41-477: Chamaram is a 1980 Malayalam film written by John Paul Puthusery and directed by Bharathan , starring Nedumudi Venu , Zarina Wahab , Prathap Pothan and Ratheesh . The story is about the tumultuous affair between a student and his college lecturer, an uncommon type of love story in Indian Cinema . This film has the evergreen song "Nadha Nee Varum Kalocha Kelkkuvan", sung by S. Janaki. Chamaram considered one of
82-455: A B.Sc. in chemistry (1963). Subsequently, he learned Sanskrit from the scholar Cheppad Achyutha Warrier at Muthukulam. He then joined All India Radio , Trichur (1965), starting as a programme announcer, and later settled at Poojappura , Thiruvananthapuram (1968); he would remain at All India Radio until 1986 when his involvement in films prompted him to retire voluntarily.Padmarajan began his literary career during his stay at Thrissur and
123-598: A Wrestler ). Forbidden love and characters that strive to rise above the limitations of middle-class Malayali society of the seventies and eighties is a recurring theme in many of his works. Many of his films bear the mark of his romanticism. Padmarajan's wife Radhalakshmi is from Chittur in Palakkad . Radhalakshmi was his colleague at AIR before their marriage in 1970. Radhalakshmi has written her reminiscences about him in her book Padmarajan Entaey Gandharvan ( Padmarajan, my celestial lover ). Their son, P. Ananthapadmanabhan,
164-1211: A fine balance. The term "Parallel film" is usually used to describe Padmarajan's style of film making. Along with Bharathan, he displayed mastery in handling sexuality on the screen, hitherto less known in Malayalam cinema. He was quite adept in spotting talent, and introduced many fresh faces who would later make their mark in Indian cinema, including Jayaram ( Aparan ), Ashokan ( Peruvazhiyambalam ), Rasheed ( Oridathoru Phayalvaan ), Rahman ( Koodevide ), Ramachandran ( Novemberinte Nashtam ), Ajayan ( Moonnam Pakkam ). Also artists like Nitish Bharadwaj ( Njan Gandharvan ), Suhasini ( Koodevide ); Shari ( Namukku Parkkan Munthirithoppukal ) were introduced to Malayalam screen by him. He coaxed sparkling and inspired performances from many actors, such as Bharath Gopi , Mammootty , Mohanlal , Jayaram , Shobana , Sumalatha , Karamana Janardanan Nair , Rahman , Jagathy Sreekumar , Suresh Gopi , Thilakan , Nedumudi Venu and Ashokan ; indeed, Thilakan's rendition in Moonnam Pakkam
205-499: A former child actress, and Sidharth Bharathan , a film actor and director. Padmarajan Padmarajan Padmanabhan Pillai , better known as P. Padmarajan (23 May 1945 – 24 January 1991) was an Indian film maker , screenwriter and author who was known for his works in Malayalam literature and Malayalam cinema . He was the founder of a new school of film making in Malayalam cinema, along with Bharathan and K. G. George , in
246-506: A private hospital in Chennai on 30 July 1998 at the age of 52 following prolonged illness. His last film was Churam , which released a year before his death. His mortal remains were brought back to his ancestral home at Wadakkancherry and cremated with full state honours. Bharathan was married to theatre and film actress K. P. A. C. Lalitha with whom he associated in a lot of films before and after marriage. They had two children - Sreekutty,
287-660: A scriptwriter is considered to have produced remarkable works in Malayalam cinema. His assistants who went on to direct films independently include Thoppil Ajayan ( Perumthachan ), Suresh Unnithan 's ( Jaathakam , Raadhaamaadhavam ), and Blessy 's ( Kaazhcha , Thanmaathra , the latter adapted from Padmarajan's short story Orma . Padmarajan is celebrated for his unparalleled attention to detail in his screenplays. Most of his films portrayed human relationships and emotions. Many of his films have haunting climaxes, most of them not commonly portrayed in Malayalam movies. His characters are portrayed with sensitivity and intensity on
328-476: Is a writer. They also have a daughter,Madhavikkutty. Padmarajan died suddenly at Hotel Paramount Towers in Kozhikode in the early hours of 24 January 1991. He was staying at the hotel overnight in the middle of a promotional tour visiting the theatres playing his last film Njan Gandharvan . The cause of death was a massive cardiac arrest. According to his family sources, Padmarajan, who started his career as
369-443: Is about the sad plight of a woman who becomes alone in her life forever... The music was composed by Raveendran and M. G. Radhakrishnan and the lyrics were written by Poovachal Khader . The film was based on a novel written by Balakrishnan Mangad. However, scriptwriter John Paul said in an interview that most part of the film was based on his own college life. A popular online portal quoted his words: "The story of my first movie
410-408: Is considered one of the best performance in his career. His association with Mohanlal and Mammootty was well noted especially because their films broke the conventional concepts prevailing during that time. He also aided in establishing, to a fair degree, the fame of other directors such as Bharathan , I. V. Sasi , and Mohan , through his association with them. His collaboration with Bharathan as
