Samaantharangal

Samaantharangal

Samaantharangal poster
Directed by Balachandra Menon
Produced by V & V Productions
Balachandra Menon
Screenplay by Balachandra Menon
Story by Balachandra Menon
Starring Balachandra Menon
Maathu
Renuka
Sukumari
Music by Score:
Balachandra Menon
Lyrics:
S. Ramesan Nair
Cinematography Sreesankar
Edited by Balachandra Menon
Distributed by Balachandra Menon
Release dates
  • 1998
Running time
112 minutes
Country India
Language Malayalam

Samaantharangal (Malayalam: സമാന്തരങ്ങള്‍, English: Parallelism) is a 1998 Malayalam drama film written and directed by Balachandra Menon. The film stars Menon himself along with Maathu, Renuka and Sukumari in supporting roles.

The film depicts the clash between father and son and won several awards including two National Film Awards at 45th National Film Awards. Balachandra Menon portrayed the role of station master[1] father and was acclaimed for his performance.[2] The film is noted for Menon who managed nine departments for the film;[2][3] producer, director, story, screenplay, dialogues, actor, editor, music and distribution with also winning the National Film Award for Best Actor.[4][5][6]

Plot

Ismail (Balachandra Menon) is a Station master of Meenakshipuram, a small town located on the borders of Kerala. He is accompanied by his family consisting of an aged ailing mother, a wife, two daughters, three sons and a grandson.

Ayshumma (Sukumari), Ismail's mother, is proud of Ismail for his honesty and integrity with which he binds everybody; whereas his second wife, Razia (Renuka), expects him to accept bribes so that she can manage the household more efficiently. Ameena (Mathu), an elder daughter from his first wife, is a married to Jamal who works on ship but has gone missing for long time. Ismail's elder son Najeeb (Rajesh Rajan) is an ambitious youngster who wants to do business and earn money.

In order to follow his dreams, Najeeb asks his father some money so that he can open a telephone booth but then Ismail rejects and advises him to concentrate on studies. Disappointed with Ismail's behaviour, Najeeb decides to leave the house for his own future. He gets introduced to a political leader (Saikumar) who convinces Najeeb that politics would help him fulfill his dreams. A political activist now, Najeeb and his political party decides to do complete railway lockout (Bandh) in the country so that the party can become popular. To achieve this, they decide to remove railway tracks. Knowing Ismail, Najeeb secretly informs Razia about this and asks her to convince Ismail not to go on duty on that day.

Razia unsuccessfully tries to convince Ismail but he rejects all her plea and goes for duty. At the station, he comes to know about Bandh and also learns that Najeeb is an active member of the plan. Knowing about railway tracks being sabotaged, Ismail tries to inform engine driver to avoid accident. Too late to warn the engine driver, Ismail runs on the railway tracks himself to stop the train. He successfully stops the train and avoids accident but not before he has been run over.

Cast

Soundtrack

All lyrics written by S. Ramesan Nair, all music composed by Balachandra Menon[3].

No. TitleSinger(s) Length
1. "Ezhamkadal"  K. J. Yesudas 4:50
2. "Kettu Tharattinte"  K. J. Yesudas, K. S. Chithra 5:01
3. "Onnam"  Preetha, K. J. Yesudas 4:52
4. "Smruthiyil"  K. S. Chithra 5:08
Total length:
19:11

Awards

The film won several awards for Balachandra Menon including National Film Award for Best Actor at 45th National Film Awards.

Filmfare Awards South
Kerala State Film Award
National Film Awards
Citation: For his realistic and sensitive portrayal of a middle-class man who stands up for his high principles.
Citation: For an original script evolved from personal experience in a film that nartures family and community life. The protagonist makes sacrifices in order to project the emotional and moral needs of his family members and through them projects a larger picture of the National Interests that bind us all.

References

  1. Radhakrishnan, Anil (June 7, 2003). "Songs of the Iron Horses". The Hindu. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Radhakrishnan, M. G. (March 2, 1998). "Samaantharangal: Lone Battle (A seriously watchable film)". India Today. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Samaantharangal@malayalasangeetham.in". Retrieved August 15, 2012.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 "45th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. pp. 14–15,24–25. Retrieved March 11, 2012.
  5. Balachandra Menon receiving National Film Award for Best Actor. Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi: Directorate of Film Festivals. July 1998.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "The award winners". The Hindu. May 15, 1998. Retrieved August 15, 2012.
  7. Savitha G.L (April 25, 1999). "Filmfare awards presented at a dazzling function". Retrieved July 29, 2012.
  8. "Kerala State Film Awards - 1997". Retrieved July 29, 2012.

External links

Samaantharangal at the Internet Movie Database