| Vadakkunokkiyantram | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Sreenivasan |
| Written by | Sreenivasan |
| Produced by | Toffy Kannara T. C. Mony |
| Starring | Sreenivasan Parvathy |
| Cinematography | Venu |
| Edited by | N. Gopalakrishnan |
| Music by | Johnson |
Production company | Kavyakala Film Unit |
| Distributed by | K.R.G. Enterprises |
Release date |
|
Running time | 120 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
Vadakkunokkiyantram (transl. Compass) is a 1989 IndianMalayalam-languageblack comedy film written and directed bySreenivasan, who also stars in the film along withParvathy. The film is about the marital discord caused by a husband'sOthello syndrome. The film won threeKerala State Film Awards, includingBest Film. It was dubbed inTelugu asSandeham and remade inTamil asDindigul Sarathy, inKannada asNanjangudu Nanjunda and inHindi asMain, Meri Patni Aur Woh.[1]
Thalathil Dineshan oversees a printing press. He struggles with insecurity due to his short stature and dark complexion. Following his marriage to Shobha, his life starts to spiral out of control. His wife is incredibly attractive and taller than he is, which just to his insecurities. He overprotects his wife at first, which deteriorates his connection with his brother Prakashan. He perceives his brother's charm and humor as a challenge, which finally causes a family quarrel to break out.
Dineshan gradually employs strategies that, in his opinion, will help him win Shobha's respect and adoration. Thalakulam Sir, whom he sees as a new confidant, offers him juvenile advice on how to impress Shobha. He starts drinking because he sees it as a macho gesture. To make himself seem amusing, he memorizes jokes from a weekly magazine and repeats them to his wife. But all of his endeavors are futile, and he makes a fool of himself.
Shobha, a model wife, is wholly loyal to her husband and finds Dineshan's odd conduct perplexing. He has paranoid thoughts and begins to doubt whether his wife is faithful to him. He threatens the brother of Shobha's friend, whom he thinks is having an affair with her. As soon as Shobha discovers everything, events spiral out of his control. After a few events caused by acute paranoia, he is sedated in a psychiatric hospital.
He seemed to have altered after a brief course of treatment. By promising her love and care, Dineshan is able to bring Shobha back to her house. Now that everything appears to be going well for them and while his wife is sleeping soundly, he begins to scan his backyard in the middle of the night for Shobha's stalker.
The film was a critical as well as commercial success at the box office.
Vadakkunokkiyantram deals with the themes ofinsecurity,paranoia andinferiority complex approached in a both poignant and comedic manner.[citation needed] Some of the awkward and unfunny jokes used by Dineshan for impressing his wife have become infamous as well as thephotograph scene. The character names of Nivin Pauly and Nayanthara inLove Action Drama (2019) was based on this film.[2]
