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Manichitrathazhu

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Manichitrathazhu
Featuring Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi, with Fazil holding to a camera at the bottom
Theatrical release poster
Directed byFazil
Written byMadhu Muttam
Produced bySwargachitra Appachan
Starring
Cinematography
Edited byT. R. Shekar
Music bySongs:
M.G. Radhakrishnan
Background Score:
Johnson
Lyrics:
Bichu Thirumala
Production
company
Distributed bySwargachitra Release
Release date
  • 25 December 1993 (1993-12-25)
Running time
157 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam
Box office₹7.5 crore

Manichitrathazhu (transl. The Ornate Lock) is a 1993 Indian Malayalam-language epic psychological horror film directed by Fazil, written by Madhu Muttam, and produced by Swargachitra Appachan.[1] The film stars Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi and Shobana in addition to Nedumudi Venu, Innocent, Vinaya Prasad, K.P.A.C.Lalitha, Sridhar, K.B. Ganesh Kumar, Sudheesh, Thilakan and others in supporting roles.[2] The story is inspired by a tragedy that happened in a Ezhava tharavad, the Alummoottil meda (an old traditional mansion), located at Muttom (near Haripad), belonging to a central Travancore Channar family, in the 19th century.[3] The writer of the film, Madhu K Panicker or Madhu Muttam, is a member of the Alummoottil Tharavad.[4]

Directors Sibi Malayil, Priyadarshan and Siddique–Lal served as the second-unit directors.[5] The cinematography was by Venu, Anandakuttan and Sunny Joseph served as the second-unit cinematographers, the film was edited by T. R. Shekar. The original songs featured in the movie were composed by M. G. Radhakrishnan, while the original score was composed by Johnson. The film won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and Shobhana was awarded the National Film Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Ganga / Nagavalli.[6][7]

The film dealt with an unusual theme which was not common in Indian cinema at the time.[8] The film completed 300 days of run in many theatres.[9] Manichitrathazhu was remade in four languages – in Kannada as Apthamitra which in turn was remade in Tamil as Chandramukhi (with some plot changes), in Bengali as Rajmohol and in Hindi as Bhool Bhulaiyaa – all being commercially successful. Geethaanjali, a spin-off directed by Priyadarshan and Mohanlal reprising the role of Dr. Sunny Joseph was made in 2013.

Manichitrathazhu is considered by many critics as 'One of the best films ever made in Malayalam Cinema' and developed a cult following, years after its release.[10] It is often regarded as the 'Best psychological thriller ever made in Indian Cinema'.[11] A digitally remastered 4K Dolby Atmos version of Manichitrathazhu was released on August 17, 2024.[12]

Plot

[edit]

Nakulan and his wife Ganga, who have been living in Kolkata, decide to take a vacation to Nakulan’s ancestral village in Kerala. This is Ganga’s first visit to her husband’s place. Despite warnings from elder family members, Nakulan insists on staying at his ancestral home, the Madampalli mansion. Soon after they move in, the rest of the family joins them. Nakulan’s maternal uncle, Thambi, cautions the couple to avoid certain parts of the house, particularly a locked room known as the "Thekkini." Nakulan’s aunt, Bhasura, reveals the dark history behind the house.

About 150 years ago, the family’s patriarch, Sankaran Thambi, fell in love with a dancer named Nagavalli during a trip to Tanjore, Tamil Nadu. However, Nagavalli was already in love with another dancer, Ramanathan. Jealous and enraged, the Karanavar (Thambi) brought her back to the mansion by force. Secretly, Nagavalli arranged to meet Ramanathan in a nearby house. When the Karanavar discovered the affair, he killed Nagavalli, after which her vengeful spirit began haunting the mansion and village. With the help of priests, her spirit was locked away in the Thekkini, but the Karanavar committed suicide shortly after. It is believed that both their spirits still linger in the mansion.

Despite the warnings, Ganga dismisses the story as a mere legend meant to scare people away from hidden treasures in the house. Driven by curiosity, she enlists Bhasura's daughter, Alli, to help her unlock the Thekkini. After gaining access, strange events begin to occur: people see apparitions, objects break mysteriously, and Ganga's saree catches fire. Suspicion falls on Thambi’s daughter, Sridevi, who has a troubled past with a failed marriage and spends much of her time with Ganga. Years earlier, Sridevi was originally meant to marry Nakulan, but he chose to marry Ganga instead. With tensions rising, the family begins to believe that Sridevi may be possessed by Nagavalli's spirit.

