Marthanda Varma (film)

Marthanda Varma is a 1933 black and white Indian silent film, directed by P. V. Rao, based on the 1891 Malayalam novel by C. V. Raman Pillai. This was the first film based on Malayalam literature and the next film of the Malayalam film industry after Vigathakumaran.[1][2]

This article is about the 1933 film adaptation of Malayalam novel. For other uses, see Marthanda Varma (disambiguation).

Marthanda Varma
Malayalamമാർത്താണ്ഡവർമ്മ
Directed byP. V. Rao
Produced byR. Sunder Raj
Written byP. V. Rao (screenplay)
C. V. Raman Pillai (novel)
StarringJaidev
A. V. P. Menon
Devaki
Padmini
CinematographyPandurang E. Naik
Distributed byShri Rajeshwari Films
Release date
Running time
118 mins.
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam Silent film
English and Malayalam intertitles

Plot

Based on the novel Marthandavarma, the film recounts the adventures of the crown Prince, Marthandavarma on how he eliminates his arch rivals one by one, so as to ascend to the throne of Kingdom of Travancore.[3]

Cast

A short list of artists who acted in the movie[4]

  • Jaidev
  • Andi[5][6]
  • A. V. P. Menon
  • V. Naik
  • Padmini
  • Devaki
  • V. C. Kutty
  • S. V. Nath
  • Sundaram Iyer
  • A. P. Padmanabha Menon
  • Pattammal
  • Pious
  • Sunder Raj[5][6]
  • Kesava Menon[6]
  • Thilakam[6]

The casting credits of the above artists variably contradict in the sources. The character Marthanda Varma is attributed to the actor Jaidev in IMDb, whereas in Weblokam (Malayalam Webdunia), the same character is attributed to actor Andi, who is referred to as a Tamil from Thalassery. The possibility of the name Jaidev being the screen alias of Andi conflicts with the information in Cini Diary, where both the names are listed separately under the artist credits of the movie.

Weblokam further states that Tamil actresses Pattamal and Devaki Bhai donned the roles of Subadra and Sulaikha respectively, of which the former's character credit brings up another contradiction as Cini Diary states Pattamal is Padmini or rather Pattamal's screen alias is Padmini, who is attributed to the character Parukutty in IMDb.

The producer R. Sunder Raj has done[5] the role of Bheeram Khan, whereas A. V. P. Menon and V. Naik did the roles[7] of Anantha Padmanaban and Padmanabhan Thampi, respectively.

Crew

A short list of crew behind the film[4]

  • Producer - R. Sundar Raj
  • Screenplay, Direction – P. V. Rao
  • Cinematography – Pandurang E. Naik

Production

The film was produced by R. Sunder Raj under the banner of Shri Rajeswari Films and production of the film was started in 1931,[8] during which the producer ignored the queries regarding the copyright of the novel related to adapting it to the film.[5]

The film had title cards in English and Malayalam, some of which were taken from the original text. A few of the title cards and actions make reference to the Swadeshi movement. The film also featured with a seven-minute actual newsreel footage of temple procession of the late Sri. Chithira Thirunal Maharaja of Travancore.[3]

Release

The movie was released through Shri Rajeswari Films in 1933 at Capitol theatre,[9] Thiruvananthapuram of Thiruvithaankoor. The movie ran into copyright problems during its release with the publishers of the novel in that period, Kamalalaya Book Depot[10] and was withdrawn from screenings after its opening day, following a court order marking the first copyright case[11] in the Indian film industry and literature publishing of Kerala. The print of film was under the custody of Kamalalaya Book Depot until 1974, when the National Film Archive of India negotiated and acquired the same.[12]

Apparently, this film also contain the first lip kiss of Indian Cinema.[13]

A print of film, which is the only silent film of south India fully available as of now is preserved[14] at the National Film Archive of India (NFAI), Pune. The film was reportedly shown at the 1994 Film Festival of Kerala.[15] In 2011, this film was screened at the "Filka" International film festival in Thiruvananthapuram.

See also

References
  1. Ramankutty, K.V. (1999). "Malayalam Cinema -The Pageant and the Parade". Essays on the Cultural Formation of Kerala literature, Art, Architecture, Music, Theatre, Cinema. KCHR Publications. Archived from the original on 11 July 2010.
  2. B. Vijayakumar (27 January 2013). "Old is Gold: Marthanda Varma, 1931". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 27 April 2014.
  3. P.K, Nair (1999). "In the Age of Silence - Beginnings of Cinema in India". Screening the Past. Re-runs. Australia (6).
  4. "Documentation". Search on Cinema. Pune: National Film Archive of India. Retrieved 30 January 2009.
  5. "മാർത്താണ്ഡവർമ്മ" [Marthandavarma]. മറക്കില്ലൊരിക്കലും [will never forget] (in Malayalam). Webdunia. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013.
  6. "മലയാള സിനിമ ഇതുവരെ (1928-50)" [Malayala cinema till here (1928-50)]. മലയാളസിനിമ ചരിത്രം [Malayalacinema History] (in Malayalam). Cini Diary. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011.
  7. Varma, Sujit R. "Plot Summary for Martanda Varma (1933)". Martanda Varma (1933). Internet Movie DataBase.
  8. "Introduction". Malayalam Cinema. Thiruvananthapuram: Public Relations Development – Government of Kerala. Archived from the original on 12 April 2014.
  9. "ചലച്ചിത്ര ചരിത്രം" [Movie History]. About City - ചലച്ചിത്ര രംഗം [About City – Movie Scene] (in Malayalam). Thiruvananthapuram: Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation. p. 16. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  10. Sudip, Geethika (12 December 2009). "Houseful!". Metro Plus. Thiruvananthapuram: THE HINDU.
  11. M, Bindu Menon (June 2009). "Romancing history and historicizing romance". Circuits of Cinema: a symposium on Indian cinema in the 1940s and '50s. New Delhi: Seminar: Web Edition.
  12. "History of Malayalam Film". The Rhythm of Arts - Cinema. Alappuzha: Kalakeralam.com.
  13. Archives., Film (12 May 2011). "First Lip Kiss". tamilcreation.com.
  14. Guy, Randor (18 October 2001). "Mylapore and movies". Reflections/Reminiscences. Chennai: THE HINDU.
  15. Kasbekar, Asha (2006). "Cinema". Pop culture India : media, arts and lifestyle. Popular Culture in the Contemporary World (Illustrated Hardcover ed.). USA: ABC-CLIO. p. 233. ISBN 978-1-85109-636-7.
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