''Thumbolarcha'' is a 1974 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 film, directed and produced by

Kunchacko Kunchacko (19 February 1912 – 15 June 1976) was an Indian film producer and director who worked in the Malayalam cinema, Malayalam film industry. His venture Udaya Studios influenced the gradual shift of Malayalam film industry from its origi ...

. The film stars

Prem Nazir Prem Nazir (born Abdul Khader; 7 April 1926 – 16 January 1989) was an Indian actor known as one of Malayalam cinema's definitive leading man, leading men of his generation. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential actors in the histo ...

Sheela Sheela Ravichandran (Born 22 March 1945) is an Indian actress and director who appears predominantly in Malayalam cinema. Paired with Prem Nazir, they hold the Guinness World Record for acting in the largest number of films (130) together as h ...

Srividya Srividya (24 July 1953 – 19 October 2006), also known as Sreevidya, was an Indian actress best known for her work predominantly in Malayalam and Tamil films, along with few Telugu, Kannada and Hindi films. In a career spanning for 40 years, ...

and

Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair (16 October 191611 March 1997) was an Indian poet, playwright, script writer, lyricist, orator, film director and actor, though he is best known as an actor in Malayalam cinema. He is the recipient of Padma Shri from t ...

. The film has musical score and songs composed by

G. Devarajan Paravoor Govindan Devarajan (1927–2006), popularly known as G. Devarajan or Devarajan master, was an Indian music composer and Carnatic singer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Indian film music. He sco ...

Plot

The film depicts an episode in the youth of Puthooram Aromal Chekavar and cousin Chandu before the infamous fatal duel described in the film ''Unniyarcha'' (1961). Thumbolarcha (

), the fair warrior maiden of Mikavil Mikacheri family, is a fiancée by cross-cousinage of Aromal Chekavar (

) and they both wish to marry. However, as fate would have it, Archa's life is turned upside down when one night, a distraught father with his pregnant daughter (

Sreevidya Srividya (24 July 1953 – 19 October 2006), also known as Sreevidya, was an Indian actress best known for her work predominantly in Malayalam and Tamil films, along with few Telugu, Kannada and Hindi films. In a career spanning for 40 years, ...

) in labour appear at their doorstep confounded by weather. The magnanimous Archa take them in and offer them the best hospitality and service in the absence of her family, and the lady gives birth to a boy safely. However the father escapes with the daughter before dawn leaving the child at Mikacheri house, implying that this was an illegitimate pregnancy that nobody likes to acknowledge. Archa, though upset at the situation, refuses to dispose off the baby as her friends suggest and decides to bring the baby up herself. This, however, leads to speculations that the baby is her own, and even her own parents and uncle who return from a trip of many months from the North, fall suspicious of Archa's affection for the baby and start believing that she herself became pregnant and delivered during their absence. Aromal's parents Kannappa Chekavar ( Thikkurissi) and wife (

Adoor Pankajam Adoor Pankajam (1929 – 26 June 2010) was an Indian actress, in Malayalam movies. She hailed from Adoor in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala state. Mainly, she was a supporting actress and a comedian. Her sister Adoor Bhavani was also a Mala ...

), who arrived to formally decide the marriage of Aromal and Archa gets to witness the scandal firsthand and decide against the proposal. Back home, Aromal himself is sympathetic at first though the overwhelming public opinion and misogynist scandal all over the place influence him to summarily reject Thumbolarcha, his love for long, shocking her to the core. Furthermore, Aromal's family quickly finds him another alliance and he is compelled to marry soon. Watching from her balcony, Archa is shocked to realise that Aromal's bride Kunjunnooli (

) is none other than the lady who delivered the baby at her house earlier. She decides against making a revelation fearing for Kunjunnooli's life and reputation, while Kunjunnooli herself is upset to see Archa and later devastated to know from Aromal of their past affair. Realising that she herself was the reason behind the ruin of Thumbolarcha's life and Aromal's love, she argues with Aromal for Archa's case and pleads that he save Archa too from the disgraced life that she has been condemned to. Archa herself, though devastated by the most unkindest cut served by the love of her life, resigns to her fate and decides to devote her life to raising the baby. But her family would naturally have none of that. Her father ( G. K. Pillai) and uncle (

N. Govindankutty N. Govindan Kutty was a Malayalam film actor. He has appeared in around 100 films, acting mainly in villain roles. Background Kutty was born at Fort Kochi in 1924, Ernakulam as the son of Sankara Narayanan and Nanukutty Amma. He was a natural ...

) go on to court Chandu Chekavar (

K. P. Ummer Kachinamthoduka Puthiyapurayil Ummer known as K. P. Ummer (Malayalam: കെ.പി. ഉമ്മർ) was an Indian actor from Thekkepuram quarter of Kozhikode, Kerala, India. He was active in the Malayalam cinema from early sixties until late ...

