Daivathinte Vikrithikal
Encyclopedia
Daivathinte Vikrithikal is a 1992 Malayalam feature film
co-written and directed by Lenin Rajendran
based on M. Mukundan
's award-winning novel of the same name. The film tells the story of Alphonso, a man who chooses to suffer a slow, torturous life in his little village, Mahe, in preference to fortunes and pleasures away from it. Raghuvaran
, Srividya
, Rajan P. Dev
and Malavika Avinash
play the pivotal roles.
Raghuvaran was considered for the prestigious National Film Award for Best Actor
, along with Mithun Chakraborty
for Tahader Katha
, but Mithun Chakraborty won the award.
.
Alphonso ignored the repeated pleas of his wife, Maggi to leave the land, where they no longer "belonged". The new social order became more, suffocating as Alphonso's earnings (as a "magician" of sorts) dwindled. The arrival of their son, Michael, from France revived hopes of a life without poverty, but Michael went back, leaving behind counterfeit gold and plunging the Alphonso family in deeper debts. Daughter Elsie's affair with Sasi became a local scandal.
Alphonso decided to leave, but the decision hung in the air. Alphonso looked around in the realization that he cannot tear himself away from Mahé and the river to which he belonged. Mahé was within him even in a society, where he had no reason for the sense of belonging. In a way, the film reveals what is now described as authentic "ethnicity".
. The novel, published in 1989 by D. C. Books
, is considered a sequel to Mukundan's magnum opus Mayyazhipuzhayude Theerangalil. The novel bagged the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award and N. V. Prize. It was translated to English under the title God's Mischief by Penguin Books
in 2002.
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
co-written and directed by Lenin Rajendran
Lenin Rajendran
Lenin Rajendran is an Indian film director and screenwriter who has worked in Malayalam cinema.- Career :Beginning his film-making career as an assistant to director P. A. Backer, Rajendran made his directorial debut with Venal...
based on M. Mukundan
M. Mukundan
M. Mukundan is one of the pioneers of modernity in Malayalam literature, belonging to Mahe, part of Pondicherry Union Territory in South India. He was born on 10 September 1942 at Mayyazhi , a one-time French territory in India...
's award-winning novel of the same name. The film tells the story of Alphonso, a man who chooses to suffer a slow, torturous life in his little village, Mahe, in preference to fortunes and pleasures away from it. Raghuvaran
Raghuvaran
Raghuvaran was an Indian actor who predominantly acted in movies made in South India. He became famous for his portrayal of villain and character roles in Tamil films. He has acted in more than 150 Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi films...
, Srividya
Srividya
Srividya was a leading Indian film actress of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s in the Tamil film Industry, in addition to being a good singer. In the latter part of her career, she concentrated on Malayalam films. Her brilliant portrayals as a mother in many films were highly acclaimed....
, Rajan P. Dev
Rajan P. Dev
Rajan P Dev was an Indian film and stage actor. He was born in Cherthala in the Alappuzha district of the former state Thiru-Kochi . He had acted in over 140 films in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada language films. He was noted for his villain roles laced with a touch of humour...
and Malavika Avinash
Malavika Avinash
Malavika Avinash is an Indian film actress and television host noted for her wide repertoire of work in Kannada and Tamil. She is currently hosting Baduku Jataka Bandi, a television show that airs on Zee Kannada.- Personal life :...
play the pivotal roles.
Raghuvaran was considered for the prestigious National Film Award for Best Actor
National Film Award for Best Actor
The National Film Award for Best Actor is an honor presented annually at the National Film Awards of India to an actor who has delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry.-Background:The Directorate of Film Festivals makes awards annually in several categories...
, along with Mithun Chakraborty
Mithun Chakraborty
Mithun Chakraborty is an Indian film actor, social activist, and entrepreneur, who has won three National Film Awards. He made his acting debut with the arthouse drama Mrigaya , for which he won his first National Film Award for Best Actor....
for Tahader Katha
Tahader Katha
Tahader Katha is a 1992 award winning Bengali-language Indian feature film directed by Budhhadeb Dasgupta, starring Mithun Chakraborty, who won the 1993 National Film Awards for Best Actor for the film, while the film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali.-Plot:Shibnath is a...
, but Mithun Chakraborty won the award.
Plot
The story begins in 1954, when the French, the colonial rulers were packing off from Mahé, a coastal town in North Malabar, after 230 years, leaving behind remnants of a cultural history. Those, who considered themselves as belonging to Francophone culture, jumped on to the first available vessel to FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Alphonso ignored the repeated pleas of his wife, Maggi to leave the land, where they no longer "belonged". The new social order became more, suffocating as Alphonso's earnings (as a "magician" of sorts) dwindled. The arrival of their son, Michael, from France revived hopes of a life without poverty, but Michael went back, leaving behind counterfeit gold and plunging the Alphonso family in deeper debts. Daughter Elsie's affair with Sasi became a local scandal.
Alphonso decided to leave, but the decision hung in the air. Alphonso looked around in the realization that he cannot tear himself away from Mahé and the river to which he belonged. Mahé was within him even in a society, where he had no reason for the sense of belonging. In a way, the film reveals what is now described as authentic "ethnicity".
Cast
- RaghuvaranRaghuvaranRaghuvaran was an Indian actor who predominantly acted in movies made in South India. He became famous for his portrayal of villain and character roles in Tamil films. He has acted in more than 150 Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi films...
as Alphonso - SrividyaSrividyaSrividya was a leading Indian film actress of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s in the Tamil film Industry, in addition to being a good singer. In the latter part of her career, she concentrated on Malayalam films. Her brilliant portrayals as a mother in many films were highly acclaimed....
as Maggi - Rajan P. DevRajan P. DevRajan P Dev was an Indian film and stage actor. He was born in Cherthala in the Alappuzha district of the former state Thiru-Kochi . He had acted in over 140 films in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada language films. He was noted for his villain roles laced with a touch of humour...
- Malavika AvinashMalavika AvinashMalavika Avinash is an Indian film actress and television host noted for her wide repertoire of work in Kannada and Tamil. She is currently hosting Baduku Jataka Bandi, a television show that airs on Zee Kannada.- Personal life :...
as Elsie - ThilakanThilakanSurendranatha Thilakan , known mononymously as Thilakan, is an Indian actor who works in Malayalam cinema and theatre. He was awarded Padma Shri on 25 January 2009.- Theatre:...
as Landlord - VineethVineethVineeth is an Indian film actor and classical dancer who has acted in several well received films in his native Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films. He studied in Good Shepherd Public School, Ooty, and at St. Joseph's Boys' High School, Thalassery.Vineeth is nephew of the famous Travancore...
as Son of landlord - SudheeshSudheeshSudheesh is an Indian actor who mainly works in Malayalam cinema.-Filmography:-External links:****...
Novel
The film is based on an award-winning novel of the same name by M. MukundanM. Mukundan
M. Mukundan is one of the pioneers of modernity in Malayalam literature, belonging to Mahe, part of Pondicherry Union Territory in South India. He was born on 10 September 1942 at Mayyazhi , a one-time French territory in India...
. The novel, published in 1989 by D. C. Books
D. C. Books
DC Books is the largest publisher in Kerala, the leading publisher of books in Malayalam, and one of the top ten publishers in India. It also operates one of the largest book store chains in India, with a network of over 30 bookshops, and over 50 agencies in Kerala....
, is considered a sequel to Mukundan's magnum opus Mayyazhipuzhayude Theerangalil. The novel bagged the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award and N. V. Prize. It was translated to English under the title God's Mischief by Penguin Books
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
in 2002.