''Chanakyan'' is a 1989 Indian
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam was des ...
-language
thriller film
Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...
produced by
Navodaya Appachan
Maliampurackal Chacko Punnoose, known as Navodaya Appachan (6 February 1924 – 23 April 2012) was an Indian film producer, director and entrepreneur. He is best known for his work in Malayalam cinema, especially as the founder of Navodaya ...
under
Navodaya Studio
Navodaya Studio is an Indian film studio headquartered at Kochi, Kerala. It is one of the earliest film studios in Kerala, established in 1976 by Navodaya Appachan. Navodaya is known for producing some of the landmark films in Indian cinema.
His ...
and directed by
T. K. Rajeev Kumar
Thazhathupurakkal Karunakara Panicker Rajeev Kumar (born 20 September 1961) is a National Award-winning Indian director of Malayalam films, from Trivandrum. He is the winner of five Kerala State Film Awards for Best Film, Director, Story Writer ...
in his directorial debut. Starring
Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan (born 7 November 1954) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, playback singer, television presenter and politician who works mainly in Tamil cinema and has also appeared in some Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada and Bengali l ...
,
Urmila Matondkar
Urmila Matondkar (born 4 February 1974) is an Indian actress and politician. Known for her work primarily in Hindi films, in addition to Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi and Tamil films, she has received numerous accolades, including the Filmfare A ...
,
Jayaram
Jayaram Subramaniam, (born 10 December 1965) known mononymously as Jayaram, is an Indian actor who predominantly appears in Malayalam,Tamil films, along with a few Telugu films. He is also a chenda percussionist, mimicry artist, and occasiona ...
,
Madhu
Madhu (Sanskrit: ) is a word used in several Indo-Aryan languages meaning ''honey'' or ''sweet''. It is ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European ''*médʰu'', whence English '' mead''.
Metaphorical use
''Madhu'' has been used for millennia si ...
, and
Thilakan
Palappurathu Kesavan Surendranatha Thilakan (15 July 1935 – 24 September 2012) was an Indian film and stage actor who appeared in over 200 Malayalam films. Thilakan was known for his elaborate method acting, realistic and spontaneous appearan ...
. The film was a critical and commercial success.
Plot
Johnson is a technically-skilled person, who plots to assassinate
CM Madhava Menon by using a radio-operated car, but the plan gets botched due to unforeseen circumstances. Later, Johnson happens to watch Jayaram, a
mimicry artist
An impersonator is someone who imitates or copies the behavior or actions of another. There are many reasons for impersonating someone:
*Entertainment: An entertainer impersonates a celebrity, generally for entertainment, and makes fun of ...
mimicking various celebrity's voices and meets him, where he introduce himself as a government agent and ask him to mimick Madhava Menon's voice by recording a bogus
Republic Day
Republic Day is the name of a holiday in several countries to commemorate the day when they became republics.
List
January 1 January in Slovak Republic
The day of creation of Slovak republic. A national holiday since 1993. Officially cal ...
message filled with fake promises. Later, Johnson uses the tape and replaces the other tape at All India Radio Station in
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
, which shocks Madhava Menon where he is faced with severe criticism from the party members. Madhava Menon ask his friend
DIG
Digging, also referred to as excavation, is the process of using some implement such as claws, hands, manual tools or heavy equipment, to remove material from a solid surface, usually soil, sand or rock (geology), rock on the surface of Earth. Di ...
K. Gopalakrishnan Pillai to investigate the case and nab the suspect. While investigating, Pillai suspects foul play while hearing the broadcast. Jayaram confronts Johnson, who reveals his past.
Johnson was in relationship with Renu, who is Madhava Menon's daughter. However, Their relationship enrages Madhava Menon and uses his influence to issue an
arrest warrant
An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by a judge or magistrate on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual, or the search and seizure of an individual's property.
