''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha'' () 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
epic historical drama
A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...
film directed by
Hariharan, written by
M. T. Vasudevan Nair
Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair (born 1933 July 15 ), popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He is a prolific and versatile writer in modern Malayalam literature, and is one of the masters of post-I ...
, and starring
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 ...
,
Suresh Gopi
Suresh Gopi (born 26 June 1958) is an Indian actor, politician, playback singer and television presenter. He works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and has also appeared in some Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Bollywood films. Suresh made his acti ...
,
Balan K. Nair
Balakrishnan Nair, more popularly known as Balan K. Nair (4 April 1933 26 August 2000) was an Indian actor known for his roles in Malayalam cinema. Although he appeared as a villain in most films, he was also noted for his performances in stron ...
,
Captain Raju
Raju Daniel (27 June 1950 – 17 September 2018), better known by his stage name Captain Raju, was an Indian army officer and Indian actor. He acted in more than 600 films in various languages, including Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannad ...
and
Madhavi. The film won four
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 ...
(1989) including
Best Actor (Mammootty),
Best Screenplay (M. T. Vasudevan Nair),
Best Production Design and
Best Costume Design (
P. Krishnamoorthy) and eight
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 ...
.
This film is based on a subplot of
Vadakkan Pattukal
Vadakkan Pattukal (literally, ''the songs of the north'') are a collection of Malayalam ballads from the medieval period. The songs present stories of heroes such as Aromal Chekavar and Thacholi Othenan, and heroines like
Unniyarcha. The stories ...
, a medieval ballad from
North Malabar
North Malabar refers to the geographic area of southwest India covering the state of Kerala's present day Kasaragod, Kannur, and Wayanad District, Wayanad districts, and the taluks of Vatakara, Koyilandy, and Thamarassery in the Kozhikode Distri ...
and is often regarded as a classic of Malayalam cinema. The story is a reinterpretation of the life of the legendary
Chandu Chekavar
Chandu Chekavar (''Chathiyan Chanthu'', also known as Chandu Panicker), was a sixteenth-century warrior of the Chekavar family from the Hindu Thiyyar caste, mentioned in the folk songs of Northern Kerala called ''Vadakkan Pattukal''. He belongs t ...
and depicts him as an unlucky and misunderstood but ultimately honourable man rather than the traitorous character that earned him the sobriquet of ''Chathiyan Chandu'' (literally 'Chandu the Betrayer') in folklore.
Plot
The film is set in 16th-century northern Kerala. The plot unfolds at Puthooram, the house of the great Kannappan Chekavar. The
Chekavar
Chekavar (Also known as ''Chekon'' or ''Chevakar'', ''Cekavar'') were a warrior surname in Malabar of Kerala. The Chekavar are a common title of the Hindu Thiyya community. Many Thiyya families today trace their roots to this Chekavar lineage.
...
clan provide martial services to their lords by training and providing fighters to help settle feudal disputes through trial by combat. Kannappan Chekavar adopts the son of his estranged sister when the boy loses both his parents and brings him to Puthooram to live and learn with his cousins. The orphan boy, Chandu, a quick learner, earns the love and admiration of his uncle, while he is loathed by his cousin
Aromal.
As they grow up, Chandu is betrothed to Chekavar's daughter,
Unniyarcha
Unniyarcha (sometimes spelled "Uñnįarcha") is a legendary warrior and heroine 16th century mentioned in the ''Vadakkan Pattukal'', a set of historical ballads from northern Kerala, a state in southwestern India. She was a member of a Thiyya ...
