal Velu Kurup , popularly known as O. N. V. Kurup or simply O. N. V., is a Malayalam poet and lyricist from Kerala, India, who won Jnanpith Award,the highest literary award in India for the year 2007. He is considered one of the finest living lyrical poets in India. O. N....
, who penned two songs for the film. These comments, regarding a celebrated poet from Kerala, later lead to many controversies. Ilaiyaraaja, however, eventually won the National Film Award for Best Background Score
National Film Award for Best Music Direction
The National Film Award for Best Music Direction are given annually. In years 1994, 1995 and 2010, an award for Best Background Score was instituted by the Jury, which was won by Johnson and by Ilaiyaraaja . Ilaiyaraaja and A. R...
Track listing
Home video
The home video rights was bought by Moser Baer Home VideoMoser Baer
Moser Baer is the world's 2nd largest optical storage media manufacturer and supplies to the world's top dozen brands. They now make CD-R's for Memorex , TDK , Verbatim Sony and Agfa-Gevaert . They used to make CD-R's for Imation and Staples . The company was founded in New Delhi in 1983...
for a record sum of 62 lakhs. This film is the first regional language film to be released in the Blu-ray format. The DVD version of the film was released on 1 May 2010 as a two-DVD set. This DVD release was distributed worldwide by Moser Baer Home Video. It is available in 16:9 Anamorphic widescreen
Anamorphic widescreen
Anamorphic widescreen, when applied to DVD manufacture, is a video process that horizontally squeezes a widescreen image so that it can be stored in a standard 4:3 aspect ratio DVD image frame. Compatible playback equipment can then re-expand the horizontal dimension to show the original widescreen...
, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, progressive
Progressive scan
Progressive scanning is a way of displaying, storing, or transmitting moving images in which all the lines of each frame are drawn in sequence...
24 FPS
Frame rate
Frame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems...
, widescreen
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
and NTSC
NTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
format. Within two days of its release, Pazhassi Raja broke all existing records in Malayalam home video sales by selling over two lakh units.