Iruttinte Athmavu
Encyclopedia
Iruttinte Athmavu is a 1967 Malayalam film directed by P. Bhaskaran
and written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair
based on his own story with the same name. It stars Prem Nazir
, Sharada
, Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair
, P. J. Antony
, Ushakumari, Kozhikode Shantha Devi and Baby Rajani in important roles, and features music by M. S. Baburaj
, cinematography by E. N. Balakrishnan and editing by G. Venkitaraman and Das.
The film is about a mentally retarded youth born into a matriarchal family who is forced to live as a mad man in chains and who is misunderstood and ill-treated by everyone except his uncle's daughter. Prem Nazir played the mentally challenged Bhranthan Velayudhan, widely accepted to be an extra ordinary performance and one of the best in his career. Nazir himself rated his role of Velayudhan in Iruttinte Athmavu and as the swashbuckling folk hero Thampan in Padayottam
as his best. Also, its script is regarded as one of the finest by M. T. Vasudevan Nair. A major landmark in Malayalam cinema, the film provided Malayalam cinema with a new direction; that of the low budget film. The film has earned a dedicated cult following. It won the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues
. It missed the Best Film award only narrowly. Despite all the acclaim, the film was a box office failure.
based on his own a short story with the same name. The screenplay is regarded as one of the finest by the noted writer. One could see a lot of the pre-occupations of the scenarist, who carried the touches of human relationships through all of his subsequent films whether as screenplay writer or director. A part of the screenplay of Iruttinte Athmavu is being taught in school classes while the complete screenplay is being taught at degree level.
penned the lyrics. S. Janaki
is the vocalist. The song "Eeranuduthukondambalam Chuttunna" is considered the magnum opus of both Baburaj and S. Janaki.
Track listing
P. Bhaskaran
Pulloottupadathu Bhaskara Menon , better known as P. Bhaskaran, was a famous Malayalam poet and lyricist of Malayalam film songs. He penned more than 3000 songs for about 250 films. He also directed 44 Malayalam feature films and 3 documentaries, produced 6 feature films and acted in several movies...
and written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair
M. T. Vasudevan Nair
Madathil Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair , popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He was born in Kudallur, a small village in the present day Palakkad District, which was under the Malabar District in the Madras Presidency of the British Raj...
based on his own story with the same name. It stars Prem Nazir
Prem Nazir
Abdul Khader , better known by his stage name Prem Nazir , was an Indian film actor. He is considered one of the all time super stars in Malayalam cinema...
, Sharada
Sharada (actress)
Sharada is a three time national award winning South Indian actress and Indian Parliament member. She originally hails from Andhra Pradesh. She has achieved success through Malayalam movies. Initially she did many supporting roles in Telugu films and later on moved to Malayalam film industry and...
, Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair
Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair
Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair was a Malayali 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 Padmashri from the Government of India, which is one of the highest civilian honours in India....
, P. J. Antony
P. J. Antony
P. J. Antony was a Malayalam film actor. He received the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Nirmalyam in 1974. He was also the first actor working in Malayalam cinema to receive the award...
, Ushakumari, Kozhikode Shantha Devi and Baby Rajani in important roles, and features music by M. S. Baburaj
Baburaj
Mohammad Sabir Baburaj , also known as M. S. Baburaj, was a Malayalam music composer. He is often credited for the renaissance of Malayalam film music. Baburaj has rendered music to many evergreen Malayalam film songs.-Early years:...
, cinematography by E. N. Balakrishnan and editing by G. Venkitaraman and Das.
The film is about a mentally retarded youth born into a matriarchal family who is forced to live as a mad man in chains and who is misunderstood and ill-treated by everyone except his uncle's daughter. Prem Nazir played the mentally challenged Bhranthan Velayudhan, widely accepted to be an extra ordinary performance and one of the best in his career. Nazir himself rated his role of Velayudhan in Iruttinte Athmavu and as the swashbuckling folk hero Thampan in Padayottam
Padayottam
Padayottam is a 1982 Malayalam film directed by Jijo Punnoose, produced by Navodaya Appachan, and starring Prem Nazir, Madhu, Mammootty, Mohanlal and Shankar. It was the first movie in South India to be indigenously shot in the 70 mm film format...
as his best. Also, its script is regarded as one of the finest by M. T. Vasudevan Nair. A major landmark in Malayalam cinema, the film provided Malayalam cinema with a new direction; that of the low budget film. The film has earned a dedicated cult following. It won the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues
National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues
The National Film Award - Best Film on Other Social Issues winners:...
. It missed the Best Film award only narrowly. Despite all the acclaim, the film was a box office failure.