. Chandu is constantly mocked and made to feel like an outsider by the jealous Aromal. He even ends his sister's budding romance with Chandu by marrying her off to his unmanly but better-off friend Kunjiraman. The lack of protest on Unniyarcha's part breaks Chandu's heart. He attempts to move on by proposing to Kunjinooli, another girl who professed her love for him. Aromal preempts his proposal by breaking off his own bethrotal and proposing to Kunjinooli himself. Disappointed, Chandu leaves to study
Kalaripayattu
Kalaripayattu (; also known simply as Kalari) is an Indian martial art that originated in modern-day Kerala, a state on the southwestern coast of India. Kalaripayattu is known for its long-standing history within Indian martial arts, and is ...
under the tutelage of Tulunadan expert and master Chekavar, Aringodar.
On Aromal's wedding day, Unniyarcha invites Chandu to her room. When Kunjiraman unexpectedly arrives and finds them alone together, Unniyarcha convinces her husband that Chandu broke into her room by pretending to be him. A dejected Chandu, now with the reputation of being a womaniser, finds solace in Kunji, Aringodar’s daughter.
Feudal lord Unnichandror arrives at the footsteps of Aringodar and asks him to represent his cause in an
angam (duel unto death) against his brother Unnikonar. Unnikonar, in turn, asks Aromal to represent him. Chandu is caught in a dilemma when his uncle requests him to play the second hand to Aromal in the angam against his teacher Aringodar. Unniyarcha approaches Chandu and offers to live with him if he helps Aromal win. Chandu is tempted and decides to second Aromal. He takes on the task of revitalizing Aromal's swords by giving them for treatment to a blacksmith. However, Kunji, Aringodar’s daughter, bribes the blacksmith to make them brittle.
On the day of the duel, Aromal, though highly skilled, is no match for the master Aringodar. To add to the misery, Aromal's sword breaks in two. Chandu placates an attacking Aringodar, seeking time to replace the weapon and he obliges. Aromal takes advantage of the momentarily unguarded Aringodar and throws his broken sword at him, killing him.
As the victorious Aromal retires to his resting place, Chandu follows him to tend to his injuries. Aromal accuses Chandu of sabotage by treating the swords to make them brittle, and attacks him. In their scuffle, Aromal accidentally stabs himself by falling over a lamp. As people gather, the mortally wounded Aromal accuses Chandu of betraying him with his last breath.
The ill-fated Chandu escapes the mob and finds the blacksmith, who informs him about Kunji's bribe. Fighting his way through an entire contingent of guards, the furious Chandu storms into Aringodar's household seeking Kunji. To add to his list of regrets, he finds Kunji has committed suicide by hanging herself. Chandu returns to Puthooram and is greeted by a raging Unniyarcha, who vows that her unborn sons will avenge her brother’s death.
Years later, Aromal Unni and Kannapan Unni (sons of Unniyarcha and Aromal Chekavar, respectively) come to Arangodar's
kalari
A kalari is a gymnasium or training space primarily associated with the martial art of Kalaripayattu. The word ''kalari'' comes from Malayalam. In the past, village schools in Kerala, typically run by the traditional astrologer families, were k ...
seeking revenge. Chandu refuses to fight them. However, after being repeatedly challenged, Chandu easily beats them both, once again showing his mastery. Hoping that they will leave before bloodshed is inevitable, he attempts to retire his weapons. The two young warriors are in no mood to leave in defeat and insist on a duel to the death. Aromal Unni announces that he will either return with Chandu's head or die himself. Chandu realises the madness in the youngsters and appears to relent to their provocations, turning his back to them as if to pray in preparation for the duel. But knowing that no one will ever be able to win against him, and reminded that Aromal is Kannappan Chekavar's grandson, he commits one final act of valour: Chandu stabs himself with his sword. Reminiscing bitterly on what could have been, he addresses Aromal Unni as his unborn son and hopes that he will earn renown for being the one to defeat Chandu and avenge his uncle. He reaches out to the statue of his deity and dies. There ends the life of a valiant but misunderstood man, the greatest warrior of his age.