Concerned, Nakulan calls on Dr. Sunny, a renowned psychiatrist from the U.S., to investigate the situation. After arriving at the mansion, Sunny encounters several mysterious events, including an attempt on Alli’s life, an effort to poison Nakulan, and eerie singing and dancing emanating from the locked Thekkini. Sunny initially investigates Sridevi, believing she is possessed, though Sridevi consistently denies any involvement. Despite her protests, Sunny treats her, and she gradually cooperates. Sunny also travels to a nearby village called Evoor to conduct further investigation.

During a Kathakali dance performance attended by the family, Ganga suddenly disappears. Sunny finds her being harassed by Alli’s fiancé, Mahadevan, though Mahadevan is innocent. In the ensuing chaos, Nakulan attacks Mahadevan, but Sunny intervenes and reveals the truth: Ganga suffers from dissociative identity disorder and has taken on the personality of Nagavalli. Her condition stems from childhood trauma, where she was left with her grandmother while her parents moved to the city. Deeply attached to her grandmother, Ganga grew up immersed in folklore, which fueled her fantasies. The news that her parents were taking her away to the city caused further emotional damage.

In her altered state, Ganga sees herself as Nagavalli, perceives Mahadevan as Ramanathan, and views Nakulan as the cruel Karanavar. Dr. Sunny explains that Ganga’s goal is to kill Nakulan, believing she must exact Nagavalli's revenge before the auspicious Durgashtami day. If she fails, she is likely to commit suicide. Sunny emphasizes that one life will be lost if Ganga is not cured. To treat Ganga, Sunny devises a plan to make her believe that Nagavalli successfully killed the Karanavar on Durgashtami. Thambi and the family, skeptical of Sunny's approach, call in a tantric expert, Pullattuparam Brahmadathan Namboodiri, for another solution. Namboodiri and Sunny turn out to be old friends, and although Namboodiri initially dismisses Sunny’s plan as impractical, he agrees to assist.

On the eve of Durgashtami, Sunny asks Nakulan to provoke Ganga and witness her transformation. As expected, Ganga reacts violently, embodying Nagavalli’s rage. Nakulan scolds her, momentarily bringing her back to her senses, but she quickly reverts to Nagavalli’s persona later that night. She dons traditional dancer’s attire and, believing Mahadevan to be Ramanathan, follows him to the rituals prepared by Namboodiri. Namboodiri engages with Nagavalli's spirit, convincing her that she will finally behead the Karanavar and avenge her death. Nakulan is brought before "Nagavalli," but just as she prepares to strike, Namboodiri uses smoke to create a distraction. Sunny swaps Nakulan with a dummy, and Ganga, in her Nagavalli persona, kills the dummy, believing she has fulfilled her revenge. With that, the spirit leaves Ganga, who collapses unconscious.

As Ganga wakes and becomes aware of her true self, the family begins to recover. Nakulan and Ganga prepare to return to Kolkata, while Sunny, having developed feelings for Sridevi, expresses his intention to marry her. The movie ends with Sunny, Nakulan, and Ganga leaving the mansion, as Sridevi watches them from a window.

