Chandramukhi - Rajinikanth's second remake from malayalam in the recent times had already stirred the honey nest in the Gods own country. Writer of the original Madhu Muttam and director Fazil has decided to sue for remaking without obtaining the rights. How they settle it, is the another matter, but this is a review of an evergreen classic that danced into the heart of elite Keralite audiences and still holding a niche for itself. I am talking about the lovable literature piece called "Manichitrathazhu", which won the first National award for Shobana.
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The story is interspersed with layers of suspense, comedy, and treachery weaving the magic around the viewers that is still lasting as if the movie happened yesterday. Nandhan (Suresh Gopi) and Ganga (Shobana), the newly weds from Calcutta, come to their native village combining the trip with his official work of monitoring the cement plant contruction. They visit their uncle (Nedumudi Venu) who is blessed with two daughters (Aswini & Vinaya Prasad) and express their desire to move to their ancestral palace located next to his house. Nedumudi Venu initially protests that it is haunted and finally gives over by the strong conviction of city bred Nandhan, under the condition that they must not open a particular room. That room was supposed to be the one of Tamil danseuse Nagavalli, who was deceived by the royal family. Out of curiosity Ganga opens it and a series of incidents tarnish the tranquility of the family. Ganga becomes the victim and Vinaya ends up becoming the prime suspect.
Enters, precisely at the interval point, Dr. Sunny (Mohanlal) Nandhan's friend, crazy (Christian doctor undergoing 48 days Iyappan viratham), yet renowned psychiatrist to solve these bizarre happenings. He was welcomed by the "ghost" by burning his baggage. He gets irritated and vows to imprison the ghost with a divine lock (Manichitrathazhu). His entry initiates a spate of rib tickling comical situations and dramatic turns and a stunning climax, that you'll be taken aback. At last he pins down the hand behind these incident which happens to be…… No I won't reveal this at this moment.
The movie boasts of a subtle, sophisticated and unadulterated comedy, suspense and ultimately delves around the psychological concepts. However the beauty of the movie is those psychological concepts appealed to classes and masses alike making it an evergreen movie. It needs lots of guts to pick a complex story like this and present it to the audiences in a way that shouldn’t confuse them. Fazil, a master storyteller, had accomplished this effortlessly. The screenplay and dialogues by Madhu Muttom was simply amazing. Music, by Raveendran, was an integral part of this story telling.
Manichitrathazhu revolved around the danseuse making the dancing skills pre-requisite for the heroine. Also the heroine needed to essay shades of fear, confusion, romance and angst against betrayal, the role that came with so much of complexities. Shobana with her lissome figure, well honed dancing skills and ability to emote and exhibit expressions in a split of seconds suited the character to "T". She handled it with style and elegance, thus bagging her the National award.
Enters, precisely at the interval point, Dr. Sunny (Mohanlal) Nandhan's friend, crazy (Christian doctor undergoing 48 days Iyappan viratham), yet renowned psychiatrist to solve these bizarre happenings. He was welcomed by the "ghost" by burning his baggage. He gets irritated and vows to imprison the ghost with a divine lock (Manichitrathazhu). His entry initiates a spate of rib tickling comical situations and dramatic turns and a stunning climax, that you'll be taken aback. At last he pins down the hand behind these incident which happens to be…… No I won't reveal this at this moment.The movie boasts of a subtle, sophisticated and unadulterated comedy, suspense and ultimately delves around the psychological concepts. However the beauty of the movie is those psychological concepts appealed to classes and masses alike making it an evergreen movie. It needs lots of guts to pick a complex story like this and present it to the audiences in a way that shouldn’t confuse them. Fazil, a master storyteller, had accomplished this effortlessly. The screenplay and dialogues by Madhu Muttom was simply amazing. Music, by Raveendran, was an integral part of this story telling.
Manichitrathazhu revolved around the danseuse making the dancing skills pre-requisite for the heroine. Also the heroine needed to essay shades of fear, confusion, romance and angst against betrayal, the role that came with so much of complexities. Shobana with her lissome figure, well honed dancing skills and ability to emote and exhibit expressions in a split of seconds suited the character to "T". She handled it with style and elegance, thus bagging her the National award.
