''Charam'' is a 1983 Indian Malayalam film, directed by

P. A. Backer P. A. Backer ( ml, പി.എ. ബക്കർ; 1940 – 22 November 1993) was one of the new-wave Malayalam film directors of the 1970s and 1980s. Life sketch Backer was born in 1940 to Ahamed Musliar and Fathima of Kanippayyoor near Kunnamkul ...

and produced by C. H. Khalid. The film stars

Prem Nazir Prem Nazir (born Abdul Khader; 7 April 1926 – 16 January 1989) was an Indian actor known as one of Malayalam cinema's definitive leading man, leading men of his generation. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential actors in the histo ...

and Meena Menon in the lead roles. The film follows the search of a lawyer for his missing daughter in Bombay's

red-light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are particu ...

. Socrates K. Valath (22 March 2019)
"കണ്ടും കേട്ടും സിനിമ ചെയ്യാന്‍ പഠിച്ച പി.എ. ബക്കര്‍"
''Southlive.in'' (in Malayalam). Retrieved 12 March 2023.Saju Gangadharan (11 February 2023)
"'കക്ഷത്തിലെ പൂട കാട്ടുന്നവരുടെ പട'ത്തില്‍ പ്രേംനസീര്‍: ചാരത്തിന്റെ കഥ"
'' Samayam.com'' (in Malayalam). Retrieved 12 March 2023. The film is considered a breakthrough in independent cinema in Malayalam. It has a musical score by

G. Devarajan Paravoor Govindan Devarajan (1927–2006), popularly known as G. Devarajan or Devarajan master, was an Indian music composer and Carnatic singer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Indian film music. He sco ...

Plot

Barrister James lives with his daughter Preethi following the death of his wife. Preethi feels incredibly lonely and isolated at home since James is very busy with his work. Preethi's only friend is Lily, whom she meets at college. One day, Preethi goes missing. James soon realises that she has not been attending college for several days. He starts a frantic search for his daughter, but his efforts are in vain until he listens to an audio recording made by his daughter, which inadvertently reveals her relationship with a man named Charlie. James enquires about Charlie but does not get any information. Later, Lily gives James details about Charlie and his photo. After a few days, Lily receives a letter that says Preethi is in Bombay. James travels to Bombay to search for his daughter. He happens to see a nude picture of Preethi on the cover of a fashion magazine. In disguise as a magazine owner in Kerala, James befriends a nude photographer named Desai to know more about Preethi's whereabouts, but he does not get much information. However, he discovers that Charlie was friends with a photographer named Gopan and tracks him down. Gopan denies having taken Preethi's nude cover photo, but he does reveal where Charlie lives. James confronts Charlie, who tells him that Preethi is no longer with him and has become a sex worker in the city's red-light district. James goes to Red Street in search of his daughter, but it takes several attempts before he is able to find her. With the help of a Malayali man, James rescues Preethi by paying off the brothel owner. The last shot of the film shows Preethi and James in the backseat of the car, surrounded by several sex workers laughing at them.

Cast

as James *Meena Menon as Preethi *Urmila as Lily * Hari *

Cochin Haneefa Muhammed Haneefa (22 April 1951 – 2 February 2010), better known by his stage name Cochin Haneefa, was an Indian actor, film director, and screenwriter. He started his career in the 1970s mainly portraying villainous roles, before going on to ...

*Manju George *Bindulekha *Chandraji *Chaplin * Jagannatha Varma as S. P. Sahadevan *Kalyanikkutty Amma * Sadhana *

Valsala P. Valsala (born 4 April 1938) is a Malayalam novelist, short story writer, and social activist from Kerala, India. She is a recipient of Ezhuthachan Puraskaram 2021, the highest literary honour by government of Kerala. She is only the fifth wo ...

*Mookambika B. Nair * Siddiq * G A Jose * Sukumaran

Soundtrack

The film's music was composed by

. A version of the song "Man Mohanaa Bade Jhoote" from the Hindi film ''Seema'' is used in the film.

Reception

The film attained critical appreciation but was not a commercial success."Remembering P A Backer"
'' The New Indian Express''. 16 November 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2023. Nevertheless, the film is considered a breakthrough in

independent cinema Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independen ...

in Malayalam. Most of Backer's films won big at

Kerala State Film Awards The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Cha ...

and

National Film Awards The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorat ...

. However, Backer refused to send ''Charam'' to be considered for any award because he objected to the addition of some sex sequences and unwanted scenes in the film eying commercial benefit.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0154309, Charam 1983 films 1980s Malayalam-language films Films about prostitution in India