Kaliyattam (English: The Play of God) is a 1997 Indian Malayalam-language tragedy film directed by Jayaraj. It stars Suresh Gopi, Lal (in his acting debut), Biju Menon and Manju Warrier.[1][2] The film is an adaptation of William Shakespeare's play Othello,[3] set against the backdrop of the Theyyam performance of Kerala.[4][5][6][7] The film's screenplay is written by Balram Mattannur. Suresh Gopi plays Kannan Perumalayan, the equivalent to Othello, Lal plays Paniyan, the equivalent to Iago, Manju Warrier plays Thamara, the Desdemona version, and Biju Menon plays Kanthan, Cassio's role. Suresh Gopi's role as Kannan Perumalayan was critically acclaimed and was considered one of the finest acting performances in his career.
| Kaliyattam | |
|---|---|
 VCD cover | |
| Directed by | Jayaraj |
| Written by | Balram Mattannur |
| Based on | William Shakespeare's Othello |
| Produced by | K. Radhakrishnan |
| Starring | Suresh Gopi Lal Biju Menon Manju Warrier |
| Cinematography | M. J. Radhakrishnan |
| Edited by | |
| Music by | Kaithapram(Songs) Rajamani(Score) |
Production company | Jayalakshmi Films |
| Distributed by | Surya Cine Arts |
Release date |
|
Running time | 130 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
In 1998, Suresh Gopi received the National Film Award for Best Actor and Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for his critically acclaimed performance. Jayaraj won the award for Best Director for his work on the film. The film was a critical and commercial success.[8][9]
Plot
editThis is an adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello, revolving around Kannan Perumalayan, a Theyyam artist who corresponds to Othello, and Thamara, the beautiful daughter of the village head. While Unni Thampuran hates Kannan because he had a crush on Thamara, and Paniyan, who plays a Komali, covets the role of Theechamundi which Perumalayan holds. Paniyan plants the seeds of doubt about Thamara's fidelity in Kannan's mind, making him suspect that Thamara and his assistant, Kanthan, are having an affair. Kannan spots a silk robe which he had presented to Thamara in Kanthan's hands.
Kannan, out of grief and anger, takes Thamara's life by suffocating her with a pillow. On the same night, Paniyan plans to get Kanthan killed by Unni Thampuran. But the plan goes awry, and Thamburan is killed. Amidst these events, Kannan is told of his mistake by Paniyan's wife, Cheerma, before Paniyan murders her. Kannan overpowers Paniyan, crushing his legs with a stone, and leaving him to live the rest of his life crippled. Kannan Perumalayan gives the ''Perumalayan'' role to Kanthan and commits suicide in the Theyyam ritual fire.
Cast
edit- Suresh Gopi as Kannan Perumalayan (Othello)
- Lal as Paniyan (Iago)
- Biju Menon as Kanthan (Cassio)
- Manju Warrier as Thamara (Desdemona)
- Bindu Panicker as Cheerma (Emilia)
- Narendra Prasad as Thamburan (Brabantio)
- E. A. Rajendran as Unni Thampuran (Roderigo)
Awards
edit- Filmfare Award for Best Director – Malayalam – Jayaraj
- Filmfare Award for Best Music Director – Malayalam – Kaithapram
- Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor – Suresh Gopi
- Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value
- Best Music Director – Kaithapram
- Best Female Playback Singer – Bhavana Radhakrishnan
Kerala Film Critics Association Awards 1997
edit- Best Actor – Suresh Gopi
- Best Supporting Actor – Lal
Soundtrack
edit| Kaliyattam | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 22 August 1997[10] | |||
| Studio | Music City, Kozhikode[11] | |||
| Genre | Film soundtrack | |||
| Length | 36:32 | |||
| Label | Johny Sagariga T-Series | |||
| Kaithapram chronology | ||||
| ||||
The music and lyrics were composed and written by Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri.
| Track | Song | Playback | Raga |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Vannathi Puzhayude" | K. J. Yesudas | Madhyamavathi[2] |
| 2 | "Velikku Veluppaankaalam" | K. J. Yesudas | Mohanam |
| 3 | "Ezhimalayolam" | Kaithapram | |
| 4 | "Sapamapa Magari" | Choir | |
| 5 | "Kathivanoor Veerane" | Kallara Gopan | Yamunakalyani |
| 6 | "Ennodenthinee Pinakkam" | Bhavana Radhakrishnan | Shahana |
| 7 | "Kathivanoor Veerane" | Sreeja | Yamunakalyani |
| 8 | "Ennodenthinee Pinakkam" | K. J. Yesudas | Shahana |
References
edit- ^ "List of Malayalam films released during the year 1997". PRD, Government of Kerala. Archived from the original on 20 October 2010. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
- ^ a b "Kaliyattam [1998]". malayalasangeetham.info. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
- ^ Radhakrishnan, Sruthi (23 April 2018). "400 years later, Shakespeare still remains relevant in Indian cinema". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ^ Hodgdon, Barbara; Worthen, William B. (2005). A Companion to Shakespeare and Performance. Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture. Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 130–131. ISBN 978-1-4051-1104-1.
- ^ "Kaliyattam". BizHat.com. Archived from the original on 10 January 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
- ^ "jayaraj". cinemaofmalayalam.net. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
- ^ Sandeep, K. M. (26 June 1997). "Monsoon moods on film". The Indian Express. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
- ^ "Thai Saheb bags national award for best film". The Indian Express. 10 May 1998. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
- ^ "Indrani Haldar, Karisma bag national awards". Rediff.com. 9 May 1998. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
- ^ "Kaliyattam (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Apple Music. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- ^ "Audio CD Cover". Mossymart. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
External links
edit- Kaliyattam at IMDb