Cast
*
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 ...
as
Chandu Chekavar
Chandu Chekavar (''Chathiyan Chanthu'', also known as Chandu Panicker), was a sixteenth-century warrior of the Chekavar family from the Hindu Thiyyar caste, mentioned in the folk songs of Northern Kerala called ''Vadakkan Pattukal''. He belongs t ...
*
Suresh Gopi
Suresh Gopi (born 26 June 1958) is an Indian actor, politician, playback singer and television presenter. He works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and has also appeared in some Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Bollywood films. Suresh made his acti ...
as
Aromal Chekavar Aromal Chekavar, also known as Puthooram Veettil Aromal Chekavar, was a legendary warrior who is believed to have lived during the 16th century in the North Malabar region of Kerala, India. He was a warrior from a Thiyyar community and a paramount c ...
*
Balan K. Nair
Balakrishnan Nair, more popularly known as Balan K. Nair (4 April 1933 26 August 2000) was an Indian actor known for his roles in Malayalam cinema. Although he appeared as a villain in most films, he was also noted for his performances in stron ...
as Kannappan Chekavar
*
Captain Raju
Raju Daniel (27 June 1950 – 17 September 2018), better known by his stage name Captain Raju, was an Indian army officer and Indian actor. He acted in more than 600 films in various languages, including Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannad ...
as Aringodar
*
Madhavi as
Unniyarcha
Unniyarcha (sometimes spelled "Uñnįarcha") is a legendary warrior and heroine 16th century mentioned in the ''Vadakkan Pattukal'', a set of historical ballads from northern Kerala, a state in southwestern India. She was a member of a Thiyya ...
*
Geetha as Kunji
*
Rajalakshmi
Thakkathu Amayankottu Rajalakshmi (June 2, 1930 – January 18, 1965), better identified as Rajalakshmi, was an Indian novelist, short story writer and poet of Malayalam literature. She was the author of three novels, two poetry anthologies a ...
as Kuttimani
*
Jomol
Jomol (; born 1 January 1981), also known as Gauri is an Indian actress, known for her work in Malayalam cinema. She won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress and National Film Award - Special Mention for her role in '' Ennu Swantham Ja ...
as young Unniyarcha
*
Vineeth Kumar
Vineeth Kumar is an Indian actor and director in Malayalam cinema. He came into the industry as child artist in the 1988 movie ''Padippura''. His directorial debut ''Ayal Njanalla'' was released in 2015.
Early life
Vineeth Kumar was born in P ...
as young Chandu
*Vishal Menon as young Kunjiraman
*
Biyon
Byon V. K. (born 17 June 1982), professionally credited as Biyn, is an Indian actor who works in Malayalam cinema
Malayalam cinema is an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. T ...
as Child Artist
*
Ramu
The Ramu River is a major river in northern Papua New Guinea. The headwaters of the river are formed in the Kratke Range from where it then travels about northwest to the Bismarck Sea.
Along the Ramu's course, it receives numerous tributaries ...
as Unnichandror
*
Devan as Unnikonnar
*
Oduvil Unnikrishnan
Oduvil Unnikrishnan (13 February 1943 – 27 May 2006) was an Indian actor who worked in Malayalam cinema. He has portrayed supporting roles in both dramatic and comedic roles.The HindMalayalam film actor Oduvil Unnikrishnan dead He is a four- ...
as the King
*
Chithra
Krishnan Nair Shantakumari Chithra (born 27 July 1963), always credited as K. S. Chithra or Chithra, is an Indian playback singer and Carnatic musician. In a career spanning over four decades, she has recorded over 25,000 songs in various I ...
as Kunjinooli
*
Soorya
Soorya is an Indian actress who appeared in Malayalam and Tamil films. She was a prominent actress in 1980s. She was well noted for her glamorous roles. She debuted with the film '' Parankimala'' in 1981.
