''Rithubedam'' is a

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...

Indian

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...

-language film, directed by

Prathap Pothen Pratap Pothen (13 August 1952 – 15 July 2022) was an Indian actor and filmmaker who acted in about 100 films and directed 12 films. He appeared in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu as well as Hindi films. He also worked as a scriptwriter and produ ...

. The film 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. ...

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 ...

, Geetha,

Vineeth Vineeth Radhakrishnan (born 23 August 1969) is an Indian actor, classical dancer, voice artist and choreographer who primarily works in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu language films. He has also starred in a few Kannada and Bollywood films. He h ...

Monisha Unni Monisha Unni (24 January 1970 – 5 December 1992) was an Indian actress, known for her works in Malayalam, Tamil cinema. Monisha was 16 when she became the youngest actress ever to receive the National Film Award for Best Actress for ''N ...

and Murali in the lead roles. The film has musical score by

Shyam Shyam is a name of Krishna and an Indian masculine given name and surname. Notable people with this name include: ;Shyam *Shyam (actor), Indian Hindi film actor *Shyam (composer), an Indian music composer from Kerala * Shyam Benegal, Indian film di ...

. Thilakan received the National Film Award for the Best Supporting Actor in the year 1987 for his role in the film.

Plot

The story revolves around an ailing aristocratic family Naduvancheril Nair Veedu with members infighting over the assets. A number of civil cases are ongoing in the court over the family assets with Mooppil Nair and his brother-in-law Karunakara Panicker on opposite sides. Kesu is a youngster returning from

Chennai 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 ...

after an unsuccessful stint. He is the son of a deceased maid servant family of Nair Veedu. Rajan, a lecturer in the college arrives the village from southern town of

Vaikom Vaikom, , is a municipal town and a capital town of Vaikom Taluk, situated in the northwest of Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India. The town is also noted for its role in the Indian independence movement for being the venue of Vaikom ...

and start renting a room in Kesu's house. Rajan visits Nair Veedu for research on historical artefacts. He meets Mooppil Nair and his daughter Devaki who is in an unhappy marriage with drunkard Krishnanunni. Devaki and Rajan shares interest in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

history and poetry. They discuss the events around

Tippu Sultan Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He i ...

's invasion of Malabar. Rajan and Devaki comes closer to each other. Thankamani, younger sister of Devaki is a student of Rajan and is infatuated with him. A receiver appointed by the court arrives and befriends Krishnanunni. He has ulterior motives over beautiful Devaki. However, Devaki rejects his advances angrily. But Mooppil Nair's second wife Subhadra is more than ready to cater all his needs in exchange of favours. He is interested in Thankamani too. Rajan proposes to Devaki, but she rejects the idea for she has to take care of young Thankamani. A forest land owned by the family was earlier acquired by the Government. The court directs the payment of to the joint family to be divided among 16 family members. It turns out that one share belongs to Appu who is a mentally unstable orphan. The entire family plots to get Appu on their side to get his shares worth . Mooppil Nair and Subhadra goes further by arranging Appu to marry Thankamani. To save Thankamani, Devaki pleads Rajan to marry Thankamani. On the same day, Kesu reveals Rajan that he adores Thankamani and wish to marry her someday. Rajan suggest the same to Devaki. But Devaki furiously rejects the idea which Rajan presumes is due to Kesu's lower social stature. Mooppil Nair catches his wife cheating with the Receiver and expels her from the house. On the day of Thankamani and Appu's wedding, a group of people lead by Krishnanunni, Karunakara Panicker and Rajan arrives and asks Thankamani's hand in marriage for Kesu. Mooppil Nair manhandles Kesu and reveals that Kesu is his own illegitimate son. On a moment of rage, Kesu kills Mooppil Nair with an axe. Film ends on a positive note with Rajan, Thankamani, Krishanunni and Devaki visiting Kesu in the prison after 5 years. Rajan and Thankamani are married and have a baby girl.

Cast

as Rajan Maashu *

as Naduvancheril Achunni Nair a.k.a. Mooppil Nair *

as Kesu * Murali as Appu a.k.a. Aravindakshan *

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 Krishnanunni * M. Chandran Nair * Sankaradi as Karunakara Panicker * Tony as Ravi * Geetha as Devu *

Kuttyedathi Vilasini Kuttyedathi Vilasini ( ml, കുട്ട്യേടത്തി വിലാസിനി) is an Indian actress best known for her work in Malayalam cinema. She has acted in more than 400 films and 120 tv serials. Biography Kuttyedathi Vila ...

M. G. Soman M. G. Soman (28 September 1941 – 12 December 1997) was an Indian actor and former Indian Air Force officer who appeared in Malayalam films. He was one among the leading star actors doing hero roles in Malayalam Cinema during the late 1970s an ...

as Receiver *

Manimala Manimala is a small town and a village in Kottayam district in the Indian state of Kerala, situated about from the nearest town Kanjirappally. It's declared as a folklore village since 2011 by the central government to promote folklore. Ge ...

Monisha Monisha Unni (24 January 1970 – 5 December 1992) was an Indian actress, known for her works in Malayalam, Tamil cinema. Monisha was 16 when she became the youngest actress ever to receive the National Film Award for Best Actress for ''N ...

as Thankamani * R. K. Nair * Santhadevi * Child actor (Baby Girl) - Divya Sachi

Soundtrack

The music was composed by

References

External links

* {{Pratap K. Pothen 1987 films 1980s Malayalam-language films Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor National Film Award-winning performance Films with screenplays by M. T. Vasudevan Nair Films directed by Pratap Pothen