Vadakkunokkiyantram

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vadakkunokkiyantram
Vadakkunokkiyanthram.jpg
Theatrical poster
Directed bySreenivasan
Written bySreenivasan
Produced byToffy Kannara
T. C. Mony
StarringSreenivasan
Parvathy
CinematographyVenu
Edited byN. Gopalakrishnan
Music byJohnson
Production
company
Kavyakala Film Unit
Distributed byK.R.G. Enterprises
Release date
  • 19 May 1989 (1989-05-19)
Running time
120 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam

Vadakkunokkiyantram (transl. Compass) is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language dark comedy film written and directed by Sreenivasan who also stars in the film along with Parvathy. The film is about the marital discord caused by a husband's othello syndrome. The film won three Kerala State Film Awards, including Best Film. It was dubbed in Telugu as Sandeham and remade in Tamil as Dindigul Sarathy, in Kannada as Nanjangudu Nanjunda, and in Hindi as Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh.[1][2]

Plot[]

Thalathil Dineshan (Sreenivasan) is managing a printing press. He is burdened with insecurities about his short physique and dark complexion. His life spirals out of control after his marriage to Shobha (Parvathy). His insecurities are heightened by the fact that his wife is exceptionally beautiful and is taller than him. Initially, he is overprotective of his wife, which worsens his relationship with his brother Prakashan (Baiju). He feels challenged by the charm and wit of his brother, which eventually leads to the eruption of a feud in the family.

Dineshan gradually resorts to tactics which, he feels, will enable him to earn the respect and admiration of Shobha. He finds a new confidante in Thalakulam Sir (Innocent), who gives him immature advice to win the heart of his wife Shobha. He starts drinking, believing that it is a symbol of machismo. He memorizes jokes from a weekly magazine and monotonously delivers them to his wife, so as to appear witty. But all these attempts turn out to be pure antics and he makes a fool of himself.

Shobha, an archetypal wife, is very much devoted to her husband and cannot understand Dineshan's eccentric behaviour. He gradually becomes paranoid and starts suspecting his wife. He threatens the brother (Lalu Alex) of Shobha's friend, whom he suspects of having an affair with her. Things spin out of his control when Shobha learns everything. He is even confined to a mental hospital following some incidents resulting from extreme paranoia.

After a brief treatment, he appears to be a changed man. Dineshan wins his wife back from her parental home, assuring her of love and care. Now, all seem to be fine with them, but again in the dead of the night when his wife is asleep he starts looking out suspiciously in his backyard for his wife's stalker.

Cast[]

Reception[]

The film was a critical as well as commercial success at the box office.

Legacy[]

Vadakkunokkiyantram is considered as one of the best Malayalam movies ever made. Dealing with the themes of insecurity, paranoia and inferiority complex, the movie was well appreciated for its poignant way of approaching such themes, intermixed with comedy. Some of the cringy jokes used by Dineshan for impressing his wife have become infamous as well as the photograph scene.

Sreenivasan and Parvathy Jayaram in Vadakkunokkiyantram

Awards[]

References[]

  1. ^ "#FilmyFriday: Vadakkunokkiyantram: A complete Sreenivasan starrer - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  2. ^ Jayaram, Deepika (23 February 2020). "'An acquaintance in Chennai inspired me to create Dineshan'". The Times of India. Retrieved 23 November 2021.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""