Filmography Malayalam
*'' Parankimal ...
as the blacksmith's daughter
*
Sanjay Mitra as Aromal Unni
*
Rasheed Ummer
Rasheed Ummer is an Indian actor, who primarily works in Malayalam and Tamil films. He made his début as a hero in ''Kannaram Pothi Pothi'' and later was a part of the much acclaimed ''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha
''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha'' () ...
as Kanappan Unni
*
Sukumari
Sukumari Amma (6 October 1940 – 26 March 2013) was an Indian actress best known for her works in Malayalam and Tamil films. In a career spanning more than five decades, She has appeared in more than 2500 films predominantly in Malayalam, Tam ...
as Kannappan Chekavar's wife
*
V. K. Sreeraman as Kunjiraman
*
Sanoop Sajeendran as Master Thanku
*
Kundara Johny
Johny Joseph with the stage name Kundara Johny is an Indian actor in Malayalam cinema. He has acted in more than 100 films. He has also done Tamil films like ''Vaazhkai Chakram'' and ''Nadigan
''Nadigan'' () is a 1990 Indian Tamil-languag ...
as Aringodar's student
*
Bheeman Raghu
Bheeman Raghu (born 6 October 1953) is an Indian actor, singer, dancer, former politician and police officer (retired) who appears mainly in Malayalam films and is best known for his villainous and comedy roles. In a career spanning over three ...
as Aringodar's student
*Tony as Unnikannan
Soundtrack
The film's soundtrack contains 5 songs, composed by
Bombay Ravi
Ravi Shankar Sharma (3 March 1926 – 7 March 2012), often referred to mononymously as Ravi, was an Indian music director, who had composed music for several Hindi and Malayalam films. After a successful career in Hindi cinema, he took a brea ...
. Lyrics by
Kaithapram
Padma Shri Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri, popularly known as Kaithapram, is a Malayalam lyricist, poet, music director, actor, singer, screenwriter, music therapist and performer of Carnatic music. He debuted with the movie Ennennum K ...
and
K. Jayakumar
K. Jayakumar (born 6 October 1952) is an Indian civil servant, poet, and author. He is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from Kerala who retired as the Chief Secretary of the Government of Kerala. He has also worked as lyricist, ...
.
Reception
Critical reception
The film received commercial and critical acclaim upon its release. In a retrospect review Neelima Menon of ''
The News Minute
''The News Minute'' is an Indian digital news platform based in Bangalore, Karnataka. It was founded by Dhanya Rajendran, Chitra Subramaniam and Vignesh Vellore in 2014. Apart from Karnataka, it also has bureaus in the states of Telangana, And ...
'' states that, "While Mammootty aces ''Chandu'', delivering the verbose dialogues with finesse and precision, and bringing a sense of drama in his body language, Madhavi lives up to the picturization of ''Unniyarcha''—with her luminous eyes, grace and a bearing that’s regal and confident, making it easier to forgive her character’s treachery. Captain Raju as the formidable ''Aringoder'', Suresh Gopi as the cocky ''Aromal'' and Balan K Nair as the generous ''Kannappan Chekavar'' are all perfectly cast.
Box office
The film was a commercial success. It was the highest grossing Malayalam film of the year. It ran for 375 days at Sangham theater (Calicut) in Kerala. Outside Kerala, it ran for more than 100 days in
Madras
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
and
Coimbatore
Coimbatore, also spelt as Koyamputhur (), sometimes shortened as Kovai (), is one of the major metropolitan cities in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbato ...
.
Awards
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 ...
*
Best Screenplay –
M. T. Vasudevan Nair
Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair (born 1933 July 15 ), popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He is a prolific and versatile writer in modern Malayalam literature, and is one of the masters of post-I ...
*
Best Actor –
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 ...
(also for ''Mathilukal
''Mathilukal'' (Malayalam: മതിലുകൾ, meaning ''Walls'') is a Malayalam novel written by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer in 1965. It is one of the most cherished and well-known love stories in Malayalam. Its hero, Basheer himself, and heroi ...
