11 OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL MALAYALAM FILMS OF ALL TIME

film Papilio Buddha

Living in a time such as ours, you shouldn’t be surprised if tilting your head a certain way ended up offending someone or some group somewhere longing for attention and waiting to pounce. Despite all the ongoing debate on freedom of expression, art, books, films and other such creative media has increasingly been attacked time and again in the name of the liberty taken to “overstep that line”. Many a controversies have arisen owing to the disputed interpretation of the said freedom, and one of the most targeted areas in this case has forever been the movie world. In Kerala where every Mahesh, Suresh and Ramesh veneer their opinions as criticisms, there have been many occasions where films were beaten and cut to size for freely expressing a view different from the conventional; like when the movie name Ponmuttayidunna “Thattaan” had to be changed to Ponmuttayidunna “Tharavu” following severe protests from the goldsmith community who took offence from the original title; like when the multiple endings of Harikrishnans kick started a storm verging on communal; like with the filming of a live childbirth in Kalimannu and the partial nudity in Thanmatra cocked a lot of eyebrows. Many derided Fazil’s Ente sooryaputhrikku as bad influence, Jeetu Joseph’s Drishyam for sending the wrong message and Alfonse Puthran’s Premam as provocative and misleading. Similarly film Parudeesa directed by R. Sarath was accused of instigating anti-religious propaganda and Padmavyooham directed by Bijoy P.I. for posing security concerns to Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The ambitious Adoor film Kathapurushan garnered much criticism for the resemblance of its stammering protagonist to veteran Communist leader EMS Namboothiripad. Most Shaji Kailas films scripted by Renj Panicker from Ekalavyan to Commissioner courted controversy for daring the system. So was the case with numerous I.V. Sasi films written by T. Damodaran. Following is a list of movies in the Malayalam language that became controversial for its subject matter as well as its portrayal more than any other.

11. Pathram 1999

Pathram directed by Joshiy, with its clichés and histrionics, discussed the bitter rivalries rampant between newspaper establishments and clearly pointed fingers at two of the biggest Malayalam dailies. The worst hurdle the film faced was to get it certified before release. Without citing any reasons it was first referred by the Regional Censor Board to the Central Censor Board that allegedly made attempts to ban questioning similarities between the character of the newspaper baron Outhakuttichayan in the film and K.M. Mathew, the owner of Malayala Manorama. Apparently they were acting on a complaint received from V.P. Ramachandran, chairman of the Kerala Press Academy. It was with a little clout in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the replacement of the Press Academy Chairman that eventually let the film see the light of day.

10. Left Right Left 2013

The film that was alleged to be critical of the CPM party leadership and discussed the infamous T.P. Chandrashekharan Murder raked up a row at the time of the release so much so that there were theatres reluctant to screen it, and those ones that stopped screening it within a week. There were widespread contention from the party representatives regarding “defamation attempts on the CPM leaders” and the film’s quest for the “real Communist” by highlighting the conspicuous degradation of the political Left in the state. Although comparisons of one of the key characters in the film to the then CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and his differences with the ex-chief minister Achuthanadnan were frequently made, the Party claimed to have elicited no moves to ban the film. But the Film Exhibitors’ Federation fearing possible violence alerted the theatre owners to take responsibility for any untoward incidents related to the screening.

9. Crime File 1999

With Shaji Kailas directed Crime File it was the Church that took offence and it was more than clear what pissed them off. The film loosely based on the notorious Sister Abhaya Murder Case had the crime and premise set exactly as per the fateful incident, and in the process unveiled the rampant corruption within the clergy. No matter how imaginary the motive and the identity of the perpetrator were, the men of the cloth were mighty upset. However, the real motive and perpetrators behind the crime that would eventually be exposed a few years later were far more scandalous and earth shattering, and we only knew then what the movie scraped was only the surface of the real problem.

8. Vartha 1986

The brave newspaper editor Madhavan Kutty whose campaign against an all-powerful capitalist with sway on the entire bureaucracy at the heart of this I.V.Sasi film scripted by T. Damodaran was a conspicuous but well-intentioned sketch of Madhav Das Nalapat, son of writer Madhavi Kutty and then editorial director of Mathrubhumi. Inspired by stories covered in his tenure that escalated the daily’s circulation by leaps and bounds, the film obviously struck all the raw nerves and was even stopped from screening for a while. In the end it came back muting the ‘sensitive’ dialogues leading to the shocking climax. The sheer fact that P.V. Gangadharan, the biggest shareholder of Mathrubhumi, donned the film producer’s role in this case didn’t seem like a coincidence after all.

