Piravi
Encyclopedia
Piravi is a 1988 Malayalam feature film
directed
by Shaji N. Karun
. It stars Premji
, Archana
and Lakshmi Krishnamurthy. The film's music
is composed by G. Aravindan
. Piravi met with widespread critical acclaim upon release. The film was screened and very well received at many film festivals across the world, bagging at least 31 awards in total, including the Caméra d'Or
at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival
. It also won the Golden Lotus Award for Best Film
at the National Film Awards
in 1989.
The film is thought to be based on the story of Rajan
, a young man who was allegedly killed in a police camp in Kakkayam in Kerala
.
Now studying in an engineering college far from home, Raghu must return home for the engagement ceremony of his sister (Archana), but fails to turn up. His father Raghavan waits endlessly for his son to return. Raghavan takes daily trips to the local bus stop, waiting all day in the hope that Raghu will eventually come home. Soon it emerges, and the family come to know through newspapers, that Raghu has been taken into custody by the police for political reasons.
Raghavan sets out to try and find his son, and he eventually reaches police headquarters. However the police pretend not to know about Raghu, or his whereabouts, and furthermore, deny the fact that Raghu was taken into custody. Raghu's sister eventually comes to the realization that her brother probably has died as a result of police torture, but hasn't the heart to tell her father. Raghavan slowly begins to lose grip of reality, and starts to dream of his family reuniting once more.
1989 Cannes Film Festival
(France
)
1989 Edinburgh International Film Festival
(UK)
1989 Locarno International Film Festival
(Switzerland
)
1989 National Film Awards
(India
)
1989 Hawaii International Film Festival
(USA)
1989 Chicago International Film Festival
(USA)
1990 Bergamo Film Meeting (Italy
)
1990 Fribourg International Film Festival (Switzerland
)
1991 Fajr Film Festival (Iran
)
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Shaji N. Karun
Shaji N. Karun
Shaji Neelakantan Karun is a National Award-winning Indian film director and cinematographer. His debut film Piravi won the Caméra d'Or - Mention d'honneur at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival...
. It stars Premji
Premji
Premji was an Indian stage and film actor.-Biography:...
, Archana
Archana (actress)
Archana is a Tamil and Telugu movie actress from the 1980s.-Career:Archana has won the National Award twice for Veedu in Tamizh and Daasi in Teluguwhich reflects as much on her talent as her versatility in all South Indian Languages.The only other actresses who have won the National Award more...
and Lakshmi Krishnamurthy. The film's music
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
is composed by G. Aravindan
G. Aravindan
Govindan Aravindan who was popularly known as G. Aravindan was a national award winning film director, screenwriter, musician and cartoonist from Kerala, India. He was known for his unorthodox way of film-making; he changed his cinematic forms consistently and experimented in story telling without...
. Piravi met with widespread critical acclaim upon release. The film was screened and very well received at many film festivals across the world, bagging at least 31 awards in total, including the Caméra d'Or
Caméra d'Or
The Caméra d'Or is an award of the Cannes Film Festival for the best first feature film presented in one of the Cannes' selections ....
at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival
1989 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :*Wim Wenders *Christine Gouze-Renal*Claude Beylie*Georges Delerue*Hector Babenco*Krzysztof Kieślowski*Peter Handke*Renée Blanchar*Sally Field*Silvio Clementelli-Feature film competition:* Chimère by Claire Devers...
. It also won the Golden Lotus Award for Best Film
National Film Award for Best Film
The National Award for Best Feature film is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, India, and was constituted in the year 1954. This is one of the Golden Lotus Awards given among National Film Awards...
at the National Film Awards
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...
in 1989.
The film is thought to be based on the story of Rajan
Rajan case
The Rajan case refers to the death of P. Rajan, a student of the erstwhile Regional Engineering College, Calicut, due to torture in police custody in Kerala, during the nationwide Emergency in India in 1976, and the legal battle that followed, which brought out the facts of the incident.-...
, a young man who was allegedly killed in a police camp in Kakkayam 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....
.
Plot
Raghu is one of two children born to Raghava Chakyar (Premji) and his wife. Born quite late in his parents' marriage, Raghu is brought up with immense devotion and love until adulthood.Now studying in an engineering college far from home, Raghu must return home for the engagement ceremony of his sister (Archana), but fails to turn up. His father Raghavan waits endlessly for his son to return. Raghavan takes daily trips to the local bus stop, waiting all day in the hope that Raghu will eventually come home. Soon it emerges, and the family come to know through newspapers, that Raghu has been taken into custody by the police for political reasons.