451-488: Is his another classic mystery psychological thriller which also marked the acting debut of Jayaram . It won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Screenplay in 1988. Moonnam Pakkam (1988) is another classic Padmarajan movie which was critically acclaimed. His 1990 movie Innale is mainly noted for the performance of Suresh Gopi . Padmarajan's last movie Njan Gandharvan (1991) was a failure at box office. But
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#1732880323935492-482: Is widely regarded as a modern-day masterpiece in Malayalam cinema. Scripted by the iconic Malayalam novelist M. T. Vasudevan Nair , it was an adaptation of a sub-story told in the epic Mahabharata . Another movie born from their association was Thazhvaram . The subject was revenge, a theme quite uncharacteristic of Bharathan movies. The style was inspired by classic Westerns with a brooding, reticent central character and expansive shots of barren landscape. Another movie
533-698: The National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam and was included in IBN Live's list of 100 greatest Indian films of all time. His next directed Oridathoru Phayalvaan ( There Lived a Wrestler ) in 1981. Padmarajan also did the editing of this movie. It won the award for best script at the Kuala Lumpur International Film Festival and a gold medal at the Asian Film Festival . In 1982 he directed Novemberinte Nashtam which
574-412: The "star-centric" culture prevalent in Indian cinema throughout his career. His later films did involve major movie stars, but usually without compromising on plot or narrative. Bharathan, along with Padmarajan and K. G. George , were largely responsible for introducing a counterculture of meaningful mainstream cinema, which often tread the middle path between arthouse and commercial cinema. This movement
615-514: The 1980s, which created films that were widely received while also being critically acclaimed. A train of directors, and screenwriters followed this school onto the 1990s including Sibi Malayil , Kamal , Lohithadas and Jayaraj . He was born at Enkakkad near Wadakkancherry , in present-day Thrissur district of Kerala , India. After completing his diploma from the College of Fine Arts, Thrissur , Bharathan entered films as an art director through
656-814: The 1980s. Padmarajan was known for his detailed screenwriting and expressive direction style and made some of the landmark motion pictures in Malayalam cinema. He won the Kerala Sahithya Academy Award in 1972 for his novel Nakshathrangale Kaval . He made his directorial debut in 1979 with Peruvazhiyambalam which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam . He won his second National Award in 1986 with Thinkalaazhcha Nalla Divasam . Padmarajan had won six Kerala State Film Awards which includes two awards for Best Story in 1978, 1979 and two awards for Best Screenplay in 1984 and 1986. He has written screenplay for thirty seven movies among which eighteen he directed. The screenplay for all
697-426: The Malayalam film Gandharavakshetram (1972), directed by A. Vincent , which also happened to be one of the first films where actor Thilakan played a noticeable role. He was inspired by his uncle P. N. Menon , an established director. After working as an art director and assistant director in a few films, he made his directorial debut in 1975 with Prayanam , which was based on Padmarajan 's script. It also marked
738-411: The best in Malayalam literature . In his films and stories, Padmarajan created characters that were complex, multidimensional, and deeply human. Padmarajan's works were often inspired by real-life people and situations he witnessed, such as the tragic tale of a woman who committed suicide after being abandoned by her lover, which served as the basis for his film "Thakara." He often drew inspiration from
779-493: The expense of the quality of thematic content. Films like Vaishali and Amaram (where he collaborated with acclaimed cinematographer Madhu Ambat) set a new benchmark for cinematographic excellence in Malayalam and Indian Cinema. Thaazhvaaram was stylistically inspired by classic Hollywood Westerns, though the theme and backdrop were distinctly original. His last few films ( Manjeeradhwani , Devaraagam , and Churam ) were received moderately by critics. Bharatan died at
820-412: The film later developed a cult following because of its aesthetics and storytelling. Within a week of its release, Padmarajan died at a hotel in Kozhikode . In total Padmarajan has written screenplay for 37 films among 18 of which he directed. Together with Bharathan and K. G. George , he successfully laid the foundation for a school of Malayalam cinema that strove to tread a middle ground by striking
