Nizhalkuthu
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| Nizhalkuthu | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Adoor Gopalakrishnan |
| Produced by | Adoor Gopalakrishnan Joël Farges |
| Written by | Adoor Gopalakrishnan |
| Starring | Oduvil Unnikrishnan Sukumari |
| Music by | Ilayaraja |
| Cinematography | Sunny Joseph Ravi Varma |
| Editing by | Ajith |
| Distributed by | Adoor Gopalakrishnan Productions Artcam International Les Films du Paradoxe |
| Release date(s) | 7 September 2002 |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam language |
| IMDb profile | |
Nizhalkuthu (English language:Shadow Kill; French language: Le Serviteur de Kali) is a 2002 Indian film directed and written by Adoor Gopalakrishnan. The film explores the recesses of the human consciousness. The film stars Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Narain (actor), Murali, Sukumari, Reeja, Nedumudi Venu, Vijayaraghavan, Jagathi Sreekumar and Tara Kalyan. It premiered on 7 September 2002 at the Venice Film Festival in Italy.
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[edit] Overview
The title of the film Nizhalkuthu (Shadow Kill) refers to the story from the Mahabharata, where the Kauravas employ a witch hunter to kill the Pandavas. He carries out black magic, where the spirits of the Pandavas are exhorted into their images. These images, the symbolic shadows of the Pandavas are stabbed to kill the actual Pandavas. When the original target is unreachable, the target hits the shadow.
[edit] Plot
The plot is set in the 1940's in a village of Travancore, British India. Kaliyappan, the last hangman of Travancore dynasty is dragging his remaining life by consuming alcohol and worshipping the Mother Goddess. The reason for this self-destruction is the remorse born out of the feeling that the last man he hanged was an innocent.
While pulling on his life by boozing, worshiping the Goddess and treating people with the ash obtained by burning the hanging rope, one day the King's messenger once again arrive with the Kings order of appointing him for executing a convict termed as 'a killer, proved beyond doubt'. He leaves to the jail with his Gandhian, freedom fighter son to assist him in his job.
As a tradition, the hangman has to spend the eve of the execution awake. When alcohol fails to keep Kaliyappan awake, the jailer starts telling a 'spicy tale' to keep him awake, the tale of a 13 year old girl raped and killed by her own brother-in-law and an innocent musician boy convicted for this charge.
When Kaliyappan comes to know the condemned person he is about to hang is that very same musician boy, he breaks down. The job of executing the convict is passed on to his assistant, his son. The Gandhian, freedom fighter son, who is in revolt against the existing system accepts the job without any protest and walks towards the gallows to accomplish his job.
[edit] Cast
- Oduvil Unnikrishnan .... Kaliyappan the executioner
- Sukumari .... Marakatam, his wife
- Reeja .... Mallika, the younger daughter
- Thara Kalyan .... Madhavy, the older daughter
- Murali .... Vasu, Madhavy's Husband
- Sivakumar .... Mallika's Lover
- Sunil .... Muthu, Kaliyappan's son
- Nedumudi Venu .... Jailer
- Vijayaraghavan .... Jailer
- Jagathi Sreekumar .... Maharajah's Officer
- Indrans .... Barber
- Kukku Parameshwaram.... Woman seeking treatment in Kaliyappan
[edit] Awards and recognitions
- 2002 Kerala State Film Awards
