Chithrakuzhal
Encyclopedia
Chithrakuzhal is a 2010 Malayalam film directed by Majeed Gulistan. Chithrakuzhal (Binoculars
) is a Children's film
based on environmental issues and protection of the Nature. The title of the English version of the film is The Bird Catcher.
) school going kid Charu (Sidharth) happens to get lost in the forest by a trap laid by the poachers who had a grudge with his father. Caught and taken away by the poachers, the boy is spotted by a tribal boy Virundhan (Amal Ashok) who lives in the forest and who is incidentally his classmate too. In the school the tribal boy got a nickname ‘The Bird Catcher’ as he is believed to catch & take away the birds for cooking and eating.
The tribal boy, who was in the forest searching for some very rare herbal medicinal plants for his ailing mother, becomes the savior & guide to the forest officer’s son. The journey also reveals the many conditions, skills & qualities of the tribal boy Virundhan to Charu, who is of the modern upbringing.
Both of them chance to meet Amina (Meera Nair), a girl of their class, who also happened to be in the forest, running away for fear of police. In the daring journey of the three together, they deal the dangers and obstacles and also learn about the environment & the threats lurking in it.
The journey and its experience eventually transforms them to sharing and concerned human beings with better values.
in South Kerala
.
It was shot in the deep forests of Peppara, Neyyar, Agasthyarkoodam
and Meenmutty
.
The film was completed in 2009 and competed for the best Children's film in the Kerala state film awards
and the National film awards
.
Chithrakuzhal has the distinction of being the first Dolby Digital
Children's film in Malayalam.
The film was premièred in Thiruvanathapuram on October 6, 2010 during an exhibition on wildlife, in the presence of the Minister of Forests Mr. Benoy Viswam
The film was selected to the 34th Cairo International Film Festival
.
. The song "Thathindhaka theytharo" sung by Sri Devi, Jenny, Lekshmi and Kanchana is very popular among children.
Binoculars
Binoculars, field glasses or binocular telescopes are a pair of identical or mirror-symmetrical telescopes mounted side-by-side and aligned to point accurately in the same direction, allowing the viewer to use both eyes when viewing distant objects...
) is a Children's film
Children's film
A children's film is a film aimed for children as its audience. As opposed to a family film, no special effort is made to make the film attractive for other audiences. The film may or may not be about children. In Unshrinking the Kids: Children's Cinema and the Family Film which is a chapter in In...
based on environmental issues and protection of the Nature. The title of the English version of the film is The Bird Catcher.
Synopsis
A Forest Ranger’s (VijayaraghavanVijayaraghavan
Vijayaraghavan is an Indian actor who mainly acts in Malayalam cinema. He is popular for his character roles. He is the son of popular drama and cinema artist N. N. Pillai.-Biography:...
) school going kid Charu (Sidharth) happens to get lost in the forest by a trap laid by the poachers who had a grudge with his father. Caught and taken away by the poachers, the boy is spotted by a tribal boy Virundhan (Amal Ashok) who lives in the forest and who is incidentally his classmate too. In the school the tribal boy got a nickname ‘The Bird Catcher’ as he is believed to catch & take away the birds for cooking and eating.
The tribal boy, who was in the forest searching for some very rare herbal medicinal plants for his ailing mother, becomes the savior & guide to the forest officer’s son. The journey also reveals the many conditions, skills & qualities of the tribal boy Virundhan to Charu, who is of the modern upbringing.
Both of them chance to meet Amina (Meera Nair), a girl of their class, who also happened to be in the forest, running away for fear of police. In the daring journey of the three together, they deal the dangers and obstacles and also learn about the environment & the threats lurking in it.
The journey and its experience eventually transforms them to sharing and concerned human beings with better values.
Filming
The film was set in the backdrop of the forests of the Western GhatsWestern Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
in South 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....
.
It was shot in the deep forests of Peppara, Neyyar, Agasthyarkoodam
Agastya Mala
Agastya Mala is a peak within Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala in the Western Ghats of South India. The mountain lies on the border between the Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu...
and Meenmutty
Meenmutty Falls, Thiruvananthapuram
Meenmutty Falls is located 45 km from Trivandrum city in Thiruvananthapuram District in the state of Kerala, India. This waterfalls is located near the Neyyar reservoir area. No transportation is available to the falls. The visitor has to trek through the dense forests to reach the falls. The...
.
The film was completed in 2009 and competed for the best Children's film in the Kerala state film awards
Kerala State Film Award for Best Children's Film
The Kerala State Film Award for Best Children's Film winners:-References:**...
and the National film awards
National Film Award for Best Children's Film
The National Film Award for Best Children's Film is given annually as part of the National Film Awards ceremony in India. It is given to the film the jury panel of the awards deem the best feature that deals with themes surrounding children....
.
Chithrakuzhal has the distinction of being the first Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital is the name for audio compression technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories. It was originally called Dolby Stereo Digital until 1994. Except for Dolby TrueHD, the audio compression is lossy. The first use of Dolby Digital was to provide digital sound in cinemas from 35mm film prints...
Children's film in Malayalam.
The film was premièred in Thiruvanathapuram on October 6, 2010 during an exhibition on wildlife, in the presence of the Minister of Forests Mr. Benoy Viswam
Benoy Viswam
Benoy Viswam was the Forest Minister in the Government of Kerala. He is a senior Communist Party of India leader and the president of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation Employees' Federation....
Cast
- Amal Ashok as Virundhan, the tribal boy
- Sidharth as Charu, the forest Ranger's son
- Meera Nair as Amina, the classmate
- MadhuMadhu (actor)Madhavan Nair , commonly known by his stage name Madhu is an actor in Malayalam cinema. He was a prominent lead actor during the 60s and 70s. He has also directed and produced films, and at one time he owned Uma film studio.-Early life:...
as Charu's grandfather - VijayaraghavanVijayaraghavanVijayaraghavan is an Indian actor who mainly acts in Malayalam cinema. He is popular for his character roles. He is the son of popular drama and cinema artist N. N. Pillai.-Biography:...
as the Forst Ranger (Charu's father) - Geetha VijayanGeetha VijayanGeetha Vijayan is an Indian actress. Geetha made her debut in the Malayalam comedy In Harihar Nagar which turned out to be a blockbuster. She has since acted in more than 75 Malayalam movies and in some Tamil films and Hindi films. She is also a television actress...
as Charu's mother - Stella as Amina's mother
- Vijayakumari as Virundhan's mother
- Sunitha as the tribal woman
- Indrans as the Forest guard
- Monu as the Big Fat
Accolades
Chithrakuzhal was selected to the 2011 Lucknow International Children's Film festival.The film was selected to the 34th Cairo International Film Festival
Cairo International Film Festival
The Cairo International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Cairo, Egypt. It was established in 1976 and was the first international film festival held in the Arab world...
.
Soundtrack
The music of Chithrakuzhal was done by Ashwin Johnson. The lyrics are by renowned Malayalam poet Kavalam Narayana PanickerKavalam Narayana Panicker
Kavalam Narayana Panicker is an Indian dramatist, theatre director and poet. He has written over 26 Malayalam plays, many adapted from classical Sanskrit drama and Shakespeare, notably Madhyamavyayogam...
. The song "Thathindhaka theytharo" sung by Sri Devi, Jenny, Lekshmi and Kanchana is very popular among children.