'')
*
Best Art Direction –
P. Krishnamoorthy
*
Best Costume Design – P. Krishnamoorthy
Filmfare Awards South
Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
*
Filmfare Award for Best Film – Malayalam
The Filmfare Best Film Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lak ...
–
P. V. Gangadharan
Parayarukandi Vettath Gangadharan is an Indian film producer and businessman from Kerala. He has produced 22 Malayalam films under his production company Grihalakshmi Productions. As a producer, he has won two National Film Awards, five Kera ...
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 ...
*
Best Popular Film
*
Best Screen Play –
M. T. Vasudevan Nair
Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair (born 1933 July 15 ), popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He is a prolific and versatile writer in modern Malayalam literature, and is one of the masters of post-I ...
*
Best Actor –
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 ...
*
Second Best Actress –
Geetha
*
Best Cinematography – K. Ramachandra Babu
*
Best Female Play Back Singer –
K. S. Chithra
Krishnan Nair Shantakumari Chithra (born 27 July 1963), always credited as K. S. Chithra or Chithra, is an Indian playback singer and Carnatic musician. In a career spanning over four decades, she has recorded over 25,000 songs in various In ...
*
Best Child Artist -
Vineeth Kumar
Vineeth Kumar is an Indian actor and director in Malayalam cinema. He came into the industry as child artist in the 1988 movie ''Padippura''. His directorial debut ''Ayal Njanalla'' was released in 2015.
Early life
Vineeth Kumar was born in P ...
*
Best Art Director -
P. Krishnamoorthy
Legacy
''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha'' is regarded to be one of the greatest Malayalam films ever made and is considered a landmark film in Malayalam film history. Following its release, ''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha'' has attained
cult status
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
in Malayalam cinema and receives re-runs on television channels. The film is only the third Malayalam film after ''
Swayamvaram'' and ''
Mukhamukham
''Mukhamukham'' ( en, italic=yes, Face to Face) (1984) is a Malayalam feature film written and directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan.
Plot
The film starts in the early 1950s showing Sreedharan, the protagonist, as a very popular communist leader and ...
'' to receive four National Awards.
The character
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 ...
portrays, ''Chandu'' is one of the most iconic characters in Malayalam cinema. The phrase "''Chathiyan Chandu''" is now very popular among
Malayali
The Malayali people () (also spelt Malayalee and also known by the demonym Keralite) are a Dravidian peoples, Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. ...
s, It is used to refer to a person who betrays or cheats others. Chandu's final speech is also iconic among
Malayali
The Malayali people () (also spelt Malayalee and also known by the demonym Keralite) are a Dravidian peoples, Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. ...
moviegoers. He is now subject to many
Internet meme
An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...
s.
The title of the film ''
Chathikkatha Chanthu'' was inspired from this phrase.
''
The Times of India
''The Times of India'', also known by its abbreviation ''TOI'', is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by The Times Group. It is the third-largest newspaper in India by circulation and largest ...
'' included the film in its list of "1''0 Malayalam films to watch before you die''" ''
Sify.com
Sify Technologies Limited (formerly Satyam Infoway) is an Indian information and communications technology company providing end-to-end ICT solutions including telecom services, data center services, cloud & managed services, transformation in ...
'' included it in its list of ''"Ten Outstanding Performances From Mammootty."''
References
External links
*
movieraga.indulekha.com – വീണ്ടും ഒരു വടക്കന്വീരഗാഥ{{Hariharan (director)
Indian martial arts films
1980s Malayalam-language films
Films scored by Ravi
Kalarippayattu films
Films with screenplays by M. T. Vasudevan Nair
Films directed by Hariharan
Indian epic films
Films shot in Thrissur
Films featuring a Best Actor National Award-winning performance
Films whose production designer won the Best Production Design National Film Award
Films that won the Best Costume Design National Film Award
Films whose writer won the Best Original Screenplay National Film Award
1989 martial arts films
1989 films