'Released in 1982, Yavanika' is a cult movie based on the murder investigation of Ayyappan, a tabla player in a drama troupe.
Director TV Chandran remembers KG George. (Supplied)
The ongoing 28th edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) is witnessing good participation.
As part of paying a rich tribute to acclaimed Malayalam filmmakers KG George and Siddique, who died this year, their movies were screened at the IFFK.
Evergreen classic Yavanika was screened as a tribute to KG George, and the evergreen hit Ramjirao Speaking will be screened to honour Siddique and Innocent.
Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Vidheyan (1994) will also be screened to remember renowned producer K Ravindranathan Nair, who received the prestigious JC Daniel Award for his significant contributions to Malayalam cinema.
Released in 1982, Yavanika was screened at the IFFK on Sunday, 10 December.
Before the screening, director TV Chandran, who had a close association with KG George, recollected his memories about the master director who died on 24 September this year.
During his conversation, he said that KG George had his way of making films. Chandran, the JC Daniel Award winner also said that he was astonished to watch Irakal (1985) and recollected an incident when he spoke to KG George after watching Irakal.
A poster of the film ‘Yavanika’. (Supplied)
Yavanika is a cult movie and a favourite of film buffs. It is based on the murder investigation of Ayyappan, a tabla player in a drama troupe.
Considered a classic mystery and a riveting investigative thriller, Yavanika featured eminent actors like Mammootty, Bharath Gopi, Thilakan, Nedumudi Venu, Jagathy Sreekumar, Venu Nagavally, and Jalaja in major roles.
When Ayyappan (Bharath Gopi) goes missing, investigation officer Jacob Eraly (Mammootty) begins a probe. During the investigation, Jacob Eraly comes across many revelations that help him solve the case.
The missing case of Ayyappan, a womaniser, turns out to be a murder case. Rohini (Jalaja), his living partner, kills him after he sells her gold in need of money.
Rohini is also part of the drama troupe, and she seeks help from Joseph Kolappally (Venu Nagavally), another actor in the troupe, in the murder.
The whole movie is about the investigation. Interestingly, the drama scenes in the film have a different approach and became the highlight of the venture.
TV Chandran presenting a book on KG George to his daughter. (Supplied)
After 41 years of its release, the audience was amazed to watch the iconic film on the silver screen again at the Nila Theatre in Trivandrum.
Jagathy Sreekumar, who appeared as Varunan in the movie, received roaring applause from the moviegoers.
His counter-dialogues were applauded. The actor has not yet recovered from the accident he met in 2012.
Nedumudi Venu, who played the role of Balagopalan — a womeniser. His scenes got an equal response from the movie buffs.
The minute details in the script by KG George made the film relevant, even four decades after its release.
The audience could connect well to the depth of the dialogue delivered by Ammini (Kuttyedathi Vilasini) to Rohini (Jalaja), “Why is the floor wet? Is the roof leaking?”
The floor was wet because Vilasini cleaned it after shifting Ayyappan’s dead body to another place where she buried it. The dialogue reveals the details of the crime scene.
Mammootty as Eraly did a good job, and it was one of the major characters he played in the initial years of his career.
Mammootty considers KG George as his mentor.
It was heart-warming to see the thespian as a tough police officer, and most of his scenes were well-received.
After Yavanika, he appeared as a police officer in several Malayalam films.
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