861-662: The friendships and experiences he gained during the period influenced his works thereafter. After his move to Thiruvananthapuram, his reputation as a writer and participation among the literary circles in the capital flourished.It was during this early days that he appeared in a short cameo in the movie Kallichellamma which released in 1969.This is his only appearance in film as an actor. Padmarajan's stories mainly deal with deceit , murder , romance , mystery , passion , jealousy , libertinism , anarchism , individualism , social structure , human psychology and life of peripheral elements of society. Some of them are considered among
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#1732880323935902-414: The landmark movies in Malayalam film history. The film broke all conventional concepts and moral equations in love. The film become a trend in 1980s campus as well as youth. Chamaram is one of the evergreen campus movies in Malayalam cinema. C.M.S. College was the location of Chamaram . Vinod. a student in the college falls in love with his lecturer Indhu, played by Zarina Wahab. The story revolves around
943-452: The lead role, Padmarajan directed some of the cult classic movies in Malayalam such as Namukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal (1986), Arappatta Kettiya Gramathil (1986) , Kariyilakkattu Pole (1986), Thoovanathumbikal (1987) and Season (1989). Thoovanathumbikal was ranked eighth by IBN Live in its list of greatest Indian films of all time and is considered one of the best romantic movies ever made in Malayalam. Aparan (1988)
984-676: The movies he directed were written by Padmarajan himself. Njan Gandharvan was his last movie and within a week of its release, he died at Kozhikode due to sudden cardiac arrest. Padmarajan was born on 23 May 1945 in Muthukulam near Haripad in Alappuzha , which was then under the princely state of Travancore . He was the sixth son of Thundathil Anantha Padmanabha Pillai and Njavarakkal Devaki Amma. After early schooling at Muthukulam, he studied at Mahatma Gandhi College, Thiruvananthapuram and University College, Thiruvananthapuram , graduating with
1025-491: The people and situations he encountered in his daily life, such as the struggles of rural farmers or the complexities of urban relationships. The screenplay for all the movies he directed were written by Padmarajan himself. His first novel published in 1971 titled Nakshathrangale Kaaval (The Stars Alone Guard Me) won the Kerala Sahithya Academy award (1972). He entered the world of Malayalam cinema by writing
1066-555: The posters for his films. Several of his early films were known for their bold portrayal of sexual themes. His films often defied social conventions and norms about man-woman relationships. Rathinirvedam was the sexual-coming-of-age story of the relationship between a teenager and an older woman, while Chamaram dealt with the tumultuous affair between a student and his college lecturer. In Kattathe Kilikkoodu , an elderly, married professor falls for his student. Kaathodu Kaathoram
1107-537: The rise of two early proponents of middle-stream Malayalam cinema. Bharathan directed over 40 films in Malayalam and Tamil. Starting his career in 1975 with Prayanam , Bharathan rode to fame with his off-beat Thakara , a film about a dumb-witted central character who falls in love with the village beauty. Some of his other memorable films include Rathinirvedam , Chamaram , Paalangal , Amaram , and Vaishali . His association with Padmarajan led to films including Rathi Nirvedam and Thakara . Rathi Nirvedam
1148-505: The romantic relationship between the lecturer and her student. Indu has a love affair with her childhood friend Raviyettan, but due to some problems he marries another woman. It becomes a shock for Indhu. At that time, she falls in love with her student Vinod. They break all moral rules in the society. But In the climax, Indhu faces a huge tragedy again; during a college day celebration some issues occur and Vinod dies by an accident. Once again, Indhu loses her last hope of love and life. The story
1189-865: The screen. The landscape is also the major part of the Padmarajan's craft in film making. His thesis were well crafted in his films. Padmarajan’s films explore the features of the landscape naturally. Padmarajan's screenplays had such hitherto-unheard of features and subjects – such as casting rain as a character in Thoovanathumbikal ( Dragonflies in the drizzle ), homosexual love in Desatanakkili Karayarilla ( Migratory Birds Don't Cry ), unusual climax (by traditional standards) in Namukku Parkkan Munthiri Thoppukal ( Vineyards for us to dwell ) and Oridathoru Phayalvaan ( There Lived
1230-601: The screenplay for Prayanam (1975) which was Bharathan 's directorial debut and had the cinematography by Balu Mahendra . Rappadikalude Gatha (1978) was his third movie as a screenwriter which won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Story in 1978. His next work as a screenwriter was the classic erotic film Rathinirvedam (1978) which is regarded as a landmark in Indian film history . After writing screenplay for three more films, Padmarajan made his directional debut in 1979 with Peruvazhiyambalam ( The Halfway House ). It won