Canada
Arrest warrants are issued by a j ...
against Johnson's family under the charges of prostitution, due to which his family commits suicide, including Renu, which devastates Johnson. After learning his past, Jayaram decide to help Johnson in destroying Madhava Menon's political career. They humiliate Madhava Menon's character by intervening the broadcasting a televised message and states outrageous comments regarding the unemployed youngsters (The visuals have been dubbed by Jayaram). The duo also thrust by swindling amount of money from a distress relief fund of Madhava Menon by using Madhava Menon's mimicked voice. Johnson forces Madhava Menon to shoot him, which he does and Johnson dies, but the murder is witnessed by the cops leading to his political career being destroyed.
Cast
*
Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan (born 7 November 1954) is an Indian actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, playback singer, television presenter and politician who works mainly in Tamil cinema and has also appeared in some Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi, Kannada and Bengali l ...
as Johnson
*
Urmila Matondkar
Urmila Matondkar (born 4 February 1974) is an Indian actress and politician. Known for her work primarily in Hindi films, in addition to Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi and Tamil films, she has received numerous accolades, including the Filmfare A ...
as Renuka
*
Jayaram
Jayaram Subramaniam, (born 10 December 1965) known mononymously as Jayaram, is an Indian actor who predominantly appears in Malayalam,Tamil films, along with a few Telugu films. He is also a chenda percussionist, mimicry artist, and occasiona ...
as Jayaram
*
Thilakan
Palappurathu Kesavan Surendranatha Thilakan (15 July 1935 – 24 September 2012) was an Indian film and stage actor who appeared in over 200 Malayalam films. Thilakan was known for his elaborate method acting, realistic and spontaneous appearan ...
as Madhava Menon
*
Madhu
Madhu (Sanskrit: ) is a word used in several Indo-Aryan languages meaning ''honey'' or ''sweet''. It is ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European ''*médʰu'', whence English '' mead''.
Metaphorical use
''Madhu'' has been used for millennia si ...
as DIG K. Gopalakrishna Pillai
*
Sithara as Geethu
*
Sabitha Anand
Sabitha Anand is an Indian actress who has performed in Tamil and Malayalam movies and serials. She was one of the lead actresses in the 1980s. She is the daughter of Jacoob Abdu Rahman Anand, an Indian actor in Malayalam movies during the 1960 ...
as Jessy
*
Sreeja as Johnson's sister
* Santha Devi as Johnson's mother
*P. C. George as Dy. SP Soman
*
Jagadish
P. V. Jagadish Kumar (born 12 June 1955) known mononymously as Jagadish, is an Indian actor, screenwriter, television presenter and former politician. He has starred in over 375 Malayalam films and 2 Hindi films. He is best known for his comi ...
as Tea Shop Owner
*
Jagannathan as Madhava Menon's aide
* Poojappura Radhakrishnan as Security guard
*
Zainuddin as Mimicry artist
*
M. S. Thripunithura as Achuthan
*
Kollam Thulasi
Kollam Kanjaveli Kuttilazhikathu Thulasidharan Nair is an actor in Malayalam cinema, who is better known as Kollam Thulasi relating to the name of his birthplace Kollam to his first name as customary in some parts of Kerala. His first appearance ...
as Opposition Leader Anantharaman
Production
The film was initially written for
Mammootty
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (; born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the hypocorism Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. He has also appeared in Tamil l ...
, who was unable to do the film. The role subsequently went to Kamal Haasan, who was shooting for ''
Apoorva Sagodharargal'' in
Kochi
Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
.
The film marked the first of several collaborations between
Jayaram
Jayaram Subramaniam, (born 10 December 1965) known mononymously as Jayaram, is an Indian actor who predominantly appears in Malayalam,Tamil films, along with a few Telugu films. He is also a chenda percussionist, mimicry artist, and occasiona ...
and Kamal Haasan, with the pair becoming friends on set.
Music
#"Kaalvari Kunnil Kannyasuthan" (Bit)
#"Music Of Love"
#"Theme Music"
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chanakyan (Film)
1980s Malayalam-language films
1989 films
Indian films about revenge
Indian thriller films
Films scored by Mohan Sithara
1989 directorial debut films
Films directed by T. K. Rajeev Kumar
1989 thriller films