''Veettilekkulla Vazhi'' () is a 2010 Indian

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 2 ...

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

written and directed by Dr. Biju. The film is about terrorist organizations operating in India and how they recruit young Keralites. It stars Prithviraj, Indrajith and Master Govardhan in main lead roles. The film's world premiere took place at the 12th

Mumbai Film Festival The Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) is a public trust that organises the annual international film festival in Mumbai famously known as the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. Actor, producer and author Priyanka Chopra Jonas is the Chairperson ...

on 22 October 2010 as the opening film in the Indian Frames section. It was an official selection for 28 international film festivals. It won the award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam at the

58th National Film Awards The 58th National Film Awards, presented by Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India to felicitate the best of Indian Cinema for the year 2010. The selection process started by ...

and the

NETPAC Award The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) is a worldwide organization of 29 member countries. It was created as the result of a conference on Asian cinema organized by Cinemaya, the Asian Film Quarterly, in New Delhi in 1990 at the inst ...

. It also received accolades at the

Zanzibar International Film Festival The Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), also known as Festival of the Dhow Countries, is an annual film festival held in Zanzibar, Tanzania and one of the largest cultural events in East Africa. ZIFF is a non-governmental organization est ...

and Imagine India Film Festival, Spain. The film released in theatres in Kerala on 5 August 2011.

Plot

The film's story revolves around a doctor ( Prithviraj) with a haunting past. He witnessed his wife (Malavika) and five-year-old son die in an explosion at a market in

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...

. Now working at a prison hospital, the doctor is assigned the case of a woman in critical condition, a surviving member from a suicide squad of the ‘Indian Jihadi’, a notorious terrorist group. Despite the doctor's best efforts, the woman dies. But before dying, she entrusts him to find her five-year-old son and unite him with his father. The father is revealed to be Abdul Zuban Tariq, head of the terrorist group. Finding the boy in

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

, the doctor and child set out on a journey to find his father. The journey follows the contemporary and mysterious path of the terrorist network in the vast country through various Indian states and with many unexpected incidents. ''Veettilekkulla Vazhi'' is an adventure drama highlighting human relationships. It emphasizes the path of love, survival, innocence and humanity, exploring a bloodstained facet of contemporary terrorism in India. The film is a travelogue through the most beautiful landscapes of India.

Cast

* Prithviraj as Doctor *Master Govardhan as Kid *Malavika Sharma as Wife of doctor * Indrajith as Rassaq, a Tamil Terrorist * Irshad as Abdulla *

Vinay Forrt Vinay Kumar, professionally credited as Vinay Forrt is an Indian film and stage actor. He hails from Fort Kochi, Kerala and is a theatre activist with more than a decade's worth of experience in the theatrical field as well as a postgraduate in ...

as Terrorist Leader in Ajmeer *S.Saji as Malayali Terrorist *Melwyn as Sardarji Truck Driver *Kiran Raj as Najeem * Assim Jamal as Terrorist Leader at Kashmir *Lakshmipriya as Rashida as Kid's mother *

Dhanya Mary Varghese Dhanya Mary Varghese is an Indian actress known for her work in the Malayalam cinema and television. She has appeared in over 20 films, the majority of which were in Malayalam. Aside from movies, she has appeared in a number of television show ...

as Teacher

Production

''Veettilekkulla Vazhi'' is the third directorial venture of Dr. Biju whose previous films are '' Saira'' and ''Raman''. ''Veettilekkulla Vazhi'' is an adventure drama that wants to explore the bloodstained facets of present-day terrorism. Produced by B. C. Joshi under the banner of Soorya Cinema, the film was mainly shot from

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu ...

, Kashmir,

Jaisalmer Jaisalmer , nicknamed "The Golden city", is a city in the Indian state of Rajasthan, located west of the state capital Jaipur. The town stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone and is crowned by the ancient Jaisalmer Fort. This fort contains a ...

Jodhpur Jodhpur (; ) is the second-largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan and officially the second metropolitan city of the state. It was formerly the seat of the princely state of Jodhpur State. Jodhpur was historically the capital of the ...

, Bikkneer,

Ajmer Ajmer is one of the major and oldest cities in the Indian state of Rajasthan and the centre of the eponymous Ajmer District. It is located at the centre of Rajasthan. It is also known as heart of Rajasthan. The city was established as "' ...

, Pushkarand,

and

Festival screenings

The film was screened at 28 international film festivals including: * 12th Mumbai Film Festival (Mumbai, India; 2010) as the opening film in the Indian Frames section. * 34th

Cairo International Film Festival The Cairo International Film Festival ( ar, مهرجان القاهرة السينمائي الدولي) is an annual internationally accredited film festival held in Cairo Opera House. It was established in 1976 and has taken place every year si ...

(Egypt; 2010) in the Out of Competition section. * 15th

International Film Festival of Kerala The International Film Festival of Kerala (abbreviated as IFFK) is a film festival held annually in Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. This film festival started in 1996 and is hosted by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy ...

(Trivandrum, India; 2010) * 3rd Jaipur International Film Festival (Jaipur, India; 2011) * 5th

Chennai International Film Festival The Chennai International Film Festival (CIFF) is a festival organised in the city of Chennai, India, by a film society, the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation (ICAF), with the support of The Government of Tamil Nadu, the South Indian Film Ch ...

(Chennai, India; 2011) * 10th Imagine India International Film Festival (Madrid, Spain; 2011) in competition section. * 11th New York Indian Film Festival (New York, USA; 2011) in competition section * Zanzibar International Film Festival (Zanzibar, Tanzania; 2011) * London Indian Film Festival (London, UK; 2011) * Bollywood and Beyond Film Festival (Germany; 2011) * 38th Telluride Film Festival (Telluride, USA; 2011) * New Generation Film Festival (Frankfurt, Germany; 2011) * Third Eye Asian Film Festival (Mumbai, India; 2011) * Seattle Film Festival (Seattle, USA; 2011)

Accolades

References

External links

* *
Film Review by Daniel Nelson in OneWorld

Film Review by Gautaman Bhaskaran in ''The Hindustan Times''

Film Review by Sanjith Sidhardhan in ''The Times of India''

{{National Film Award Best Feature Film Malayalam 2010s Malayalam-language films Films about terrorism in India Films directed by Dr. Biju Films shot in Ladakh Films shot in Kerala Best Malayalam Feature Film National Film Award winners Indian drama films 2010 drama films 2010 films Films about jihadism