Chithramela is a 1967 Indian Malayalam-language anthology film directed and produced by T. S. Muthaiah. It was Malayalam cinema's first anthology film.[1] The cast includes Prem Nazir, Sharada, Sheela, K. P. Ummer, Kottayam Chellappan, S. P. Pillai, Adoor Bhasi, Bahadoor and Manavalan Joseph.

Chithramela
Directed byT. S. Muthaiah
Written byM. K. Mani
S. L. Puram Sadanandan
T. E. Vasudevan
Bhavanikkutty
Sreekumaran Thampi
Produced byT. S. Muthaiah
StarringPrem Nazir
Sharada
Sheela
K. P. Ummer
Kottayam Chellappan
S. P. Pillai
Adoor Bhasi
Bahadoor
Manavalan Joseph
CinematographyN. S. Mani
Edited byG. Venkitaraman
Music byG. Devarajan
Production
company
Sree Movies
Distributed byCentral Pictures
Release date
  • 29 September 1967 (1967-09-29)
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam

List of short films

edit
Short film Genre Writer Actors
Nagarathinte Mukhangal Crime thriller Screenplay: M. K. Mani
Dialogues: S. L. Puram Sadanandan
Sheela, K. P. Ummer, Kottayam Chellappan, Baby Rajani, Baby Usha
Penninte Prapancham Comedy Idea: T. E. Vasudevan
Dialogues: Bhavanikkutty
S. P. Pillai, Adoor Bhasi, Bahadoor, Manavalan Joseph, Sreenarayana Pillai, Kaduvakulam Antony, J. A. R. Anand, Meenakumari, Khadeeja, C. R. Lakshmi, Devichandrika, Abhayam
Apaswarangal Romance
Musical
Tragedy
Sreekumaran Thampi Prem Nazir, Sharada, Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair, Sukumari, G. K. Pillai, Nellikkodu Bhaskaran, T. R. Omana, Master Sridhar, Vahab Kashmiri, Rajeswari, Kuttan Pillai, Prathapachandran

Cast

edit

Production

edit

Veteran actor T. S. Muthiah made his directorial debut with Chithramela. He also produced the film under the banner of Sree Movies. Director M. Krishnan Nair is credited for giving technical assistance in direction. The idea for the short film Penninte Prapancham was by film producer T. E. Vasudevan. He, in turn, was inspired by a Laurel and Hardy film.[1]

Chithramela was the first anthology film (portmanteau film) in Malayalam. The Tamil film Sirikkathe (1939) was the first anthology film in India. The Malayalam film industry has produced only a handful of anthology films to date, which include Yauvanam/Vandikkari (1974), Naalu Pennungal (2007), Kerala Cafe (2009) and Oru Yathrayil (2013), among others.[1] However, since the advent of new-wave Malayalam cinema of the 2010s, many films which used hyperlink format for storytelling came out. Some film pundits consider these films also as portmanteau films.

Soundtrack

edit

The film's music was provided by G. Devarajan, assisted by R. K. Shekhar. There are eight songs in the film, all of them included in the third and longest segment Apaswarangal. The lyrics were penned by Sreekumaran Thampi, who also penned the script for Apaswarangal.[1][2][3]

No. Song Singers Lyrics Length (m:ss)
1 "Aakaashadeepame" K. J. Yesudas Sreekumaran Thampi
2 "Apaswarangal" K. J. Yesudas Sreekumaran Thampi
3 "Chellacherukiliye" K. J. Yesudas Sreekumaran Thampi
4 "Kannuneer Kaayalile" K. J. Yesudas Sreekumaran Thampi
5 "Madam Pottichirikkunna" K. J. Yesudas, S. Janaki Sreekumaran Thampi
6 "Neeyevide Nin Nizhalevide" K. J. Yesudas Sreekumaran Thampi
7 "Neeyoru Minnalaay" K. J. Yesudas Sreekumaran Thampi
8 "Paaduvaan Moham" K. J. Yesudas Sreekumaran Thampi

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d B. Vijayakumar. (19 June 2011). "CHITRAMELA 1967". The Hindu. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  2. ^ "Chithramela". www.malayalachalachithram.com. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  3. ^ "Chithramela". malayalasangeetham.info. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
edit