Cast

[edit]
Shobhana was awarded the National Film Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Ganga / Nagavalli.
  • Mohanlal as Dr. Sunny,[13] the psychiatrist friend of Nakulan, from America, who solves Ganga's personality disorder
  • Suresh Gopi as Nakulan, Ganga's husband and The Karanavar in Ganga's hallucination of Nagavalli[13]
  • Shobana as in a dual roles:
    • as Ganga Nakulan, a slightly modern lady from Kolkata who grows curious about the legends heard from Nakulan's ancestoral house, later develop's split personality disorder (voiceover by Bhagyalakshmi)
    • as Nagavalli, the dancer from the legends[13] (voiceover by Durga)[14]
  • Vinaya Prasad as Sreedevi, Thampi's elder daughter[13] who was earlier to have been Nakulan's bride before his marriage to Ganga, Dr. Sunny's Love interest (voiceover by Anandavally)
  • Nedumudi Venu as Thampi, maternal uncle of Nakulan
  • Kuttyedathi Vilasini as Thampi's wife
  • Sridhar as Mahadevan, professor living next door to Madampally Meda and dancer Ramanathan in Ganga's hallucination, engaged to Alli
  • Rudra as Alli,[13] daughter of Unnithan engaged to Mahadevan, (voiceover by Ambily)
  • Sudheesh as Chandhu, Thampi's son, Sridevi's younger brother
  • Innocent as Unnithan[13] Nakulan's another maternal uncle
  • K. P. A. C. Lalitha as Bhasura, Nakulan's maternal aunt, wife of Unnithan
  • Thilakan as Pullattuparam Brahmadathan Namboothiripad, the sorcerer who locked Nagavally's spirit in Thekkini and later comes in helping solve Ganga's disorder
  • Kuthiravattam Pappu as Kattuparamban.
  • K. B. Ganesh Kumar as Dasappan Kutty[13] helper of Unnithan and their relative.
  • Vaijayanthi as Jayasree,[13] Thampi's younger daughter
  • Kottayam Santha as School Headmistress

Production

[edit]

Filming

[edit]

The haunting Thekkini was created inside the Vasan House in Chennai, the house of late S. S. Vasan, the founder of Gemini Studios. It was one of the film’s key locations apart from Padmanabhapuram Palace and Hill Palace. The major parts of the film were filmed at Hill Palace, Tripunithura and the climax was filmed at Padmanabhapuram Palace.[15] The painting of Nagavalli was made by artist Shri R. Madhavan, drawn without a live model.[16]

Dubbing credits

[edit]

Shobana's voice was dubbed by two dubbing artistes—Bhagyalakshmi and Durga. Bhagyalakshmi dubbed her voice for Ganga, while Durga gave voice to the character's alter-ego, Nagavalli. Nagavalli's voice is heard only in the minor part of the film compared to Ganga's. Durga was not credited in the film or its publicity material and until 2016, the popular belief was that Bhagyalakshmi solely dubbed both voices.[17][18]

In January 2016, in an article Ormapookkal published by Manorama Weekly, Fazil revealed that initially Bhagyalakshmi dubbed for both Ganga and Nagavalli, but during post-production, some of the crew, including editor Shekar, had a feeling that both voices sounded somewhat similar even though Bhagyalakshmi tried altering her voice for Nagavalli. Since Nagavalli's dialogue are in Tamil language, Fazil hired Tamil dubbing artist Durga for the part. But he forgot to inform it to Bhagyalakshmi, hence she was also unaware of it for a long time. Fazil did not credit Durga in the film; according to him, it was a difficult to make changes in the titles at that time, which was already prepared and her portion in the film was minor. The credits included only Bhagyalakshmi as the dubbing artiste for Shobana.[19] Other dubbing artistes were Anandavally and Ambili, who dubbed for Vinaya Prasad and Rudra.[20]

Soundtrack

[edit]

The soundtrack for the film was composed by M. G. Radhakrishnan which went on to become one of the most popular film albums in Malayalam.[21] The album consists of nine tracks. The lyrics sung are in Malayalam and Tamil written by Bichu Thirumala and Madhu Muttam for Malayalam and Vaali for Tamil.[22]

Manichitrathazhu
Soundtrack album by
M. G. Radhakrishnan
Released24 December 1993
Recorded1993
VenueChennai
StudioKodandapani Audio Laboratories
GenreFilm Soundtrack
Length64:50
LabelWilson Audios
ProducerM. G. Radhakrishnan
M. G. Radhakrishnan chronology
Meghasangeetham
(1993) 		Manichitrathazhu
(1993) 		Kashmeeram
(1994)
No.TitleLyricsSinger(s)Length
1."Pazham Tamil"Bichu ThirumalaK. J. Yesudas 
2."Varuvaanillaruminn"Madhu MuttamK. S. Chithra 
3."Oru Murai Vanthu"Vaali (Tamil), Bichu ThirumalaK. J. Yesudas, K. S. Chithra 
4."Kumbham Kulathil Ariyathe"Bichu ThirumalaK. J. Yesudas 
5."Akkuthikkuthanakkombil"Bichu ThirumalaG. Venugopal, K. S. Chithra, Sujatha Mohan, M. G. Radhakrishnan 
6."Palavattam Pookkaalam"Madhu MuttamK. J. Yesudas 
7."Uthunga Sailangalkkum"Bichu ThirumalaSujatha Mohan 
8."Oru Murai (Reprise)"VaaliSujatha Mohan 
9."Varuvaanillarumee Vayizhe"Madhu MuttamK. S. Chithra 
10.""Oru Murai" (Tamil Version)"VaaliSujatha Mohan 