), Aromal's cousin, who also had an eye on Archa but was summarily rejected by them all. Chandu demands that Archa undergo a so-called Test of Fire at the local temple to prove her fidelity and further demand that the baby be killed if he is to marry Archa. Archa's family is all set to agree and Archa realises that she has no choice. She also happens to witness Chandu personally strangling the baby at her house. Determined to exact revenge on him, she declares that she would prove her fidelity on the appointed day and further put to test any warrior who wishes to court her; she would marry only a warrior who can defeat her. Chandu who underestimates Archa and has a deluded image of himself, agrees in amusement. On the appointed day, in a dramatic magical display, Archa proves her fidelity before a large audience by emerging unscathed from fire. She further challenges any warrior who wishes to court her and proceeds to defeat everybody present hand down, including the acclaimed Chandu Chekavar himself. At this point, a crude tribal youth (

) emerges as a suitor and defeats Archa to everybody's surprise. Impressed, Archa submits herself in marriage to him, though her family as well as Chandu seethe in humiliation. Archa is taken to the tribal youth's hut and she moves in with his family, happily blending in. However, the enigmatic youth leaves on an errand of work into the deep forest without consummating their marriage, for which he promises to return on a certain auspicious night. At this time, her family and Chandu come into an unholy pact and abduct her from her husband's family by crook. Archa is placed under custody in her own home and preparations are underway to arrange Chandu's marriage ceremony with her. Hearing of the developments in Archa's life and sympathising with her, Aromal decides to intervene on behalf of her and her tribal husband. Aromal's family is however, wary of any further exchanges with Archa and discourage him. As such, Aromal plays a double game of confounding both his family and Archa's and end up playing security in her own house. On the auspicious night that Archa expects her husband, Aromal enters her bed, overpowers her and has sex with her forcefully. The traumatised Archa is devastated that she couldn't keep herself together for her husband, but is delighted when her tribal youth appears before her to reveal that he was none other than Aromal himself. Together, they arrange a plan to sort things together. However, Aromal is later removed from the house by Archa's family on Chandu's suspicion, and he is unable to rally help for an all-out attack from his family. Meanwhile, Archa realises that she is pregnant with Aromal's child, and delivers her baby within the confines of her home. Again Chandu, who is still in awe of Archa's beauty, demands that the baby be killed so that he marries her. On a fateful night when the baby is thrown in water and Archa out to save it, Aromal reaches them in time and takes his wife and child home to Puthooram family. The developments infuriate Chandu and Archa's family, who conclude that Aromal was responsible for both the babies involved, launch an all-out attack on Puthooram family. Before the final showdown, Kunjunnooli reveals that she was the mother of the child delivered earlier at Mikacheril and that Chandu was the father. Thumbolarcha also reveals how she witnessed Chandu strangling the baby, which is now revealed to be his own, born of a dalliance between him and Kunjunnooli when she was his student of Kalari for a brief period. Chandu is shunned by everyone and summarily defeated by Aromal, who pardons his life at the behest of Kannappa Chekavar. Aromal lives happily ever after with his two wives Thumbolarcha and Kunjunnooli.

Cast

as Aromal Chekvar *

as Thumbolarcha *

as Kunjunnooli *

as Kannappa Chekavar *

as Ponni * G. K. Pillai as Udayappan, Thumblarcha's father *

as Elavannur Madathil Chandu *Kanchana (old) *

as Thumbolarcha's uncle *

Pala Thankam Pala Thankam (1941 – 10 January 2021) was an Indian actress in Malayalam movies. She was one of the prominent supporting actresses, singers and dubbing artists in the late 1960s and 1970s in Malayalam and Tamil movies. She acted in more than 1 ...

as Paanathi *

Premji Mullamangalath Parameshwaran Bhattathiripad (23 September 1908 – 10 August 1998), commonly known as M. P. Bhatathirippad or Premji, was a social reformer, cultural leader and actor from Kerala state, India. Premji joined Yogakshema Sabha ...

Rajakokila Rajakokila/Rajkokila was an Indian actress. She was a prominent lead actress during the 1970s in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu films. She was well noted for her glamorous roles. She is married to Crossbelt Mani. The actress Meena is her ...

as Theyi *

S. P. Pillai S. P. Pillai (28 November 1913 – 12 June 1985) was an Indian film and stage actor, best known for his comic roles in Malayalam films. Biography S. Pankajakshan Pillai alias S. P. Pillai was born in 1913 in the temple town of Ettumanoor in ...

as Panar * Sumithra as Thamara *

Adoor Bhasi K. Bhaskaran Nair (1 March 1929 – 29 March 1990), known by his stage name Adoor Bhasi, was an Indian actor and film director from Kerala. Adoor Bhasi was almost always cast as the man who stands next to the hero. His hilarious actions and role ...

as Bidanthan *

Pankajavalli Pankajavalli is an Indian actress in Malayalam movies. She was known for her supporting roles during the late 1960s and 1970s in Malayalam. She made her debut in Jeevitha Nouka in 1951. She has acted in more than 50 movies. Her grand daughter ...

as Thumbolarcha's mother *

Paravoor Bharathan Vadakkekarayil Koran Bharathan (16 January 1929- 19 August 2015), better known as Paravoor Bharatan was an Indian actor who acted in Malayalam films. He started his career in movies during the 1950s. Bharathan is known as a versatile actor and h ...

as Kunjuneeli's father

Soundtrack

The music was composed by

and the lyrics were written by

Vayalar Ramavarma Vayalar Ramavarma (March 25, 1928 – October 27, 1975), also known as Vayalar, was an Indian poet and lyricist of Malayalam language. He was known for his poems which include ''Sargasangeetham'', ''Mulankaadu'', ''Padamudrakal'', ''Aayisha'' a ...

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0234888, Thumbolarcha 1974 films 1970s Malayalam-language films