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Pazhassi Raja film profile


Directed by : T. Hariharan
Produced by : Gokulam Gopalan
Written by : M. T. Vasudevan Nair
Narrated by :
  • Mohanlal (Malayalam)
  • Kamal Haasan (Tamil)
  • Shahrukh Khan (Hindi)
  • Chiranjeevi (Telugu)
Starring :
  • Mammootty
  • Sharath Kumar
  • Padmapriya
  • Kanika Subramaniam
  • Manoj K. Jayan
  • Thilakan
  • Jagathi Sreekumar
  • Suresh Krishna
  • Suman
  • Linda Arsenio
Music by : Ilaiyaraaja
Cinematography : Venu ,Ramanath Shetty
Editing by : A. Sreekar Prasad
Release date(s) : 16 October 2009
Running time:200 min.
Country : India
Language : Malayalam
Budget : INR 27 crores

Pazhassi Raja (Theatrical release name in Kerala: Keralavarma Pazhassiraja) is a Indian multilingual biopic magnum opus film directed by T. Hariharan, and written by M.T. Vasudevan Nair. It stars Mammootty in the titular role, and R. Sarathkumar, Thilakan, Kanika Subramaniam, Padmapriya, Manoj K. Jayan, Peter Handley Evans, Harry Key, Linda Arsenio, and Jagathi Sreekumar in other major roles. The film's score and soundtrack are done by Illayaraja. A part of the score was produced at the Hungarian National Philharmonic (Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra), Budapest.The sound designing is done by Academy Award winner Resul Pookutty. Originally filmed in the Malayalam language, the film is dubbed in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. The film released on 16 October 2009 across Kerala with a record 130 prints.
Plot
The film chronicles the life and times of Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, and his guerilla warfare against the British East India Company army.
Cast
  • Mammootty as Kerala Varma Pazhassiraja",belonging to the Kottayam Royal Family
  • Sarathkumar as Edachena Kunkan Nair in North[Malabar],[Kerala],[India]
  • Kanika Subramaniam as Kaitheri Makkam, Pazhassi raja's wife.
  • Linda Arsenio as Dora, fiancée of Assistant Collector Baber.
  • Manoj K. Jayan as Thalakkal Chandu, a Kurichya soldier and an expert in guerrilla warfare.
  • Padmapriya Janakiraman as Neeli, Thalakkal Chandu's fiancée and the leader of women Kurichya soldiers.
  • Suman as Pazhayamveedan Chandhu
  • Thilakan as Kurumbranaadu Raja Veeravarma
  • Jagathy Sreekumar as Kanara Menon
  • Nedumudi Venu as Moopan
  • Suresh Krishna as Kaitheri Ambu
  • Devan as Kannavathu Nambiar
  • Lalu Alex as Emman Nair
  • Captain Raju as Unni Mootha
  • Jagadeesh as Bhandari
  • Peter Handley Evans as Major James Gordon
  • Harry Key as Assistant Collector Thomas Hervey Baber
  • Mamukkoya as Athan Gurukkal
  • Murali Mohan as Chirakkal Raja
  • Ajay Rathnam as Subeidhar Cheran
  • Susheel Kumar as Sekaran Warrier
  • Urmila Unni as Chirakkal Thamburatty
  • Valsala Menon as Kaitheri Thamburatty
  • Yamini as Unniamma
  • Ross as Colonel Bowls
  • Tommy as Governor Duncan
  • Robin Pratt as Lieutenant Maxwell
  • Simon Hewitt as Captain Dickinson
  • Gary Richardson as Major Clapham
  • Glen as Major Murray
  • Brandon as Major Stephen
Soundtrack Track list
All lyrics written by O. N. V. Kurup, Gireesh Puthanchery & Kanesh Punoor, all music composed by Ilaiyaraaja.
# Title Artist(s) Length
1. "Mathangananamabjavasa" K. J. Yesudas
2. "Kunnathe Konnaykum" K. S. Chithra
3. "Aadiushassandhya Poothathivide" K. J. Yesudas, M. G. Sreekumar
4. "Ambum Kombum Komban Kattum" Ilaiyaraaja, Manjari, Kuttappan
5. "Odathandil Thalam Kottum Kattil" Chandra Sekharan, Sangeetha
6. "Aalamadankala Mythavanalle" M. G. Sreekumar, Vidhu Prathap,safwan, Krishnan Unni, Ashraf, Edavanna Gafoor, Faisal
Production & Development
Businessman Gokulam Gopalan is the producer of Pazhashi Raja. The total budget of the movie is about INR 27 crores ,which makes it thebiggest historical movie ever produced in the South Indian film industry[citation needed] and the highest budget Malayalam movie. Theentire movie was filmed in Panavision. No computer graphics were used in the stunt scenes of the movie. The movie also includes extremewar scenes. The sounds in the war scenes of the movie were recreated under Academy Award award winner [Resul Pookutty]as he was joinedin the project only after its completion. Babu Pisharady and Unni Narayanan have worked as Associate Directors of the film. Babu Namboothiri, Baby Panickar, Praveen Chandran Moodadi, Hareesh Kottoor, Sarjulan Ramakanth, Anand Kishore and Sajir are the Assistant Directors of Pazhassi Raja.
Casting
Mammootty plays the titular role of Pazhassi Raja. There are three heroines with Padma Priya appearing as an Adivasi girl, Kanika as his wife and Linda Arsenio as an English woman. Linda is a theatre artist in New York, who has also acted in the film Kabul Express.
Kanika who plays the role of Kaitheri Makam. To convince the director Hariharan that the role of a queen will suit her, Kanika showed him her role in the Tamil film, Varalaru: History of Godfather, in which she was dressed up as a queen in a song sequence. A week later she was offered the role.[10]
Through this film, Sarath Kumar makes his debut in Malayalam cinema. He portrays Edachena Kunkan, the chief lieutenant to Pazhashi Raja. Suman plays a negative role Pazhaiveetan Chandu.
Release
The film released on October 16 with 560 prints out of which 125 were in the original Malayalam version, 100 in Tamil, 100 in Telugu, 110 in Hindi, and another 125 in Hindi with English subtitles for overseas release.
Reception
The movie opened to widespread acclaim and positive reviews. It is dubbed as a critical and commercial success.[citation needed] The movie garnered Rs. 1.53 crores initial on the opening day itself from theatres in Kerala alone, which is a record.
Critical Response
Nowrunning comments that the film is an 'exotic chronicle that stuns us with its fascinating tale', and that this is the stuff that tours de force are made of.aresh C Palicha of Rediff gave the movie three and a half stars, praising the technical brilliance of the movie and the script. Sify gave the movie two thumbs up, terming it as a movie 'that will be treasured for years to come'.
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