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Published from the God’s Own Country

India is the land of Gods and Goddesses, Religions, Rituals, Spirituality and Divine Knowledge. We often say Hindus have 33 Crore Gods and Goddesses to worship. But we are still not satisfied...

So the contemporary India worships Gods and Goddesses from two arenas which have acquired cult status here. Wondering what those are?

The first is Cricket. They say “If cricket is a religion, Sachin Tendulkar is THE GOD”. The second is Films. By films, I am not talking about Bollywood alone. We make close to 1000 films a year in different languages though Bollywood is the most recognized face of Indian films abroad. We have actors and actresses who are worshipped by millions across the nation.

This being the scenario, I feel it is a little bit strange that we don’t have any news papers dedicated to films in eIndia. The thought came to me after I watched the latest Malayalam movie Pazhassiraja yesterday. The magnum opus has taken Kerala by storm and is expected to be a roaring success in over 600 releasing centres (only about 130 of them are in Kerala).

So to test the waters, I present a review of the film for the readers of The Kerala Express. Hope you enjoy it..

Pazhassiraja – A review



This is a review of the most awaited film in the history of Malayalam movies, starring Megastar Mammootty as Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja. The cast includes Tamil Super Star Shrath Kumar, Telugu Super Star Suman and many other great actors from within and outside India. Directed by the acclaimed Hariharan, penned by the one and only M.T.Vasudevan Nair, this film boasts of some of the best technicians in the contemporary cinema including the Music Maestro Ilayaraaja. Oscar winner Rasool Pookkutty has also done a marvellous job in this epic movie.

Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, popularly known as the Lion of Kerala, hailed from Padinjare Kovilakam and was the king of the Kottayam Royal family (near Thalassery, Kannur district) of Malabar region in Kerala, India during the last decades of the 18th century. He fought alongside the British East India Company against the Tiger of Mysore Tipu Sultan when Tipu invaded Malabar. Later when the East India Company itself turned into invaders, Pazhassi fought against them and even tried to get Tipu’s help. Pazhassi is famous for his bravery and along with his army of natives, he waged guerrilla war against the British forces.



Apart from the entertainment, this film is historic because it chronicles the story of one of the earliest and bravest freedom fighters in Indian history. While the tales of Tipu Sultan, Jhansi Rani and other such heroic figures have been well documented, Pazhassi has never got his fair share of recognition in history. This film show cases the brave King in front of the world audience, and is released in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and in Hindi with English subtitle for the international audience. This is the most expensive film in the history of Mollywood (Mallu film world).

Yesterday I had a great time watching this movie in a cinema hall. The sound mixing by Rasool Pookkutty is superb. All the characters have been well evolved and the actors do full justice to their roles. As for Mammootty, he just awes the audience. The role of a noble, dignified, awe inspiring and brave King suits him perfectly. He has portrayed the character with such subtle and fine acting that the audience is left spell bound.

I recommend all the readers to watch this film. Especially our eIndians who are not from RL India, you would find a glimpse of what makes India so special in this movie. Even in war time, we never let go of our values and principles. This is amply demonstrated in the film by invoking concepts like Adhiti Devo Bhava and unity among different religions. In spite of being a real life story, the director and the script writer have incorporated all aspects needed to make it a commercial success too.

Take a sneak peek at the official website of the movie: http://www.pazhassirajathemovie.com/

Rating: Must Watch