Plot
Velayudan's existence poses a problem to all the members of the joint family. Velayudhan is a twenty - year old man, but he has the intelligence of a child. The head of the joint family thinks Velayudan symbolizes the curse which hangs heavy over the house. To his mother he is source of constant sorrow. His uncle's daughter is his would be bride. He is attached to her. She is very kind to him and refuses to treat him as a mad man. Velayudan triggers problems one after the other and every new lapse help only to put fresh chains. He refuses to feel he is mad. In the end Ammukutty is given away in marriage to an old widower. Velayudhan surrenders himself and yells "Chain me I am mad!"Cast
- Prem NazirPrem NazirAbdul Khader , better known by his stage name Prem Nazir , was an Indian film actor. He is considered one of the all time super stars in Malayalam cinema...
as Bhranthan Velayudhan - Thikkurissy Sukumaran NairThikkurissy Sukumaran NairThikkurissy Sukumaran Nair was a Malayali 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 Padmashri from the Government of India, which is one of the highest civilian honours in India....
as Madhavan Nair (Karanavar) - P. J. AntonyP. J. AntonyP. J. Antony was a Malayalam film actor. He received the National Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Nirmalyam in 1974. He was also the first actor working in Malayalam cinema to receive the award...
as Gopalan Nair - M. S. Nampoothiri as Muthachan (grandfather)
- T. S. Muthiah as Rajan
- Balaji as Chandran
- SankaradiSankaradiSankaradi was an Indian actor. He was a veteran Malayalam comedian and character artiste, who had over 700 Malayalam films to his credit....
as Achuthan Nair (house servant) - Adoor BhasiAdoor BhasiAdoor Bhasi was an Indian film actor and film director from Kerala. Adoor Bhasi was almost always cast as the man who stands next to the hero. His hilarious actions and roles became the cynosure of comic scenes in the Malayalam films of the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s. He is also famous for his...
as Guru Kunhichathu - Kaduvakulam AntonyKaduvakulam AntonyKaduvakulam Antony was an Indian film actor from Kerala who performed more than 300 films as comedian during the 1960s and 1970s. He is regarded as one of the best and most popular comedians in Malayalam cinema...
as Jyotsyan (astrologist) - Baby Rajani as Unni
- SharadaSharada (actress)Sharada is a three time national award winning South Indian actress and Indian Parliament member. She originally hails from Andhra Pradesh. She has achieved success through Malayalam movies. Initially she did many supporting roles in Telugu films and later on moved to Malayalam film industry and...
as Ammukutty - Ushakumari as Prema
- Kozhikode Shantha Devi as Parukkutty Amma (Velayudhan's mother)
- PhilominaPhilominaPhilomina was a veteran Malayalam film actress. She had acted in more than 750 films in her career. She played mostly character and comedy roles, besides that of grandmother and mother. She started acting on the stage. This experience stood her in good stead when she was offered her first film role...
as Meenakshi Amma - Padmini as Nani
- Shobha as Malini
- Seleena as Neeli
- Rugmini as Karthi
Writing
The film is scripted by M. T. Vasudevan NairM. T. Vasudevan Nair
Madathil Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Nair , popularly known as MT, is an Indian author, screenplay writer and film director. He was born in Kudallur, a small village in the present day Palakkad District, which was under the Malabar District in the Madras Presidency of the British Raj...
based on his own a short story with the same name. The screenplay is regarded as one of the finest by the noted writer. One could see a lot of the pre-occupations of the scenarist, who carried the touches of human relationships through all of his subsequent films whether as screenplay writer or director. A part of the screenplay of Iruttinte Athmavu is being taught in school classes while the complete screenplay is being taught at degree level.
Legacy
The film provided Malayalam cinema with a new direction; that of the low budget film. In spite of its large number of studio shots and overall theatricality, the film was so culturally rich that many of the episodes would become archetypes for future Malayalam film makers dealing with family drama.Soundtrack
M. S. Baburaj composed the songs while P. BhaskaranP. Bhaskaran
Pulloottupadathu Bhaskara Menon , better known as P. Bhaskaran, was a famous Malayalam poet and lyricist of Malayalam film songs. He penned more than 3000 songs for about 250 films. He also directed 44 Malayalam feature films and 3 documentaries, produced 6 feature films and acted in several movies...
penned the lyrics. S. Janaki
S. Janaki
S. Janaki is an Indian female playback singer. Renowned for her voice modulation abilities, she has sung in many Indian languages, most frequently in Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. Throughout a career spanning more than five decades, she has won four National Film Awards and 35...
is the vocalist. The song "Eeranuduthukondambalam Chuttunna" is considered the magnum opus of both Baburaj and S. Janaki.
Track listing
- "Ambaadikannanu Mampazham" - S. JanakiS. JanakiS. Janaki is an Indian female playback singer. Renowned for her voice modulation abilities, she has sung in many Indian languages, most frequently in Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. Throughout a career spanning more than five decades, she has won four National Film Awards and 35...
- "Eeranuduthukondambalam Chuttunna" - S. Janaki
- "Irukanneerthullikal" - S. Janaki
- "Vaakachaarthu Kazhinjoru" - S. Janaki