''Swapnadanam'' ( ml, സ്വപ്നാടനം, en, Journey Through a Dream) is a 1976

black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...

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 that marks the directorial debut of

K. G. George Kulakkattil Geevarghese George (born 24 May 1946) is an Indian film maker and screenwriter who worked in the Malayalam cinema. He was the founder of a new school of film making in Malayalam cinema, along with Bharathan and P. Padmarajan, in ...

. A marital psychodrama, it rejected all the usual song-dance numbers of popular cinema, yet succeeded in reaching the common mass. The film was a commercial success while maintaining its artistic quality. It won the

Kerala State Film Award for Best Film The Kerala State Film Award for Best Film is an award presented annually at the Kerala State Film Awards of India to the best film in Malayalam cinema. The awards are managed directly by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy under the Department ...

and

National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam The National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one of seve ...

. The cast includes

Rani Chandra Rani Chandra (1949 – 1976), born in Kochi, Kerala, was a Malayalam film actress and winner of the Miss Kerala Title. She died in a plane crash in 1976. She acted in several landmark films such as '' Nellu'' (Malayalam, 1974), ''Bhadrakali'' ...

, Dr. Mohandas,

Soman Soman (or GD, EA 1210, Zoman, PFMP, A-255, systematic name: ''O''-pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate) is an extremely toxic chemical substance. It is a nerve agent, interfering with normal functioning of the mammalian nervous system by inhibiti ...

Mallika Mallika is a Hindu/Sanskrit Indian feminine given name, which means "jasmine".''Baby Names''"Given Name Mallika" Retrieved on 27 January 2016. Notable people with the name include: *Mallika (actress), Indian actress * Mallika Chabba (born 1985), ...

and P. K. Venukuttan Nair.

Plot

The story proceeds in flashbacks as the protagonist, Dr. Gopi, who has had a nervous breakdown, relives his past under psychiatric probing. It is the story of an ill-matched marriage — the husband, sensitive, introvertive and plagued by memories of a bygone love and the wife, rich, spoilt and self-centred — and how under the mounting stresses of daily life, the husband cracks up. Gopi is the only son of a widowed mother, and in strained circumstances, is put through medical college by his rich uncle on the understanding that Gopi marries his daughter Sumithra. Gopi, while in college, falls in love with a fellow-student, but they part company when his mother meets the girl and persuades her to give up the betrothed Gopi. Gopi's marriage with his rich cousin takes place, but it is doomed from its very start. They are not made for each other in either taste or temperament, and besides Gopi is haunted by memories of his former love. And Gopi, being the introvert he is, consummates the marriage, as it were, in a psychiatric ward.

Cast

as Sumithra * Dr. Mohandas as Gopi/Parameshwaran *

as Mohan * Mallika Sukumaran as Rosi Cheriyan * T. R. Omana as Gopi's mother * P. K. Venukuttan Nair as Sumithra's father *

Prema Menon Prema was an Indian actress in Malayalam cinema. She acted mainly in supporting and character roles as a mother, during the 1960s and 1970s and appeared in more than 50 films in her career. She is the mother of actress Shobha. Personal life P ...

as Kalyani *Sonia Isaac Thomas as Kamalam * P. K. Abraham as Psychiatrist Venugopal *Isaac Thomas as Psychiatrist * Anandavalli * KPAC Azeez

Soundtrack

The music was composed by Bhaskar Chandavarkar and the lyrics were written by P. J. Eezhakkadavu.

References

2
Swapnadanam: Sensuality and psychology of this dream land

External links

* 1970s Malayalam-language films Films directed by K. G. George Best Malayalam Feature Film National Film Award winners {{1970s-Malayalam-film-stub