Release

[edit]

Manichitrathazhu was released on 25 December 1993,[23] and performed well at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing Malayalam film ever, to that date.[24][25][26] It ran for more than 365 days in some centres.[27] The film had a collection of ₹7.5 crore.[28]

Awards

[edit]
Award Ceremony Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
National Film Awards 41st National Film Awards Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment Swargachitra Appachan, Fazil Won [29]
Best Actress Shobana Won
Kerala State Film Awards 34th Kerala State Film Awards Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value Swargachitra Appachan, Fazil Won [30]
Best Actress Shobana Won
Best Makeup Artist P. N. Mani Won
Kerala Film Critics Association Awards 17th Kerala Film Critics Association Awards Best Actor Suresh Gopi Won [31]
Best Actress Shobana Won
Best Music Director M. G. Radhakrishnan Won
Special Jury Award Fazil Won

Themes

[edit]

Certain themes that were discussed in the movie were Ganga’s yearning for intimacy with her husband Nakulan, Mental health disorders and why it’s important to turn to science rather than trust conventional modes of treatments as well as Dr Sunny and Ganga’s passionate friendship, all of which were rare in Indian cinema. These themes were not established in the later adaptations in other languages.[32]

Legacy

[edit]

Manichitrathazhu is considered as a classic and is hailed as one of the best films ever made in Malayalam cinema.[8] The film has consistently fetched maximum ratings for its television screenings.[8] Even twenty years after its release it has been screened more than 12 times a year on an average on Kerala's leading TV channel, Asianet.[8] The film has received the maximum TRP rating on every screening; TRP ratings have increased every year, a rare record for a film produced in Kerala.[8][33] For many Malayalis, Manichitrathazhu is a part of their cultural lives.[34]

In a 2013 online poll in India by IBN Live, Manichitrathazhu was voted second among India's Greatest Films, by audience. The poll was conducted as part of the celebration of Indian cinema completing 100 years. The poll constituted a list of 100 films from different Indian languages.[26] A saree featuring Shobhana in a song scene from this film was released in the market as the Nagavali saree.[35]

One of the most memorable or defining scenes of the movie where Nakulan provokes Ganga to transform into the Nagavalli persona was recreated in later Malayalam films like Om Shanti Oshana.[36] The film was re-released in theatres after 30 years on August 2024.[37]

Remakes

[edit]
Language Title Year Cast Director Notes
Kannada Apthamitra 2004 Vishnuvardhan, Soundarya P. Vasu Some Plot Changes made according to the director
Tamil Chandramukhi 2005 Rajinikanth, Jyothika
Bengali Rajmohol 2005 Prosenjit Chatterjee, Anu Choudhury Swapan Saha
Hindi Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2007 Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan Priyadarshan

Spin-off

[edit]

