Director: S. Nottani; Writer: A. Sundaram, Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai; Producer: T.R. Sundaram; Cinematographer: Bado Gushwalkar; Editor: K.D. George; Cast: K.N. Laxmikutty, A.K. Kamalam, K.K. Aroor, Alleppey Vincent, A.B. Pious, Master Madan, Gopal, Miss Malathy, C.O.N. Nambiar, M.V. Sanku, Gopinathan Nair, Parukutty
Summary: Described as the first Malayalam sound film, made at the Modern Theatres, Salem. 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 film ends with Balan sacrificing his happiness for that of his sister. Many of the stereotypes, esp. the wicked stepmother taking over the ancestral property of her spineless husband, and the helpless children, dominated the early Malayalam cinema for some time after they were introduced there. Apparently initiated by a Nagercoil resident, A. Sundaram, who got the Modern Theatres to back his project of filming his story Mrs Nair and Fate, was later eased out by the studio who recommissioned the script to playwright Pillai. Director Nottani also directed the next attempt in the campaign by Tamil producers to capture a Malayalam market, with
Gnanambika (1940).
Indiancine.ma requires JavaScript.