1271-433: The second National Award with Thinkalazhcha Nalla Divasam in 1985. Padmarajan's Kariyilakkattu Pole (1986) is considered one of the classic investigative thrillers in Malayalam. The same year he directed Arappatta Kettiya Gramathil which was a failure at box office. The plot of the movie which revolves around a brothel and the sex workers in it eventually developed a cult following. With Mohanlal and Mammootty in
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1312-625: Was Amaram , which was written by A. K. Lohithadas and starred Mammootty, which was a milestone movie of the Malayalam movie of the 1990s. Even though he was not known to cater to the star-centric system, Bharathan was instrumental in bringing together the two screen icons of Tamil cinema Sivaji Ganesan and Kamal Haasan in the Tamil film Thevar Magan , written by Kamal Haasan, which won critical acclaim and became an Industry Hit in Tamil cinema. Sivaji gave an uncharacteristically restrained yet brilliant performance. The movie won several National Awards and
1353-454: Was a treatment of teenage sexual angst. In Thakara , he deals with the life and longings of an intellectually disabled youth and his association with society. In the early 1980s, he made several notable movies like Chamaram , Marmaram , Paalangal , Ormakkayi , Kattathe Kilikkoodu , Kathodu Kathoram , and many more. They did well in theatres and set the trend for meaningful mainstream cinema. Other noted directors followed suit. It
1394-404: Was about the social ostracism of a woman who has an adulterous relationship. The latter half of Bharathan's career saw a distinct change in filmmaking style characterised by a wider canvas, more attention to detail, and a more distinct focus on narrative style (e.g., Vaishali , Amaram , Thaazhvaaram , and Thevar Magan ). Some critics argue that this quest for technical excellence was at
1435-794: Was also remade by another famous director, T. K. Rajeev Kumar, with Swetha Menon in the lead. Apart from film direction, he also wrote lyrics and tuned songs for his films. (e.g., lyrics for "Thaaram Valkannadi Nokki" in Keli and "Tharum Thalirum Mizhipootti" in Chilambu or title song for Kathodu Kathoram ). He collaborated with writer P. R. Nathan in Keli . Bharathan's films were known for their realistic portrayal of rural life in Kerala. Melodrama and escapism, often integral parts of mainstream cinema in India, were usually absent in his films. He also managed to steer clear of
1476-592: Was based on the life that I had experienced in my campus. Though the script was inspired by the novel written by Balakrishnan Mangad, a large part of the movie was based on my college life." The film was shot in CMS College Kottayam . The soundtrack has three songs ("Nadha Nee Varum Kalocha Kelkkuvan", "Kathiradum vayalil" and "Varnangal"). "Nadha Nee Varum Kalocha Kelkkuvan" and "Kathiradum vayalil" composed by M. G. Radhakrishnan and "Varnangal" composed by Raveendran , with lyrics by Poovachal Khader . "Varnangal"
1517-407: Was critically acclaimed. Padmarajan's Koodevide? (1983) won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value . In 1984, he wrote the screenplay for I. V Sasi 's Kanamarayathu , which won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Screenplay . In 1986 he directed Desatanakkili Karayarilla , which is one of the first Indian films that explored womance on screen. He won
1558-599: Was often called the "middle of the road cinema." Bharathan's films were known for their visually appealing shot compositions. His background as a painter enabled him to create frames that were often credited for their visual beauty. Natural props and nature itself often became important characters in his films (like the railway track in Palangal or the sea in Amaram ). Bharathan is one of the few Indian directors known to use an elaborate storyboard system for filming. He also often designed
1599-452: Was remade into many regional languages (most notably Virasat in Hindi). His more experimental films include Aaravam , more an arthouse than a commercial venture, and Nidra , about the plight of a woman who is in love with a mentally deranged man. His film Nidra was remade by his son, film director Sidharth Bharathan. Rathinirvedam , originally directed by Bharathan, which was a noted film,
1640-479: Was the first song of Lathika in a Bharathan film. The opening song "Nadha Nee Varum Kalocha Kelkkuvan" is one of the most melodious songs sung by S. Janaki in Malayalam cinema under Radhakrishnan. Bharathan Bharathan (14 November 1946 – 30 July 1998) was an Indian film maker , artist , and art director . Bharathan is noted for being the founder of a new school of film making in Malayalam cinema , along with Padmarajan and K. G. George , in
1681-467: Was the romantic era of Malayalam cinema. Not all of Bharathan's films skirted with bold themes and controversy. In Oru Minnaaminunginte Nurunguvettam (1987), he tells the poignant story of a childless couple in their post-retirement life. It deals with the isolation and loneliness that come with old age. The film was a departure from Bharathan's usual style and proved to be a major commercial hit while garnering critical acclaim, too. His Vaisali (1988)