A spin-off titled Geethaanjali was released on 14 November 2013, directed by Priyadarshan with Mohanlal reprising his role as Sunny in lead role and Suresh Gopi returned as Nakulan but in a cameo appearance.[38]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Made in Malayalam". The Times of India. 6 March 2016. Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  2. ^ "High five". The Hindu. 16 June 2016. Archived from the original on 11 July 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  3. ^ Social Mobility in Kerala: Modernity and Identity in Conflict. Pluto Press. 2000. p. 264. ISBN 0-7453-1693-X. Archived from the original on 11 July 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2020. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  4. ^ "'Romancham' to 'Manichitrathazhu': Horror films based on real events". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  5. ^ Nair, Sree Prasad (22 April 2016). "4 Mohanlal film remakes that Akshay Kumar owned". CatchNews.com. Archived from the original on 8 January 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  6. ^ "30 years on, 'Manichitrathazhu' still a blockbuster at Keraleeyam!". Onmanorama. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  7. ^ Staff, T. N. M. (4 November 2023). "Thirty years later, Manichitrathazhu has 2000 people waiting in queue for four hours". The News Minute. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Of Bhool Bhulaiya, and a classic dumbed down". Rediff.com. 16 October 2007. Archived from the original on 27 June 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  9. ^ George, A. B. (14 April 2020). "Highest Grossing Malayalam Movies (Year 1980–1999)". FilmBiopsy. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  10. ^ "Best Malayalam Movies: 10 Malayalam films to watch before you die". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 10 June 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  11. ^ "India's 'best' psychological thriller turns 25". The Week. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  12. ^ Bureau, The Hindu (18 July 2024). "'Manichitrathazhu': 4K restored version of Shobana, Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi starrer gets a release date". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 28 July 2024. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h Rajan, Silpa (24 September 2021). "#FilmyFriday: Manichitrathazhu: A classic psychological thriller, weaved with elements of horror". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  14. ^ "Durga, the crouching Nagavalli in 'Manichithrathazhu'". OnManorama. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  15. ^ Menon, Neelima (24 December 2018). ""It Will Be A Huge Flop". 20 Fascinating Facts About The Making Of Manichitrathazhu, In Fazil's Words". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  16. ^ "നാഗവല്ലിയെ വരച്ചത് ആര്, ഇതാ ഉത്തരവുമായി ഒരു കുറിപ്പ്". Asianet News (in Malayalam). 6 June 2020. Archived from the original on 17 September 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  17. ^ James, Anu (9 January 2016). "It wasn't Bhagyalakshmi who dubbed for classic character Nagavalli in Manichitrathazhu, director Fazil reveals". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  18. ^ "Fazil gives dubbing artist Durga her due after 23 years, maybe she should have said 'Vidamaate'". thenewsminute.com. Archived from the original on 9 August 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  19. ^ James, Anu (11 January 2016). "Nagavalli-Manichitrathazhu controversy: Dubbing artist Bhagyalakshmi, director Fazil break their silence". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 25 January 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  20. ^ Biscoot Regional (20 September 2013). "Manichitrathazhu 1993: Malayalam Full Movie | #Malayalam Movie Online | Mohanlal Movies | Shobana". YouTube. Biscoot Regional. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  21. ^ "Revisiting Manichitrathazhu ahead of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2: How Shobana's Nagavalli can make a million Manjulikas pale". The Indian Express. 19 May 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  22. ^ "Manichitrathazhu at MSI". Archived from the original on 20 March 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  23. ^ Nathan, Archana (20 December 2018). "Fazil on his classic 'Manichithrathazhu': 'Everything came together to make the film happen'". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  24. ^ James, Anu (5 December 2016). "Mohanlal's Manichitrathazhu gets a trailer after 23 years". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  25. ^ "25 Years Of Manichithrathazhu: Shobhana, Director Fazil Pay Tribute To Iconic Malayalam Film". HuffPost. 24 December 2018. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  26. ^ a b IBN Live (12 May 2013). "'Mayabazar' is India's greatest film ever: IBNLive poll". News18. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  27. ^ "10 Mollywood films that ran for the longest time". The Times of India. Times News Network. 31 May 2016. Archived from the original on 28 July 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  28. ^ "Industry Hits In Malayalam Cinema".
  29. ^ "41st National Film Awards". International Film Festival of India. Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  30. ^ "State Film Awards". prd.kerala.gov.in. Department of Information and Public Relations. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  31. ^ "Kerala Film Critics Association Awards - 1977-2012". Kerala Film Critics Association. Retrieved 15 August 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  32. ^ Antony, Arun. "The timeless legacy of 'Manichithrathazhu'". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  33. ^ "Manichithrathazhu has received the maximum TRP rating!". The Times of India. Times News Network. 17 November 2014. Archived from the original on 28 July 2016. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  34. ^ "The women of 'Manichitrathazhu': How the Malayalam classic tames the 'shrew'". The News Minute. 6 January 2018. Archived from the original on 27 August 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  35. ^ "മണിച്ചിത്രത്താഴ്". M3DB. Archived from the original on 7 January 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2023.
  36. ^ "25 years of Manichitrathazhu: Why this Malayalam classic remains unsurpassed". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  37. ^ "Mohanlal-starrer Manichitrathazhu Re-Releases In Theatres After 30 Years". News18. 4 November 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  38. ^ Nagarajan, Saraswathy (1 August 2013). "Return of Dr. Sunny". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
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