• Cast - Mohanlal, Padhmapriya
  
  
• Director - Shajun Karyal
  
  
• The Producer - Baba Films
  
  
  
  

Almost always, when a film gets delayed for years, it sinks at the box office without a trace. ‘Vadakkumnathan’ was under production for a long time. it kept running into one delay after the other. So, finally when the film got ready to hit the theatres, everybody was nervous because the producer was in a financial crisis. And, frankly, nobody had much hopes about the film.

Its performance surprised everybody, including the film’s unit.

Lyricist Girish Puthanshery makes his debut as the story and screenplay writer with this film.

This is the story of Bharat Pisharody, a Sanskrit professor who is loved and adored by all for his brilliance and good nature. His cousin Meera, played by Padhmapriya, is in love with him and he too reciprocates her feelings. The families arrange for a wedding. But, he elopes from home on the eve of the wedding, leaving behind an emotionally shattered Meera.

After a few years, his family is convinced that he has died and his mother and younger brother, played by Kavayoor Ponnamma and Biju Menon respectively, go to Haridwar to offer prayers. Amidst the hordes of sadhus and sanyasis, she spots her son, Bharat! They bring him back home with them.

The man who returns home is nothing like the man who ran away from home, years ago. No longer is he the genius Sanskrit scholar. His family members begin to suspect that he is on drugs, but the truth is different- he is dealing with chronic depression and is undergoing treatment for it. When his family finds out the truth about him, a sudden change occurs in their attitude towards him. Finally, it is Meera who comes to his rescue…

It is sheer delight to watch Mohanlal as the young and brilliant scholar who is adored by all and his transformation into a morose and mentally imbalanced person. Heroine Padhmapriya is very convincing as the jilted lover who finally helps him out of the predicament. Kavya Madhavan is Mohanlal’s sister. Just about everyone had performed very well.

Late Ravindran’s music deserves special mention. It lingers in you for a long time. Ravindran is one music director whom the Malayalam film industry is going to miss for a long time.

S Kumar’s camera deserves special mention too.

Director- Shajun Karyal
Cast- Mohanlal, Padhmapriya, Kavya Madhavan, Murali, Biju Menon, Kavayoor Ponnamma and others
Music- Ravindran
Producer- Baba Films

The Good
• Mohanlal’s performance
• Padhmapriya
• Ravindran’s music
• Cinematography

The Bad
• Sometimes you get the feeling that the film’s pace is very slow.

The Ugly-
Nothing at all