Thulabharam is a 1968 Malayalam film, directed by A. Vincent

A. Vincent

Aloysius Vincent born June 14, 1928 in Calicut, Kerala, India is an Indian cinematographer of Hindi movies and director of Malayalam movies. Since the mid 1960s he has directed some 30 movies...

. It is the film adaptaion of a Kerala People's Arts Club

Kerala People's Arts Club

Kerala People's Arts Club is a theatre movement in Kerala, India. It was formed in the 1950s by a group of individuals having close ties with Left-wing politics parties of Kerala. This political theatre was very influential in propagating communist ideas in Kerala.In 1951 KPAC staged its first...

 play written by Thoppil Bhasi

Thoppil Bhasi

Thoppil Bhasi was a Malayalam playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He was associated with the communist movement in Kerala and his play Ningalenne Communistakki is considered to be a groundbreaking event in the history of Malayalam theatre.Thoppil Bhasi was born in Vallikunnam, a small...

. Thoppil Bhasi also adapted the play for the screen. The film had an ensemble cast, featuring the likes of Prem Nazir

Prem Nazir

Abdul Khader , better known by his stage name Prem Nazir , was an Indian film actor. He is considered one of the all time super stars in Malayalam cinema...

, Sharada

Sharada (actress)

Sharada is a three time national award winning South Indian actress and Indian Parliament member. She originally hails from Andhra Pradesh. She has achieved success through Malayalam movies. Initially she did many supporting roles in Telugu films and later on moved to Malayalam film industry and...

, Madhu

Madhu (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:...

, Sheela

Sheela

Sheela ), is a Malayalam film actress from India. She, along with Prem Nazir, holds the world record for acting in the largest number of films together as heroine and hero. In 2005 she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the Malayalam film Akale. She has also...

, Thikkurisi Sukumaran Nair and Adoor Bhasi

Adoor 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...

. The film won two National Awards

National Film Awards

The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it is administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.Every year, a national panel...

.

Plot

Two close friends, Vijaya (Sharada

Sharada (actress)

Sharada is a three time national award winning South Indian actress and Indian Parliament member. She originally hails from Andhra Pradesh. She has achieved success through Malayalam movies. Initially she did many supporting roles in Telugu films and later on moved to Malayalam film industry and...

) and Vatsala (Sheela

Sheela

Sheela ), is a Malayalam film actress from India. She, along with Prem Nazir, holds the world record for acting in the largest number of films together as heroine and hero. In 2005 she won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the Malayalam film Akale. She has also...

) had to part ways after Vatsala's father, a lawyer loses a case of Vijaya's father and it results in the latter's death. Vijaya gets married to Ramu (Prem Nazir

Prem Nazir

Abdul Khader , better known by his stage name Prem Nazir , was an Indian film actor. He is considered one of the all time super stars in Malayalam cinema...

), a trade union leader against her will. Ramu leads a union strike and gets killed when the agitation turns violent. Vijaya's life becomes miserable and she kills her starving children, but gets arrested before she could commit suicide. In the end, she is given death penalty by the prosecution, led by her former dear friend Vatsala, who had become a famous lawyer in the meantime.

Awards

• National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film
  National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film
  The National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film winners :-See also:...
  
  
• National Film Award for Best Actress
  National Film Award for Best Actress
  The National Film Award for Best Actress is an honor presented annually at the National Film Awards of India to an actress who has delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film industry...
  
   - Sharada
  Sharada (actress)
  Sharada is a three time national award winning South Indian actress and Indian Parliament member. She originally hails from Andhra Pradesh. She has achieved success through Malayalam movies. Initially she did many supporting roles in Telugu films and later on moved to Malayalam film industry and...