Shantham
Encyclopedia
Shantham is an award-winning Malayalam feature film directed by Jayaraj
Jayaraj
Jayaraj Rajasekharan Nair, often credited as Jayaraj, is an award-winning Indian Malayali filmmaker who has marked his presence in mainstream as well as art house films...

. It stars I M Vijayan
I. M. Vijayan
Inivalappil Mani Vijayan is one of the leading Indian football players of modern times. Playing in the striker position, he formed a successful attacking partnership with Baichung Bhutia for the Indian national team in the late nineties and early 2000's...

, a leading Indian football player of modern times, M G Shashi, Seema Biswas
Seema Biswas
Seema Biswas is an Indian film and theatre actress from Assam who shot into prominence with the role of Phoolan Devi in Shekhar Kapur's film Bandit Queen . She has a reputation for performing strong character roles.Biswas won the 1996 National Film Award for Best Actress for her role in the film...

 and K P A C Lalitha
K. P. A. C. Lalitha
Maheshwari Amma, better known by her stage name K.P.A.C. Lalitha, is a National Award winning Indian film and stage actress. She was the wife of late filmmaker Bharathan.-Biography:...

. The renowned Kathakali
Kathakali
Kathakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama noted for the attractive make-up of characters, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements presented in tune with the anchor playback music and complementary percussion...

 artiste Kalamandalam Gopi
Kalamandalam Gopi
Vadakke Manalath Govindan Nair popularly known as Kalamandalam Gopi is a exponent of the classical dance-drama style known as Kathakali...

 and the Malayalm writer Madambu Kunjukuttan have also starred in the film. It was released in 2001 and won the Swarna Kamal Award for the Best Feature Film in the 48th National Film Awards
National Film Awards
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it is administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.Every year, a national panel...

, 2001. The film was produced by P V Gangadharan. According to the citation of the Award Jury: 'Shantham addrsses the very contemporary issue of political rivalry and violence in our society in an unusually imaginative way. The language of the film goes beyond the conventional narrative for appeal to calmness and good sense'.

The film also bagged the National Best Supporting Actress Award to K P A C Lalitha.

This is Jayaraj's third National Award. In 1996, his film 'Desadanam', won the award for the Best Malayalam Film and in the next year he was named the Best Director.

Plot

Persons on both sides of a bloody political struggle search for grace and forgiveness in this emotional drama.

Velayudhan (I M Vijayan) is a young man living in a place torn apart by civil strife. In the midst of a raging street war, he kills his best friend. He was overcome by guilt and remorse for his actions as Narayani (K P A C Lalitha), his friend's mother, tries to hold herself together while she arranges for her son's funeral. Velayudhan's mother Karthiyayani (Seema Biswas) goes to a temple and prays for her son's forgiveness despite his violence and wrongdoing. There she meets Narayani who is stricken with her own feelings of grief over the death of her child.

Awards

  • 2000 - National Film Award for Best Film
    National Film Award for Best Film
    The National Award for Best Feature film is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, India, and was constituted in the year 1954. This is one of the Golden Lotus Awards given among National Film Awards...

  • 2000 - National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress
    National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress
    The National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress winners:...

     - K.P.A.C. Lalitha
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