| Kaliyattam | |
|---|---|
 VCD cover | |
| Directed by | Jayaraj |
| Written by | Balram Mattannur |
| Based on | William Shakespeare'sOthello |
| 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 |
Kaliyattam (English:The Play of God) is a1997 IndianMalayalam-languagetragedy film directed byJayaraj. It starsSuresh Gopi,Lal (in his acting debut),Biju Menon andManju Warrier.[1][2] The film is anadaptation ofWilliam Shakespeare's playOthello,[3] set against the backdrop of theTheyyam performance ofKerala.[4][5][6][7] The film's screenplay is written by Balram Mattannur. Suresh Gopi plays Kannan Perumalayan, the equivalent toOthello,Lal plays Paniyan, the equivalent toIago,Manju Warrier plays Thamara, theDesdemona version, andBiju 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.
In 1998, Suresh Gopi received theNational Film Award forBest Actor andKerala State Film Award forBest Actor for his critically acclaimed performance. Jayaraj won the award forBest Director for his work on the film. The film was a critical and commercial success.[8][9]
This is an adaptation ofShakespeare'sOthello, revolving around Kannan Perumalayan, aTheyyam artist who corresponds toOthello, 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'sfidelity 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 Theyyamritual fire.
| Kaliyattam | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 22 August 1997 (1997-08-22)[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 byKaithapram 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 |
