Books Made in to Malayalam Films

This film features Marthanda Varma (Jaidev), the legendary founder and King of the Travancore State (now Kerala) from 1706-58. It tells the story of love between Anantha Padmanabham (Menon) and Parukutty (Padmini), the political conspiracy of Padmanabha Thampi (Naik) and the heads of the eight Nair Houses against Marthanda Varma. It opens with newsreel coverage of the Aarattu procession of the Travancore Maharaja Chithira Thirunal, including elephants, cavalry and the Nair Brigade before embarking on the story of the King's ancestors. Scenes from the young Marthanda Varma's youth are inter-cut with well-known episodes from the novel.

Described as the first Malayalam sound film. The story features the struggles of two orphaned children, Balan and his younger sister, oppressed and exploited by an evil stepmother until they are rescued by a kindly lawyer. The evil stepmother takes over the property of her spineless husband.

Educated and poverty struck Gopi had to steal first time in his life, only to get caught. he then decides to get rich or die trying.- Sameir Ali

The film is set against the backdrop of a circus company. Chandran is a circus performer. Thankam, a beautiful 17 year old girl, is his childhood sweetheart. But, Thankam's mother Kalyani Amma forbids her to prolong her affair with Chandran. She wants Thankam to marry Gopi, a well known bully from the town. Thankam's father Paithal Nair, however rejects this proposal. But as the circus shifts to another village, everything goes wrong. The circus people owed some money to Paithal Nair which they were unable to pay. Despite the circus manager's assurances Kalyani Amma and Nair decide to hold the circus animals hostage until the circus manager repays his debt. Managing the animals soon becomes a nightmare and Paithal and family realize they have invited trouble (pulival pidikkuka - an expression in Malayalam for trouble, mess etc. It literally means catch a leopard by its tail). Paithal Nair is in financial stress and has no other way than to accept the marriage proposal from Gopi for his daughter. What will happen to Chandran and Thankam's romance? How does Paithal Nair overcome his problems? Answers to these questions form the rest of the story.

An untouchable girl is found dead with her illegitimate child, the child is adopted by a postman, a high caste Hindu. No one knows the true identity of the real father of the child, until the childs real father, also an upper caste Hindu acknowledges paternity. As the story unfolds, the real father becomes agitated by guilt and anguish and then finally questions his previous actions. The film ends with the Masters own resolutions and true acceptance of his own child and self.

It is a social film about the relationship between three major religious faiths in Kerala, Hindu, Muslim and Christian.