Thalappavu
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''Thalappavu'' (literal meaning: turban or headgear, which is a symbol of power, status and protection) is a 2008
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 period
thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...
based on the events related to Naxal Varghese and Police Constable P. Ramachandran Nair, directed by
Madhupal Madhupal Kannambathu is an Indian actor, director, and screenwriter who works in Malayalam cinema. Madhupal made his acting debut with '' Kashmeeram'' in 1994 and his directorial debut with '' Thalappavu'' (2008), which was about Arikkad Varghe ...
and written by Babu Janardhanan. The film sympathetically portrays the social and political issues of the
Naxalite Naxalism is the communist ideology of the Naxalites or Naxals, a grouping of political and insurgent groups from India. It is influenced by Maoist political sentiment and ideology. Inspired by Maoism, Charu Majumdar wrote the Historic Eight ...
era of the 1970s in
Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, 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 ...
. The film's cast includes
Prithviraj Sukumaran Prithviraj Sukumaran (Help:IPA/Malayalam, /pr̩t̪ʰʋiɾaːd͡ʒ/; born 16 October 1982) is an Indian actor, producer, director, and playback singer who primarily works in Malayalam cinema, in addition to Tamil cinema, Tamil, Bollywood, Hin ...
, Lal and Atul Kulkarni. Produced by actor Mohan under the Civic Cinema banner and distributed by Lal's Lal Release, ''Thalappavu'' marks actor-cum-writer Madhupal's directorial debut. The film released on 12 September 2008 (
Onam Onam () is an annual harvest and Hindus, Hindu cultural festival celebrated mostly by the people of Kerala. A major annual event for Malayalis, Keralites, it is the official festival of the state and includes a spectrum of cultural events. H ...
) to critical acclaim. However, in the box-office it failed to recover the cost of production. The film got
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 ...
for Best Actor (Lal) and Best Debut Director (Madhupal), Kerala Film Critics Awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Script writer, Amateur Little Theatre Award for Best Debutant Director, Sohan Antony Memorial Film Award for Best Director. The film was screened at the 13th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) 2008 and Indian Habitat Film Festival 2009.


Plot

The movie is based on a real-life confession of a police constable (P. Ramachandran Nair) about gunning down a Naxalite (Arikkad Varghese) in a fake encounter as per the order of his superiors in 1970. The screenplay by Babu Janardhanan uses the stream of consciousness flow to show the mental state of the constable who feels deranged after the incident. Lal plays constable Raveendran Pillai whose family life is ruined after the killing of Joseph (Prithviraj Sukumaran), a revolutionary leader fighting for the rights of the hapless farmers of
Wayanad Wayanad () is a district in the north-east of the Indian state of Kerala, with its administrative headquarters at the municipality of Kalpetta. It is the only plateau in Kerala. The Wayanad Plateau forms a continuation of the Mysore Plateau, ...
. Raveendran Pillai is a misfit in the police force as he is not courageous or cruel as the others of his ilk. He is a family man to the hilt and dotes on his children. He befriends Joseph on the way while on duty. Joseph introduces him to the revolutionary ideas. Raveendran Pillai takes instant liking for Joseph and roams in the forests with Joseph during his free time. * P. Ramachandran Nair's confession was in Nov. 1998 to a magazine, whereas in the film the it takes place in the late 2000s to a television channel.


