Thazhvaram
Encyclopedia
Thazhvaram is a 1990 Malayalam revenge-thriller musical film
directed by Bharathan
and written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair
, starring Mohanlal
, Salim Ghouse
, Sumalatha
, and Sankaradi
in the lead roles.
Set in the backdrop of a village in a valley along Palakkad
, it is influenced by the spaghetti western
genre, and has achieved a cult
status in Kerala.
) is in search of Raju (Salim Ghouse
) and the search takes him to a hillside. Balan reaches a house, where he is welcomed whole heartily by both Nanu (Sankaradi
) the house owner and Kochutty (Sumalatha
), his daughter. Balan realizes that Raju stays with them as Raghavan. Balan comes to know that Nanu has helped Raju to start farming and that Nanu intends to get his daughter married to Raju. Balan decides to wait for Raghavan alias Raju. Raju, on his arrival, smells his enemy.
The film progresses with the two having to pretend before Nanu and Kochutty that they are good friends. The film cuts to flash back, where Raju alias Raghavan is shown as a friend of Balan once. He, in greed for money, one day killed Balan's wife and ran away with Balan's hard earned money. Balan is now back in search of Raju to avenge for the death of his wife.
Raju attacks Balan in one of the numerous encounters the duo has and almost kills Balan. Balan survives the attack to save Nanu and his daughter from Raghavan.
The film is special for the mood it creates of the friction between the Balan and Raju. The dressing code matches what the director often symbolizes to a vulture.
himself to the lines written by Kaithapram
and rendered by K. J. Yesudas
.
is considered as the highlight of the film. Thazhvaram had just a handful of characters and the plot was so well developed that it was a visual treat for the views. The fighting in the climax amidst violent vultures is considered as one of the best climax scenes in Malayalam cinema.
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...
directed by Bharathan
Bharathan
Bharathan was an Indian film director, artist, lyricist, music director, sculptor, poster designer, editor and art director. Bharathan is noted for being the founder of a new school of film making in Malayalam cinema, along with Padmarajan, in the 1980s, which created films that were widely...
and 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...
, starring 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...
, Salim Ghouse
Salim Ghouse
Salim Ghouse is a film, television and theater actor, theater director and martial artist. He has acted in several Indian languages including Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam....
, Sumalatha
Sumalatha
Sumalatha is a popular Indian film actress. She has acted in more than 200 films in Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi movies.-Early life:...
, and Sankaradi
Sankaradi
Sankaradi was an Indian actor. He was a veteran Malayalam comedian and character artiste, who had over 700 Malayalam films to his credit....
in the lead roles.
Set in the backdrop of a village in a valley along Palakkad
Palakkad district
Palakkad District is one of the 14 districts of the Indian state of Kerala. The city of Palakkad is the district headquarters. Palakkad is bordered on the northwest by the Malappuram District, on the southwest by the Thrissur District and on the east by Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu. The...
, it is influenced by the spaghetti western
Spaghetti Western
Spaghetti Western, also known as Italo-Western, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of Western films that emerged in the mid-1960s in the wake of Sergio Leone's unique and much copied film-making style and international box-office success, so named by American critics because most were produced and...
genre, and has achieved a cult
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
status in Kerala.
Plot
Balan (MohanlalMohanlal
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...
) is in search of Raju (Salim Ghouse
Salim Ghouse
Salim Ghouse is a film, television and theater actor, theater director and martial artist. He has acted in several Indian languages including Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam....
) and the search takes him to a hillside. Balan reaches a house, where he is welcomed whole heartily by both Nanu (Sankaradi
Sankaradi
Sankaradi was an Indian actor. He was a veteran Malayalam comedian and character artiste, who had over 700 Malayalam films to his credit....
) the house owner and Kochutty (Sumalatha
Sumalatha
Sumalatha is a popular Indian film actress. She has acted in more than 200 films in Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi movies.-Early life:...
