Cheriyachante Kroorakrithyangal
Encyclopedia
Cheriyachante Kroorakrithyangal (Translation: Cruelties of Cheriyachan) is a 1979 Malayalam language
film directed by avant-garde
filmmaker John Abraham.
), a landlord
feels threatened by industrialisation
and leftist activities. But when he witnesses police atrocities on poor peasants, a feeling of guilt engulfs him and he feels responsible for the guilt of his entire class. He is last seen up a coconut tree trying to keep away from the police. A peasant's movement
against the feudal system also lies in the backdrop of the film.
Here, the feudal lord is shown as a frightened victim of history in contradiction to the normal characterisation as a stereotypical villain
.
traditions, made his third film, Cheriyachente Kroora Krithyangal using Christian and feudal symbols in the backdrop of Kuttanadu, his home land. When he attacked the traditionalists in his earlier film Agraharathil Kazhuthai
, in Cheriyachente Kroora Krithyangal, he attacked the feudal system and police atrocities during the feudal period in Kerala
.
for the best feature film.
Malayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
film directed by avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
filmmaker John Abraham.
Plot
Cheriyachan (Adoor BhasiAdoor Bhasi
Adoor Bhasi was an Indian film actor and film director from Kerala. Adoor Bhasi was almost always cast as the man who stands next to the hero. His hilarious actions and roles became the cynosure of comic scenes in the Malayalam films of the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s. He is also famous for his...
), a landlord
Landlord
A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant . When a juristic person is in this position, the term landlord is used. Other terms include lessor and owner...
feels threatened by industrialisation
Industrialisation
Industrialization is the process of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial one...
and leftist activities. But when he witnesses police atrocities on poor peasants, a feeling of guilt engulfs him and he feels responsible for the guilt of his entire class. He is last seen up a coconut tree trying to keep away from the police. A peasant's movement
Peasant movement
Peasant movement is a social movement involved with the agricultural policy.Peasants movement have a long history that can be traced to the numerous peasant uprisings that occurred in various regions of the world throughout human history. Early peasant movements were usually the result of stresses...
against the feudal system also lies in the backdrop of the film.
Here, the feudal lord is shown as a frightened victim of history in contradiction to the normal characterisation as a stereotypical villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
.
Themes
John Abraham, having deep knowledge in Marxist and ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
traditions, made his third film, Cheriyachente Kroora Krithyangal using Christian and feudal symbols in the backdrop of Kuttanadu, his home land. When he attacked the traditionalists in his earlier film Agraharathil Kazhuthai
Agraharathil Kazhuthai
Agraharathil Kazhutai is a 1977 Tamil language film directed by avant-garde filmmaker John Abraham.John's second film, Agraharathil Kazhutai made in Tamil, is a hard hitting satire on the brahminical bigotry and superstition, where a donkey becomes the central character.-Plot:A donkey strays into...
, in Cheriyachente Kroora Krithyangal, he attacked the feudal system and police atrocities during the feudal period in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
.
Awards
Cheriyachente Kroora Krithyangal received the Kerala State Film AwardKerala State Film Award
The Kerala State Film Awards are the most prestigious film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Chalachitra Academy since 1998 on behalf of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala, India....
for the best feature film.
Cast
- Adoor BhasiAdoor BhasiAdoor Bhasi was an Indian film actor and film director from Kerala. Adoor Bhasi was almost always cast as the man who stands next to the hero. His hilarious actions and roles became the cynosure of comic scenes in the Malayalam films of the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s. He is also famous for his...
- Cheriyachen - Kaviyoor PonnammaKaviyoor PonnammaKaviyoor Ponnamma is a Malayalam film actress. She won the Kerala State Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1971, 1972, 1973, and 1994.Ponnamma was born in Kaviyoor village, near Tiruvalla to a conservative upper-class family...
- Poornima JayaramPoornima JayaramPoornima Jayaram is an Indian film actress of Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu films. She was a mainstream actress of the 80's. Her pairing with Shankar in Malayalam was a hit. She is married to Tamil director, actor, producer and script-writer Bhagyaraj and has a son Shantanu Bhagyaraj, who is...
- Abraham Joseph
- Venu
Additional details
- Also known as The Evil Deeds of Cherian, The Wicked Deeds of Cheriyachan, The Wicked Deeds of Father Cheriyan, Wicked Deeds of Cherian
- Black and White
- Filming locations: Kuttanadu, KeralaKeralaor Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....