7. Thirakkatha 2008

The controversy surrounding Thirakkatha surfaced based on the likeness of the protagonist to the late actress Srividya. Various reports that came up blamed the film for tarnishing the memory of the late actor. The film that was widely publicized as a tribute to her was at the center of swirling accusations that derided the makers for cashing in on various tragic happenings in her life including her failed romance with actor Kamal Haasan. Eventually director Ranjith who wrote as well as co-produced the film had to call up a press conference where he claimed the resemblance to be coincidental. However he, who is believed to have had access to her personal diaries, later accepted the film to have been partially based on the actor’s life and her final days.

6. Agnisakshi 1999

The allegation about this Shyamaprasad film based on Lalithambika Antharjanam’s novel of the same name was that it glorified spiritualism and Hindutva, and it all started immediately after the award declaration at the Kerala State Film Awards where Agnisakshi won eight awards including best film, best director and best actor. Senior CPI(M) leaders heading the then ruling LDF government including the KSFDC Chairman P. Govinda Pillai saw saffron leaning in the selection, given the fact that the director’s father was none other than O.Rajagopal, Rajya Sabha MP and all-India Vice President of the BJP at the time. P.T. Kunju Muhammed, a CPI(M) backed MLA whose film Gershome lost to Agnisakshi accused director Shaji N. Karun, then head of the state Chalachitra Akademi, for being partial in order to be in the good books of the BJP-led government at the Centre.

5. Uppu 1984

After Hindutva and the Church, it was the Muslim law that came under the radar. The controversy surrounding V. K. Pavithran’s Uppu featuring K.T. Kunju Muhammed and Jayalalitha was based on an allegation blaming the film for openly critiquing the sensitive Muslim personal law in India. The film that discussed man’s tendencies to bend religious laws to suit them, focusing on polygamy, attracted widespread criticism for its defiance. However the makers of the film clarified that it was not their intention to victimize or ridicule the Muslim community, but wished to expose the twisted perception of people about the religious laws that was almost always read out of context and followed blindly leading to exploitation of those who succumb to religious and social pressures.

4. Lekhayude Maranam; Oru Flashback 1983

This audacious K.G. George film contrary to all his repeated denials is evidently based on the events that lead to the suicide of Shobha, an up and coming actress who in her brief stint in the South Indian movies won a National Award for best actress. The film that also drew parallels with her scandalous relationship with film director Balu Mahendra who was married at the time, was embroiled in vicious controversy. The accusation was that the film heartlessly exploited the suicide of a famous person. Shobha’s mother who couldn’t overlook the resemblance threatened legal actions against the director for defamation. There were also claims that alleged him of making the film in consultation with Balu Mahendra, which both of them had denied.

3. Kabani Nadi Chuvannappol 1975

Emergency was a difficult period for everybody. Freedom of expression was thrown to starving dogs, and in a turbulent time such as that when a movie was made with a protagonist holding extreme Leftist ideologies, it was bound to run into troubled waters. With the authorities branding the film as pro-Naxal, the cops and intelligence agencies were on the prowl right when the movie was in production. Then the Censor Board chopped about 1500 feet of the film again in the name of ‘Naxalism’. The film was hounded even after release. It was hacked of an ‘objectionable’ masked dance following a police crackdown during a screening in Trivandrum prompted by a complaint they received. Actor Prem Nazir was vehemently against the film condemning it for “misguiding youths and inspiring them to take up arms”.

2. Papilio Buddha 2013

Initially denied certification by the Central Board of Film Certification, this ballsy film was later given a go ahead after muting and blurring a few “offensive” scenes. The film that exposed the pitiable plight of dispossessed Dalits was sharply criticized for denigrating iconic leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, EMS Namboothiripad, and Ayyankali as well as for its strong language. The visuals of extreme violence on women and disturbing scenes of torture in police custody including full frontal nudity were also widely condemned. The jury headed by director Sibi Malayil denied a screening of the film at the 17^th International Film Festival of Kerala kicking up further disputes. All said and done, for those who can see through the superficial trappings of language and decorum this one is an important and relevant film to be watched.

1. Mukhamukham 1984

This Adoor film was responsible for one of the biggest political controversies caused by a film in the state ever. There were rumors that the film was anti-communist even before its release. Adoor was labeled a renegade for daring to question the accomplishments of the communist movement in Kerala. The film that follows the life of a Communist, who made many sacrifices in the name of the movement over the years finding it difficult to adjust to the changing priorities of the party, was condemned for “disparaging communism as an ideology and betraying the cause of Marxists around the globe”. While the intention of the filmmaker was to dissect the psychology behind the fall from grace of a revolutionary against a political backdrop, the film was exclusively criticized for its political content.