), his daughter. Balan realizes that Raju stays with them as Raghavan. Balan comes to know that Nanu has helped Raju to start farming and that Nanu intends to get his daughter married to Raju. Balan decides to wait for Raghavan alias Raju. Raju, on his arrival, smells his enemy.
The film progresses with the two having to pretend before Nanu and Kochutty that they are good friends. The film cuts to flash back, where Raju alias Raghavan is shown as a friend of Balan once. He, in greed for money, one day killed Balan's wife and ran away with Balan's hard earned money. Balan is now back in search of Raju to avenge for the death of his wife.
Raju attacks Balan in one of the numerous encounters the duo has and almost kills Balan. Balan survives the attack to save Nanu and his daughter from Raghavan.
The film is special for the mood it creates of the friction between the Balan and Raju. The dressing code matches what the director often symbolizes to a vulture.
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 Balan - Salim GhouseSalim GhouseSalim Ghouse is a film, television and theater actor, theater director and martial artist. He has acted in several Indian languages including Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam....
as Raju (credited as Saleem) - SumalathaSumalathaSumalatha is a popular Indian film actress. She has acted in more than 200 films in Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi movies.-Early life:...
as Kochootti - Anju as Raji
- SankaradiSankaradiSankaradi was an Indian actor. He was a veteran Malayalam comedian and character artiste, who had over 700 Malayalam films to his credit....
as Nanu
Soundtrack
The soundtrack of this film had only one song composed by BharathanBharathan
Bharathan was an Indian film director, artist, lyricist, music director, sculptor, poster designer, editor and art director. Bharathan is noted for being the founder of a new school of film making in Malayalam cinema, along with Padmarajan, in the 1980s, which created films that were widely...
himself to the lines written by Kaithapram
Kaithapram
Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri , popularly known as Kaithapram, is a noted Indian poet, lyricist, music director, actor, singer, screenwriter, music therapist, and performer of Carnatic music. He is the son of the late singer Keshavan Namboothiri and Aditi Antharjanam...
and rendered by 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,...
.
| # | Song Title | Singer | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Kannetha Doore Marutheeram" | 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,... |
Ragam: Sudha Saveri |
Response
Upon release, this film garnered highly positive reviews and was a big hit both critically and commercially. The camera work of VenuVenu 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...
is considered as the highlight of the film. Thazhvaram had just a handful of characters and the plot was so well developed that it was a visual treat for the views. The fighting in the climax amidst violent vultures is considered as one of the best climax scenes in Malayalam cinema.
Trivia
- The songs were composed by BharathanBharathanBharathan was an Indian film director, artist, lyricist, music director, sculptor, poster designer, editor and art director. Bharathan is noted for being the founder of a new school of film making in Malayalam cinema, along with Padmarajan, in the 1980s, which created films that were widely...
himself. - Even though, was a big hit when released, now, over the years, this film is considered as a cult classic in Malayalam.
- The performance of 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...
is considered as one of his best in his acting career. - This is Bharathan's second film with M. T. Vasudevan NairM. T. Vasudevan NairMadathil 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...
. The first was VaishaliVaishali (film)Vaishali is a 1988 Malayalam film directed and edited by Bharathan. Scripted by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, it was an adaptation of a sub-story told by Vedavyasa to King Yudhishtira in the epic Mahabharatha...
in 1988. - Salim Ghouse excelled as the anti-hero. This film is considered among his best along with Vetri VizhaVetri Vizhaவெற்றி விழா is a 1987 Tamil language film starring Kamal Haasan in the lead role of the protagonist. Prabhu Ganesan, Amala, Sasikala and Kushboo Sundar played supporting roles. The story was of an amnesiac who struggles to find his past after memory loss...
, Thiruda ThirudaThiruda ThirudaThiruda Thiruda is a Tamil comedy thriller film directed by Mani Ratnam, and scripted by Ram Gopal Varma. The soundtrack and background score of the film were composed by A. R. Rahman whilst the cinematography was done by P. C...
and the recent Vettaikaran.