''Isabella'' is a 1988
Malayalam–language romantic drama
Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...
film, directed by
Mohan and starring
Sumalatha
Sumalatha (born 27 August 1963) is an Indian actress, politician who is the current Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha from Mandya, Karnataka. She has acted in more than 220 films in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Hindi. She gained ...
in the lead, who played Isabella, a tour guide. It also stars
Balachandra Menon
Balachandra Menon ( ml, ബാലചന്ദ്ര മേനോൻ) (born 11 January 1954) is an Indian actor, director and script writer. He made a number of films in the 1980s and 1990s. He has directed 40 films and has acted in over 100. ...
,
Nedumudi Venu
Kesavan Venugopal (22 May 1948 – 11 October 2021), better known by his stage name Nedumudi Venu, was an Indian actor and screenwriter from Kerala, who predominantly worked in Malayalam cinema. He acted in more than 500 films, primarily in Ma ...
, etc.
The film contains evergreen love songs which are still topping charts.
Plot
Sumalatha
Sumalatha (born 27 August 1963) is an Indian actress, politician who is the current Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha from Mandya, Karnataka. She has acted in more than 220 films in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Hindi. She gained ...
plays the title role of Isabella, a tour guide, who falls in love with Unnikrishnan (
Balachandra Menon
Balachandra Menon ( ml, ബാലചന്ദ്ര മേനോൻ) (born 11 January 1954) is an Indian actor, director and script writer. He made a number of films in the 1980s and 1990s. He has directed 40 films and has acted in over 100. ...
), one of her customers. Unni has spent all his Singapore earned wealth for the wellbeing of his sister and family and a bachelor even in his 40s. She has several family problems as her father (Alby) is dead, her mother (Maggy) has become a drunkard and her brother (Tony) is autistic. She has to be the sole breadwinner of her family.
Nedumudi Venu
Kesavan Venugopal (22 May 1948 – 11 October 2021), better known by his stage name Nedumudi Venu, was an Indian actor and screenwriter from Kerala, who predominantly worked in Malayalam cinema. He acted in more than 500 films, primarily in Ma ...
was her mentor and well-wisher, who introduced her to Unnikrishnan.
After that season, Unni returned to his residence and Isabella, whom he called affectionately Bella, awaited for his return. He returned on several seasons, but each time he refused to accept her as his life-partner. Terribly disappointed by his family's money-centric behaviour, Unnikrishnan decides to spend his remaining life with Bella. But on reaching there, he has a painful surprise waiting for him. Bella, fed up with the agony of solitude, family problems and abandonment, decides to exit from life. Unni knows the saddest news from her mentor, her only well-wisher and Unni picks his crutches once again which he threw away in hope of reunion with Bella, and leaves for his lone journey remaining and visuals fade to scrolling last cards.
Cast
*
Sumalatha
Sumalatha (born 27 August 1963) is an Indian actress, politician who is the current Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha from Mandya, Karnataka. She has acted in more than 220 films in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Hindi. She gained ...
as Isabella
*
Balachandra Menon
Balachandra Menon ( ml, ബാലചന്ദ്ര മേനോൻ) (born 11 January 1954) is an Indian actor, director and script writer. He made a number of films in the 1980s and 1990s. He has directed 40 films and has acted in over 100. ...
as Unnikrishna Menon
*
Nedumudi Venu
Kesavan Venugopal (22 May 1948 – 11 October 2021), better known by his stage name Nedumudi Venu, was an Indian actor and screenwriter from Kerala, who predominantly worked in Malayalam cinema. He acted in more than 500 films, primarily in Ma ...
as a Tourist Guide
*Anand Mahadevan as Ananthu
*Ajay Menon as the receptionist
*Vettukili Prakash as Tony
*
K. P. A. C. Sunny as Alby
*Asha Jayaram as Devi
*
Valsala Menon
Valsala Menon (born 1945) is an Indian actress who works in Malayalam films. She has acted in over 200+ films. Currently she is active in Malayalam television serials.
Early life
Valsala Menon was born in 1945 to Raman Menon and Devakiyamma in ...
*
Nanditha Bose
Nanditha Bose is an Indian actress in Malayalam movies. She was a prominent lead actress during the 1970s in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi and Bengali films. She was well noted for her performance in the Malayalam movies ''Achaani'' (1973), ''Panithee ...
*
Jayalalita
Jayalalita is an Indian character actor, who acted in about 650 films in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi.
Early life
Jayalalita was born in Gudivada, a town in Krishna district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. She complete ...
Soundtrack
The music was composed by
Johnson
Johnson is a surname of Anglo-Norman origin meaning "Son of John". It is the second most common in the United States and 154th most common in the world. As a common family name in Scotland, Johnson is occasionally a variation of ''Johnston'', a ...
and the lyrics were written by
O. N. V. Kurup
Ottaplakkal Neelakandan Velu Kurup (known as O. N. V. Kurup; 27 May 1931 – 13 February 2016) was a Malayalam poet and lyricist from Kerala, India, who won the Jnanpith Award, the highest literary award in India for the year 2007. He receive ...
. The song "Isabella..." has turned to a cult song and remains top rated even among today's younger generation.
References
External links
*
see the film
isaballa (malayalam film)
1988 films
1980s Malayalam-language films
1988 romantic drama films
Films directed by Mohan
Indian romantic drama films
Films scored by Johnson
{{1980s-Malayalam-film-stub