Yathra
| Yathra (The Journey) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Balu Mahendra |
| Produced by | Joseph Abraham |
| Written by |
John Paul (story) Balu Mahendra (screenplay) |
| Starring |
Mammootty Shobana Adoor Bhasi Thilakan Anju |
| Music by | Ilaiyaraaja |
| Cinematography | Balu Mahendra |
| Edited by | D. Vasu |
Production company |
Prakkattu Films |
| Distributed by | Prakkattu Films |
Release dates |
|
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
Yathra (Malayalam: യാത്ര, meaning The Journey) is a 1985 Malayalam film directed by Balu Mahendra, and starring Mammootty and Shobana.[1][2][3] It is a remake of the 1982 Telugu film Nireekshana, directed by Balu Mahendra himself, and starring Bhanu Chander and Archana.
The film tells a fictional story, but built upon the human rights violations by the Police and the prison authorities in India during the nationwide emergency of 1975-1977, when the fundamental rights of the citizens were suspended. The movie is an adaptation of the 1977 Japanese classic "The Yellow Handkerchief". The film was commercial success.[4]
Plot
The story unfolds as Unnikrishnan (Mammootty), a convict, now free from the jail tells his tragic love story to his fellow passengers in a school bus. An orphan and a forest officer by profession, he falls in love with a local girl, Thulasi, during his stay at a forest area. They decided to get married and he sets off to inform his marriage to his best friend. On his way back the police arrests him as a suspected criminal, who has some visible similarities of Unnikrishnan. There he accidentally kills a police man and gets life imprisonment. During his early days at jail, he writes a letter to Thulasi asking to forget him. When his prison term was about to complete, he wrote a letter to light a lamp if she still waits for him. After long years of torments in the jail he goes to meet Thulasi, and does she still waits for him? That's the question of his fellow passengers too. She waits for him and they get united.
Cast
- Mammootty as Unnikrishnan
- Shobhana as Thulasi
- Adoor Bhasi as Father
- Thilakan as Jailer
- Nahas
- Sunny
- Achankunju
- Kunchan
- Azeez as SI
- Alummoodan
- K. P. A. C. Sunny
- T. R. Omana
- Anju
- Manohar
- P.R. Menon
- Baby Preethi
- K.R. Savithri
- Sreerekha
- Master Vimala
Awards
Mammootty won the Special Jury Award in 1985 Kerala State Film Awards and the Best Actor award in the Filmfare Award.
Soundtrack
The music was composed by Illayaraja and lyrics was written by P. Bhaskaran and ONV Kurup. The song "Thanannam Thannanam" is inspired from "My Favorite Things" from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music.
| No. | Song | Singers | Lyrics | Length (m:ss) |
| 1 | Kunnathoru Kaavundu (Resung song from Asuravithu) | Cochin Alex | P. Bhaskaran | |
| 2 | Thannannam Thaanannam | K. J. Yesudas, Ambili, Chorus, Antony, Anna Sangeetha | ONV Kurup | |
| 3 | Yamune Ninnude | S Janaki, Chorus | ONV Kurup |
Box office
The film was both critical and commercial success,[5][6][7] and ran over 250 days in theatres.[8][9] The film was the highest grossing malayalam film of that time and broke all the existing records becoming an industry hit..[10]
References
- ↑ "Yaathra". www.malayalachalachithram.com. Retrieved 2014-10-21.
- ↑ "Yaathra". malayalasangeetham.info. Retrieved 2014-10-21.
- ↑ "Yaathra". spicyonion.com. Retrieved 2014-10-21.
- ↑ "Malayalam films: New heroes". India Today. 15 January 1986.
- ↑ "6 Movies Of John Paul Which Prove That He Is A Master Writer!". Oneindia. 2 June 2016.
- ↑ "Malayalam films: New heroes". India Today. 15 January 1986.
- ↑ "Balu Mahendra: A fascinating journey in filmdom". The Hindu. 15 February 2014.
- ↑ "Mammootty - The icon of Malayalam cinema". Sify.
- ↑ "Malayalam Films In Which 'Prison' Played An Important Part!". Oneindia. 19 May 2016.
- ↑ "Malayalam films: New heroes". India Today. 15 January 1986.