''Thirakkatha'' ( is a

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

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 wa ...

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 co-produced, written, and directed by

Ranjith Ranjit or Renjith may refer to: Religion * Anton Ranjith Pillainayagam (born 1966), Sri Lankan Tamil Catholic priest, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Colombo * Malcolm Ranjith (born 1947), Sri Lankan Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, C ...

. The film is a tribute to the yesteryear actresses who had been graceful, popular figures in cinema during their younger age with patronage and later got completely disregarded by the industry, media and the masses alike. Ranjith emphasized that the film should be seen as a work of fiction and not as the real-life story of

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, ...

or any other actress. The story shifts between the present and flashbacks through the perspective of different characters. The story is divided into three monologues which meet in the climax. The film has garnered positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. The film won the

National Film Award 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 Directora ...

for Best Feature Film in Malayalam (Ranjith and Maha Subair). And Priyamani won the

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 ...

for Best Actress.

Plot

Akbar Ahmed is a film director. Friends call him 'Akky'. After his highly successful first film, he becomes the most wanted director in the

Malayalam film Malayalam cinema is an Indian film industry of Malayalam-language motion pictures. It is based in Kochi, Kerala, India. The films produced in Malayalam cinema are known for their cinematography and story-driven plots. In 1982, '' Elippathaya ...

industry. Akky and his girl friend Devayani along with a group of friends all share a passion for cinema. It was with them that Akbar directed and produced his first film, which went on to become a huge success. Akbar also runs a cafe called ''Casablanca'' named after the classic

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

film. For Akbar cinema is not a job, it is his passion. Akbar decides to choose a very different kind of story for his second film and he sets on a journey in search of it. Akbar decides to base his second film on the life of yesteryear actress Malavika, who was once a very popular actress and whose present whereabouts are unknown. Akbar and his friends go tracking Malavika’s biography. Her husband was Ajaya Chandran. Currently Ajayachandran is the reigning super star of the industry. Akbar starts his search from film director Aby Kuruvila’s house. Kuruvila’s son gives his father’s old letters and diaries to Akbar from which he starts learning about the whirlwind romance of Malavika and Ajayachandran which led to marriage. How differences between them led to a breakup and how this affected their careers along with Akbar's efforts to find Malavika form the major plot of the film. The film ends in a touching yet marvelous climax with a poetic narration.

Cast

* Prithviraj as Akbar Ahammed * Priyamani as Malavika (Voice By Vimmi Mariam George) * Anoop Menon as Ajayachandran *

Samvrutha Sunil Samvritha Sunil (born 31 October 1986) is an Indian actress who appears in Malayalam films. She made her debut in 2004 through the film ''Rasikan'' directed by Lal Jose before which she had also appeared as a junior artist in the film '' Ayal ...

as Devayani *

as Director Aby Kuruvilla *

Praveena Praveena is an Indian Television actress and a dubbing artist who predominantly appears in Malayalam films, she has also appeared in Tamil and Telugu films. She started her acting career through 1992 film ''Gowri''. She has received several ...

as Meera * Arun as Narendran *

Nishanth Sagar Nishant Balakrishnan (born 8 June 1980), known professionally by his stage name Nishant Sagar , is an Indian actor who works primarily in the Malayalam film industry. He has performed in over 50 films as a hero, co-star and antagonist. Care ...

as Kevin *

Nandhu Nandalal Krishnamoorthy better known by his stage name Nandu is an Indian actor primarily working in Malayalam films. Although he has been in the industry for more than 30 years, he is acclaimed for his performance in Mohanlal' s ''Spirit'', dir ...

as Krishnamoorthy * Siddharth Siva as Sathya *

Surabhi Lakshmi Surabhi C. M., also known as Surabhi Lakshmi is an Indian film, television, and stage actress who appears in Malayalam films and television. She won the National Film Award for Best Actress in 2016 for portraying the role of a struggling middle ...

as Valarmathi *

Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afr ...

as Chackochan

Reception

The film was received well with audiences and critics alike. Some of the major reviews in the media were all praises for the film. Nowrunning.com opined that "It is a charming film that's plainly life-affirming without being overly pretentious or markedly melodramatic". Paresh C Palicha at Rediff.com opined that "It is exciting to see

bounce back to form with his best effort so far." Almost all reviewers were unanimous about the brilliant performances of the lead stars, especially of Priyamani, Anoop Menon and Prithviraj.

Accolades

2008 : Film 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 ...

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 sev ...

;

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 Ch ...

* Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor - Anoop Menon *Best Makeup - Ranjith Ambadi ;

Filmfare Award for Best Actress - Malayalam ''Filmfare'' is an Indian English-language fortnightly magazine published by Worldwide Media. Acknowledged as one of Indian most popular entertainment magazines, it publishes pieces involving news, interviews, photos, videos, reviews, events, a ...

- Priyamani *Best Film Malayalam *Best Director - Ranjith *Best Music Director - Sharath *Best Female Playback Singer -K.S.Chithra

Music

The score and soundtrack of the movie were composed by Sharreth, who returned to the field after a long gap.

References

https://www.academia.edu/9204740/When_Ghosts_Come_Calling_Re-projecting_the_Disappeared_Muses_of_Malayalam_Cinema

External links

* {{Ranjith 2000s Malayalam-language films 2008 romantic drama films 2008 films Indian films about cancer Films shot in Kozhikode Films directed by Ranjith Films scored by Sharreth Best Malayalam Feature Film National Film Award winners Indian romantic drama films