2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Restored classic returns to Kochi with rare reunion
KOCHI: More than seven decades after it changed the course of Malayalam cinema, 'Neelakuyil' is returning to the big screen in a brand new avatar. The 1954 classic — the first Malayalam film to win the President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film — will be screened in its digitally restored 4K format at the Chavara Cultural Centre theatre, in Kochi, on Monday at 5pm.
The screening is being organised by Cochin Film Society and Chavara Cultural Centre in association with National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and National Film Archive of India (NFAI).
Adding to the occasion will be the rare reunion of two people directly tied to the film's legacy: Babu Thaliyath, son of the late Miss Kumari — Malayalam cinema's first true leading lady — and cinematographer Vipin Mohan, who, as a boy, played the son of Sathyan's character in the movie. He is today the only surviving actor from the film. 'For audiences, their presence brings an emotional bridge to a cinematic milestone whose makers and stars — including Sathyan, Miss Kumari, and directors P Bhaskaran and Ramu Kariat — are no more,' said Balachandran V A, secretary of the Cochin Film Society.
Based on a story by Uroob, 'Neelakuyil' is celebrated as the film that pulled Malayalam cinema away from mythological fantasies and placed it firmly in the soil of Kerala's social realities. With Sathyan and Miss Kumari essaying the lead roles, the film tells a moving tale of love and caste oppression. K Raghavan's folk-inspired music, written by Bhaskaran, and Aloysius Vincent's cinematography, which showcased the state's natural landscapes, gave Malayalam cinema a new visual and musical vocabulary.
'Neelakuyil opened a window into Kerala's social conscience. To see it restored is to witness how Malayalam cinema first found its voice,' said Balachandran, adding 'For viewers, Monday's event offers more than nostalgia. It is a chance to watch a film that laid the foundations of realism in Malayalam cinema — and to meet those who still carry its memories.'
