Piravi

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Piravi
Directed by Shaji N. Karun
Produced by Shaji N. Karun
Written by Shaji N. Karun
S. Jayachandran Nair
Reghunath Paleri
Raghu
Starring Premji
Archana
Lakshmi Krishnamoorthy
Sreeraman
Mullenezhi
Gopalakrishnan
Music by G. Aravindan
Cinematography Sunny Joseph
Editing by Venugopal
Release date(s) 1988
Running time 110 mins
Language Malayalam
IMDb profile

Piravi (The Birth) (1988) is an award-winning feature film directed by Shaji N. Karun. The film is in Malayalam. It stars Premji, Archana and Lakshmi Krishnamurthy. The film's music is composed by G. Aravindan. Piravi met with widespread critical acclaim upon release. The film was screened and very well received at many film festivals across the world, bagging at least 31 awards in total. It won the Golden Lotus Award for Best Film at the National Film Awards in 1989.

The film is thought to be based on the story of Rajan, a young man who was allegedly killed in a police camp in Kakkayam in Kerala.

[edit] Plot

Raghu is one of two children born to Raghava Chakyar and his wife. Born to his mother and father quite late in their marriage, Raghu is brought up with immense devotion and love until adulthood. Now studying in an engineering college far from home, Raghu must return home for the engagement ceremony of his sister, but fails to turn up. His father Raghava waits endlessly for his son to return. Raghava takes daily trips to the local bus stop, waiting all day in the hope that Raghu will eventually come home. Soon it emerges, and the family come to know through newspapers, that Raghu has been taken into custody by the police for political reasons. Raghava sets out to try and find his son, and he eventually reaches police headquarters. However the police pretend not to know about Raghu, or his whereabouts, and furthermore, deny the fact that Raghu was taken into custody. Raghu's sister eventually comes to the realisation that her brother probably has died as a result of police torture, but hasn't the heart to tell her father. Raghava slowly begins to lose grip of reality, and starts to dream of his family reuniting once more.

[edit] Awards

The film has won the following awards since its release:

1990 Bergamo Film Meeting (Italy)

1989 Cannes Film Festival (France)

1989 Edinburgh International Film Festival (UK)

  • Won - Sir Charles Chaplin Award - Piravi - Shaji N. Karun

1989 Locarno International Film Festival (Switzerland)

  • Won - Prize of the Ecumenical Jury - Special Mention - Shaji N. Karun
  • Won - Silver Leopard - Shaji N. Karun
  • Nominated - Golden Leopard - Shaji N. Karun

1989 National Film Awards (India)

  • Won - Golden Lotus Award - Best Film - Piravi - Shaji N. Karun
  • Won - Golden Lotus Award - Best Director - Shaji N. Karun
  • Won - Silver Lotus Award - Best Actor - Premji

1989 Hawaii International Film Festival (USA)

  • Won - Best Feature Film - Piravi - Shaji N. Karun

1991 Fajr Film Festival (Iran)

  • Won - Crystal Simorgh - International Competition: Superb Film - Piravi - Shaji N. Karun

1989 Chicago International Film Festival (USA)

  • Won - Silver Hugo - Piravi - Shaji N. Karun

1990 Fribourg International Film Festival (Switzerland)

  • Won - Distribution Help Award - Shaji N. Karun

[edit] External link


Films directed by Shaji N. Karun
Piravi (1988) • Swaham (1994) • Vaanaprastham (1999) • Nishad (2002) • Suryamukhi (2007)