| Daya | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Venu |
| Produced by | C. K. Gopinath |
| Written by | M. T. Vasudevan Nair |
| Starring | Manju Warrier Krishna Nedumudi Venu |
| Music by | Vishal Bhardwaj |
| Cinematography | Sunny Joseph |
| Editing by | Beena Paul |
| Release date(s) | 1998 |
| Running time | 150 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
Daya is a 1998 Malayalam period film written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, directed by Venu, and starring Manju Warrier in the lead role. The storyline of the film is adapted from One Thousand and One Nights. Vishal Bharadwaj scored the music of the film. It was the directorial debut of cinematographer Venu.[1] He won the awards for best debut director at the National Film Awards and Kerala State Film Awards.
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The film is set in the Middle-East in the pre-Islam period. It is about the adventures of a lively and intelligent slave girl named Daya (Manju Warrier). Mansoor (Krishna), the son of an aging and wealthy nobleman, is used to an extravagant way of life. Squandering his wealth after his father's death, he is forsaken by all his friends, except the loyal slave girl, Daya, who suggests that she be sold at the slave market for an exorbitant price. The envoys of the King interrupt the sale and take Daya to court, where she is showered with gifts. The King also allows her to live with Mansoor. But wild adventures never leave her alone, and she is forced to masquerade as a man. As a man she travels to another kingdom. She intelligently escapes from bandits in a powerful horse riding scene. She goes to another kingdom where the king is searching for a loyal minister. She in the disguise of a man passes all the difficult tests like an archery competition and a sword fighting duel. She lets herself get defeated by the king in a chess match and impresses the king. The king makes her the minister. The king's daughter gets infatuated by her thinking she is a man. She as the minister intelligently takes revenge on everyone who betrayed her. She finally meets a confessional Mansoor and decides to elope with him while the king is planning her marriage with the princess. The king finds out the truth and decides to punish Daya - a woman who dared to challenge men. The people support Daya's wisdom and finally gives her forgiveness.
The score and soundtrack for the film were composed by Vishal Bhardwaj. Daya is the only Malayalam film for which Vishal Bharadwaj has written music as of 2010[update]. The lyrics were written by O. N. V. Kurup. Composer Sharreth did the re-recording for the film.