Cast


Production

His dream project ''Thalappavu'' was always there at the back of his mind, says Madhupal. "I was moved by the story of Varghese, a man who lived for others. More than his politics or his background, what attracted me was his willingness to help the most oppressed sections in society." Babu Janardhanan who wrote the script said he had carried out extensive research on the life of Naxal Arikkad Varghese before capturing it on paper. "The spark for the script came from the revelation made by Ramachandran Nair (the police constable) through television channels that he was forced to kill Varghese,” said Janardhanan. "The revelation struck me and I started to think about the mental agony he had to endure by suppressing the fact for nearly 30 years," he said. Janardhanan, the script writer, and Madhupal sketched the whole film, shot by shot. Madhupal says his stint with Rajiv Anchal in Hollywood, Los Angeles helped him polish the quality of the sound track of ''Thalappavu.'' "For them, natural sound is of utmost importance. They also use it as transitions. Sound will appear before the cut to lead you to the next scene. We have also used sound to enhance cuts and dissolves. Travelling sound also contributed in smoothening the transitions." Parts of the film were shot in
Alappuzha Alappuzha (, आलप्पुळ) or Alleppey is a municipality and town on the Laccadive Sea in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is the district headquarters of the district, and is located about north of the state capital Thiruvana ...
,
Changanassery Changanassery, () formerly Changanacherry, is a municipality in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is located south of the district headquarters in Kottayam and about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 ...
and in the rubber plantations near Kothamangalam. Paucity of funds did bog the production of the film and it was released on 12 September 2008. The film was praised for its script (Babu Janardhanan), flawless treatment, acting (Lal) and cinematography (Azhagappan). That ''Thalappavu'' was Madhupal's crowning glory became clear when veterans like
M. Mukundan Maniyambath Mukundan (born 10 September 1942) is an Indian author of Malayalam literature and a former diplomat. He worked as a cultural attaché at the Embassy of France in Delhi from 1961 to 2004, while concurrently working as an author. Many ...
and
R. Sukumaran R. Sukumaran is an Indian film director. Sukumaran's entry into film-making was incidental. While on an exhibition in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Balti ...
(''
Paadha Mudra ''Padamudra'' () is a 1988 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 ...
'' and ''Rajashilpi'') gave the film their stamp of approval. Litterateur
M. T. Vasudevan Nair Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Narayanan Nair (15 July 1933 – 25 December 2024) was an Indian author, lecturer, Screenwriter, screenplay writer and film director. He was a prolific and versatile writer in modern Malayalam literature, and was o ...
also expressed a desire to watch his film. However, Madhupal denied allegations that the film set against the backdrop of the Naxalite movement reflected his sympathies for the political ideology. "The film is not an attempt to show my sympathy or political views. It is a reminder to a society that has forgotten how to respond to the problems faced by human beings," he said. His new role of a director in Malayalam film industry has made Madhupal a much sought-after star, something that eluded him in his roles as actor, assistant director and scenarist. "While walking into a restaurant the other day, I overheard a few taxi drivers saying: "See, Madhupal, director of ''Thalappavu.''" Till then I had always been referred to as the serial actor Madhupal, villain Madhupal and so on...I am still getting used to this new avatar," says the actor-turned-director.


Soundtrack

Music:
Alex Paul Alex Paul is an Indian music director who works in Malayalam cinema. He has composed music for fifty films. Personal life Alex is the son of M. A. Paul, a music artist who formed the first orchestra (in Malayalam: 'ganamela') troupe in Kochi & ...
, Shyam Darman, Lyrics:
O. N. V. Kurup Ottaplakkal Neelakandan Velu Kurup (known as O. N. V. Kurup; 27 May 1931 – 13 February 2016) was a Malayalam poet and lyricist from Kerala, India, who won the Jnanpith Award, the highest literary award in India for the year 2007. He received ...
* "Kanninu Kuliraam" - K. S. Chitra * "Vananeelimayil" -
Ramesh Babu Ghattamaneni Ramesh Babu (13 October 1965 – 8 January 2022) was an Indian actor and film producer, who was known for his work in Telugu cinema. Babu made his on screen debut with the film ''Alluri Seetharama Raju (film), Alluri Seetharama Ra ...


References


External links

* *https://www.academia.edu/3552887/Reappearance_of_the_Uncanny_Naxalite_Memory_in_Malayalam_cinema {{Kerala Film Critics Association Award for Best Film 2008 films 2000s Malayalam-language films Films about Naxalism Indian historical films Indian thriller films History of India on film History of Kerala on film Films shot in Alappuzha Films shot in Kottayam Films shot in Kothamangalam Films set in Kerala