''Umma'' ( en, Mother) is a 1960

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam wa ...

social drama film directed and produced by Kunchacko. It was the first directorial venture of Kunchacko. Its screenplay is written by Vimal while the dialogues are by P. K. Sarangapani, who was on his debut. The film is based on the novel of the same name by

Moidu Padiyath Moidu Padiyath or Moithu Padiyathu was an Indian novelist, screenplay writer, and director in Mollywood. Early life He was born in Eriyad, near Kodungallur town, Trichur district, Kerala. Career He narrated stories from his own family h ...

. It was the first Muslim social film in Malayalam. The story of the film revolves around marital evils that prevailed in the Muslim community, particularly in the

Malabar region The Malabar Coast is the southwestern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing ...

. The film was a box office success and gained critical praise. The famous song "Kadalivaazhakayyilirunnu" is from this film.

Plot

Polygamy Crimes Polygamy (from Late Greek (') "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, sociologists call this polygyny. When a woman is marr ...

is the theme of the film. An illiterate rich landlord Aboobacker Haji married three times and divorced all the three wives. His next aim is to get married again which according to traditions will be his last marriage. He marries Ibrahim Kakka's daughter Ayisha. Ayisha gives birth to a daughter and a maid servant named Khadeeja is appointed to take care of the child. Haji eventually develops a desire to marry Khadeeja. Though this was against custom, nobody was dare to question him. Haji divorces Ayisha, who seeks refuge in Ibrahim Kakka's house. She sends her daughter Zainaba to school ignoring protests from the community. Zainaba falls in love with her classmate Hameed. When Haji learns of this affair, he tries to take his daughter with him, which is opposed by Ayisha and Ibrahim Kakka. They decide to conduct the marriage of Zainaba with Hameed. The marriage did not take place as Haji interrupted. Haji takes Zainaba to his house where she faces tortures from her stepmother Khadeeja. Meanwhile, Ibrahim Kakka dies. Haji arranges Zainaba's marriage with a rich jewellery shop owner. Haji's mother Pathumma comes to the help of her granddaughter. She pleads with the Haji to change his decision. At this moment in time Haji learns of Khadeeja's cruel tricks. His heart melts and he withdraws from his decision. In the end, Zainaba marries Hameed.

Cast

Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair (16 October 191611 March 1997) was an Indian poet, playwright, script writer, lyricist, orator, film director and actor, though he is best known as an actor in Malayalam cinema. He is the recipient of Padma Shri ...

as Abobacker Haji *

B. S. Saroja B. S. Saroja (born 18 November 1929) is an Indian actress in Malayalam and Tamil films. She is the daughter of Johnson, who acted in the first Malayalam film, Vigathakumaran. She acted with MGR and Sivaji in their only movie together, Koondukk ...

as Ayisha * Rajakumari as Zainaba *

K. P. Ummer Kachinamthoduka Puthiyapurayil Ummer known as K. P. Ummer (Malayalam: കെ.പി. ഉമ്മർ) was an Indian actor from Thekkepuram quarter of Kozhikode, Kerala, India. He was active in the Malayalam cinema from early sixties until late ...

as Hameed * K. Sadanandan as Ibrahim Kakka * Kanchana as Khadeeja *

S. P. Pillai S. P. Pillai (28 November 1913 – 12 June 1985) was an Indian film and stage actor, best known for his comic roles in Malayalam films. Biography S. Pankajakshan Pillai alias S. P. Pillai was born in 1913 in the temple town of Ettumanoor in ...

as Vattathil Kurup, the crooked manager of Haji * L. Ponnamma as Pathumma, Haji's mother * Bahadur * S. J. Dev * Rajamma * Nirmala Devi * Changanasseri Thankam * T. V. Mathew * Krishnakumari * Pushpam * Alex * P. B. Pillai

Soundtrack

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=156149, title=Umma 1964 drama films 1964 films 1960s Malayalam-language films 1960 directorial debut films 1960 films Films directed by Kunchacko Indian drama films 1960 drama films