''Jalamarmaram'' () is a 1999 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 ...

-language drama film directed by T. K. Rajeev Kumar and co-written with B. Unnikrishnan. The cast includes

P. Balachandran Padmanabhan Balachandran Nair (2 February 1952 – 5 April 2021) was an Indian writer, playwright, scenarist, director, and actor. He was known for his work in Malayalam literature and Malayalam cinema. Career Balachandran is best known fo ...

and Aswin Thampy in the lead roles.

Cast

* Aswin Thampy *

* Gayathri Ashokan * Anila Sreekumar * V. C. Haris

Production

The film's theme deals with the pollution of Mavoor river due to the waste disposed from Mavoor Rayons Factory and the repercussions in surrounding lives. The story is told from the perception of a boy, who is obsessed with mermaids. The film's production was completed with a cost of 8

lakh A lakh (; abbreviated L; sometimes written lac) is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000; scientific notation: 105). In the Indian 2, 2, 3 convention of digit grouping, it is written as 1,00,000. F ...

Synopsis

Jalamarmaram is the story of Nirmal, a young boy whose father – a long time campaigner against a large chemical factory near their village - dies of cancer. Nirmal investigates the cause of the cancer and tracks it back to the toxic waste being expelled by the factory. Nirmal turns to the fables that his father told him for comfort and guidance and soon the world of childhood fantasy bleeds into reality when he meets a mermaid at a traveling carnival who helps him on his quest.

Accolades

The film won two

National Film Awards The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...

and three

Kerala State Film Awards The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Cha ...

. After winning the national award, Kumar commented: "the awards are an incentive for my effort to set up a welfare fund for the people of Mavoor, whose plight my film depicts". ;

47th National Film Awards The 47th 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 released in the year 1999. Ceremony took place on 18 ...

* Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation – Radhika Suresh Gopi, Latha Kurian Rajeev, T. K. Rajeev Kumar * Best Child Artist – Aswin Thampy ;

* Second Best Film – Radhika Suresh Gopi, Latha Kurian Rajeev, T. K. Rajeev Kumar * Best Screenplay – B. Unnikrishnan, T. K. Rajeev Kumar * Best Editor – A. Sreekar Prasad

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, 12423182 1999 films 1990s Malayalam-language films Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation National Film Award winners Films about social issues in India Films directed by T. K. Rajeev Kumar Films featuring a Best Child Artist National Award–winning performance