''Dhwani (ധ്വനി)'' (meaning sound, melody or music) is a 1988 Malayalam-language musical romance film directed by A. T. Abu. It was the last completed film of veteran actor and evergreen hero of

Malayalam cinema Malayalam cinema, also referred to as Mollywood, is a segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to producing films in the Malayalam, Malayalam language, primarily spoken in Kerala and the Lakshadweep islands. It encompasses both th ...

Prem Nazir Prem Nazir (born Abdul Khader; 6 April 1926 – 16 January 1989) was an Indian actor known as one of Malayalam cinema's definitive leading man, leading men of his generation. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential actors in the hist ...

who died on 16 January 1989. The film has music composed by legendary

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...

composer

Naushad Naushad Ali (25 December 1919 – 5 May 2006) was an Indian composer for Hindi films. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest and foremost music directors of the Hindi film industry. He is particularly known for popularising the use of ...

. It stars Shobhana and Jayaram in the lead roles. Suresh Gopi also makes an appearance in the movie. Noted writer Vaikom Muhammad Basheer makes a special appearance as the visitor at the hospital. The film was a huge hit due to several factors like the excellent performances by the cast and the rousing music scored by veteran composer Naushad, his first and only score for a Malayalam film.Renuka Narayanan. (9 April 2011)
"The song of songs for this Tuesday"
''

The Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter of K. K. Birla. ...

''. Retrieved 28 April 2011.

Plot

Ongallur Sadasivan, a Kerala minister, is alleged to be involved in a scam related to the construction of a dam. A Judicial Commission, headed by an honest judge, Justice Rajeshekharan Nair, is investigating into the scam. Vettukuzhi, a corrupt political kingmaker, tries to save Sadasivan and the reputation of his party. Dr. Dinesh, son of Sadasivan, does not appreciate his father's illicit friendship with Vettukuzhi. Dr. Dinesh's and his lover Sunitha's marriage gets called off due to the allegations faced by his father. With things getting tense, Vettukuzhi tries to bribe Rajasekharan, but fails. In his attempt to complete his new novel, Shabari, a young and noted writer, has a temporary residence at the local government guest house. With the arrival of the Commission, Shabari is forced to vacate his room for Justice Nair and family, which consists of wife Malathi and daughter Devi, who is also an amateur dancer. Shabari and Devi fall in love via mutual admiration for their artistic skills, without personally getting to know each other. Rajasekharan and Malathi are happy about this union. When Shabari proposes to Devi, she remains silent, and only then he realizes that she lacks the ability to speak. Though devastated, he informs his parents about the situation, and his family staunchly opposes his proposal. Justice Rajasekharan tries to convince Shabari's father, who is also his childhood friend, though he fails to influence the family's decision. Eventually, the Commission submits its report about the dam scam, which results in the resignation of Minister Sadasivan. Devi's family remains heartbroken over her fate, while preparing to leave the Guest House. The very next morning, Shabari's family arrives and convinces Rajasekharan of their consent to accept Devi, who has now gone missing. In a frantic search, Shabari finally finds a weary Devi sitting by the river side. Thus, the duo is united, ending the film on a happy note.

Cast

as Justice Rajasekharan Nair *

Jayabharathi Jayabharathi (born 28 June 1954 as Lekshmi Bharathi) is an Indian actress and two-time recipient of the Kerala State Film Award, Kerala State Film Award for Best Actress and National Film Award – Special Mention (feature film), Nationa ...

as Malathi, Rajasekharan's Wife * Shobhana as Devi, Rajasekharan's Daughter * Jayaram as Shabari * Suresh Gopi as Dr. Dinesh, Minister Ongallur Sadasivan's Son(cameo) * Rohini as Sunitha *

Thilakan Palappurathu Keshavan Surendranatha Thilakan (15 July 1935 – 24 September 2012) was an Indian film and stage actor who appeared in over 200 Malayalam films. Thilakan was known for his elaborate method acting, realistic and spontaneous appeara ...

as Vettukuzhy, A Politician and Minister Ongalloor Sadasivan's Friend *

Sukumari Sukumari Amma (6 October 1940 – 26 March 2013) was an Indian actress best known for her works in Malayalam and Tamil films. In a career spanning more than five decades, She has appeared in more than 2500 films predominantly in Malayalam, T ...

as Thankamani, Shabari's Mother *

Nedumudi Venu Kesavan Venugopal (22 May 1948 – 11 October 2021), better known by his stage name Nedumudi Venu, was an Indian actor and screenwriter from Kerala, who predominantly worked in Malayalam cinema. He acted in more than 500 films, primarily in M ...

as Shekharan, Shabari's Family Friend * Karamana Janardanan Nair as Kuttisankaran, Shabari's Father * Innocent as Rappayi, Aide at the Guest House * Jagathi Sreekumar as Manikanta Pillai, Manager at the Guest House * Oduvil Unnikrishnan as Kurup, Marriage Broker * Mamukkoya as Mamu * K. P. Ummer as Minister Ongalloor Sadasivan, Dinesh's Father *

Sabitha Anand Sabitha Anand is an Indian actress who has performed in Tamil and Malayalam movies and serials. She was one of the lead actresses in the 1980s. She is the daughter of J. A. R. Anand, an Indian actor in Malayalam movies during the 1960s and 70 ...

as Kanakam * Balan K. Nair as Bahuleyan * K. P. A. C. Sunny as Police Officer * V. K. Sreeraman as Thampi, Sunitha's Father * Vaikom Muhammad Basheer as Visitor at the Hospital (Special Appearance) * James

Soundtrack

The score and the songs for the film are composed by renowned musician

. This soundtrack remains as his only work for a Malayalam film. The lyrics are written by poet Yusuf Ali Kechery in Malayalam and Sanskrit. The soundtrack is highly regarded as one of the all-time best in Malayalam film music.

Awards

* Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor –

References

External links

* {{Basheer 1988 films 1980s Malayalam-language films 1988 romantic drama films Indian romantic drama films Films shot in Palakkad Films shot in Ottapalam Films shot in Kozhikode Films directed by A. T. Abu