Raghavan sets out to try and find his son, and he eventually reaches police headquarters. However the police pretend not to know about Raghu, or his whereabouts, and furthermore, deny the fact that Raghu was taken into custody. Raghu's sister eventually comes to the realization that her brother probably has died as a result of police torture, but hasn't the heart to tell her father. Raghavan slowly begins to lose grip of reality, and starts to dream of his family reuniting once more.
Awards
The film has won the following awards since its release:1989 Cannes Film Festival
1989 Cannes Film Festival
- Jury :*Wim Wenders *Christine Gouze-Renal*Claude Beylie*Georges Delerue*Hector Babenco*Krzysztof Kieślowski*Peter Handke*Renée Blanchar*Sally Field*Silvio Clementelli-Feature film competition:* Chimère by Claire Devers...
(France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
)
- Won - Caméra d'OrCaméra d'OrThe Caméra d'Or is an award of the Cannes Film Festival for the best first feature film presented in one of the Cannes' selections ....
- Mention d'honneur - Shaji N. KarunShaji N. KarunShaji Neelakantan Karun is a National Award-winning Indian film director and cinematographer. His debut film Piravi won the Caméra d'Or - Mention d'honneur at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival...
1989 Edinburgh International Film Festival
Edinburgh International Film Festival
The Edinburgh International Film Festival is an annual fortnight of cinema screenings and related events taking place each June. Established in 1947, it is the world's oldest continually running film festival...
(UK)
- Won - Sir Charles Chaplin Award - Piravi - Shaji N. Karun
1989 Locarno International Film Festival
Locarno International Film Festival
The Film Festival Locarno is an international film festival held annually in the city of Locarno, Switzerland since 1946. After Cannes and Venice and together with Karlovy Vary, Locarno is the Film Festival with the longest history...
(Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
)
- Won - Prize of the Ecumenical Jury - Special Mention - Shaji N. Karun
- Won - Silver Leopard - Shaji N. Karun
- Nominated - Golden Leopard - Shaji N. Karun
1989 National Film Awards
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...
(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...
)
- Won - Golden Lotus Award - National Film Award for Best FilmNational Film Award for Best FilmThe National Award for Best Feature film is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, India, and was constituted in the year 1954. This is one of the Golden Lotus Awards given among National Film Awards...
- Shaji N. KarunShaji N. KarunShaji Neelakantan Karun is a National Award-winning Indian film director and cinematographer. His debut film Piravi won the Caméra d'Or - Mention d'honneur at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival... - Won - Golden Lotus Award - Best DirectorNational Film Award for Best DirectingThe National Film Award for Best Direction winners are given below. Satyajit Ray has been awarded the maximum number of times in this category....
- Shaji N. KarunShaji N. KarunShaji Neelakantan Karun is a National Award-winning Indian film director and cinematographer. His debut film Piravi won the Caméra d'Or - Mention d'honneur at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival... - Won - Silver Lotus Award - Best ActorNational Film Award for Best ActorThe National Film Award for Best Actor is an honor presented annually at the National Film Awards of India to an actor who has delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry.-Background:The Directorate of Film Festivals makes awards annually in several categories...
- PremjiPremjiPremji was an Indian stage and film actor.-Biography:... - Won - Silver Lotus Award - Best AudiographyNational Film Award for Best AudiographyThe National Film Award for Best Audiography winners:...
- T. Krishnanunni
1989 Hawaii International Film Festival
Hawaii International Film Festival
The Hawaii International Film Festival is a film festival held in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It was started in 1981 by Jeannette Paulson Hereniko and has been held annually in the fall for two weeks...
(USA)
- Won - Best Feature Film - Piravi - Shaji N. Karun
1989 Chicago International Film Festival
Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....
(USA)
- Won - Silver Hugo - Piravi - Shaji N. Karun
1990 Bergamo Film Meeting (Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
)
- Won - Bronze Rosa Camuna - Shaji N. KarunShaji N. KarunShaji Neelakantan Karun is a National Award-winning Indian film director and cinematographer. His debut film Piravi won the Caméra d'Or - Mention d'honneur at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival...
1990 Fribourg International Film Festival (Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
)
- Won - Distribution Help Award - Shaji N. Karun
1991 Fajr Film Festival (Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
)
- Won - Crystal Simorgh - International Competition: Superb Film - Piravi - Shaji N. Karun