Veettilekkulla Vazhi
Veettilekkulla Vazhi English: The Way Home) is a 2010 Indian Malayalam adventure drama film written and directed by Dr. Biju. The film is about terrorist organizations operating in India and how they recruit young Keralites. It stars Prithviraj, Indrajith and Master Govardhan in the lead roles.
Veettilekkulla Vazhi | |
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Poster | |
Directed by | Dr. Biju |
Produced by | B. C. Joshi |
Written by | Dr. Biju |
Starring | Prithviraj Sukumaran Indrajith Sukumaran Malavika Master Govardhan Dhanya Mary Varghese Kiran Raj Vinay Forrt Assim Jamal |
Music by | Ramesh Narayan |
Cinematography | M. J. Radhakrishnan |
Edited by | Manoj Kannoth |
Production company | Soorya Cinema |
Release date |
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Running time | 95 minutes |
Country | India |
Language | Malayalam Hindi |
The film's world premiere took place at the 12th Mumbai Film Festival on 22 October 2010 as the opening film in the Indian Frames section.[2] It was an official selection for 28 international film festivals. It won the award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam at the 58th National Film Awards and the NETPAC Award. It also received accolades at the Zanzibar International Film Festival and Imagine India Film Festival, Spain. The film released in theatres in Kerala on 5 August 2011.
Plot
The film's story revolves around a doctor (Prithviraj) with a haunting past. He witnessed his wife (Malavika) and five-year-old son die in an explosion at a market in Delhi.
Now working at a prison hospital, the doctor is assigned the case of a woman in critical condition, a surviving member from a suicide squad of the ‘Indian Jihadi’, a notorious terrorist group.
Despite the doctor’s best efforts, the woman dies. But before dying, she entrusts him to find her five-year-old son and unite him with his father. The father is revealed to be Abdul Zuban Tariq, head of the terrorist group.
Finding the boy in Kerala, the doctor and child set out on a journey to find his father. The journey follows the contemporary and mysterious path of the terrorist network in the vast country through various Indian states and with many unexpected incidents.
Veettilekkulla Vazhi is an adventure drama highlighting human relationships. It emphasizes the path of love, survival, innocence and humanity, exploring a bloodstained facet of contemporary terrorism in India. The film is a travelogue through the most beautiful landscapes of India.
Cast
Actor | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|
Prithviraj | Doctor | |
Master Govardhan | Kid | |
Malavika Sharma | Wife of doctor | |
Indrajith | Rassaq | Tamil Terrorist |
Irshad | Abdulla | |
Vinay Forrt | Terrorist Leader in Ajmeer | |
S.Saji | Malayali Terrorist | |
Melwyn | Sardarji Truck Driver | |
Kiran Raj | Najeem | |
Assim Jamal | Terrorist Leader at Kashmir | |
Lakshmipriya | Rashida | Kid's mother |
Dhanya Mary Varghese | Teacher |
Production
Veettilekkulla Vazhi is the third directorial venture of Dr. Biju whose previous films are Saira and Raman. Veettilekkulla Vazhi is an adventure drama that wants to explore the bloodstained facets of present-day terrorism. Produced by B. C. Joshi under the banner of Soorya Cinema, the film was mainly shot from Ladakh, Kashmir, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikkneer, Ajmer, Pushkarand, Delhi and Kerala.[3]
Festival screenings
The film was screened at 28 international film festivals including:
- 12th Mumbai Film Festival (Mumbai, India; 2010) as the opening film in the Indian Frames section.
- 34th Cairo International Film Festival (Egypt; 2010) in the Out of Competition section.
- 15th International Film Festival of Kerala (Trivandrum, India; 2010)
- 3rd Jaipur International Film Festival (Jaipur, India; 2011)
- 5th Chennai International Film Festival (Chennai, India; 2011)
- 10th Imagine India International Film Festival (Madrid, Spain; 2011) in competition section.
- 11th New York Indian Film Festival (New York, USA; 2011) in competition section
- Zanzibar International Film Festival (Zanzibar, Tanzania; 2011)
- London Indian Film Festival (London, UK; 2011)
- Bollywood and Beyond Film Festival (Germany; 2011)
- 38th Telluride Film Festival (Telluride, USA; 2011)
- New Generation Film Festival (Frankfurt, Germany; 2011)
- Third Eye Asian Film Festival (Mumbai, India; 2011)
- Seattle Film Festival (Seattle, USA; 2011)
Accolades
Award | Ceremony | Category | Recipients and nominees | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|
Imagine India Film Festival[4][5] | 10th Imagine India Film Festival |
Best Film | Veettilekkulla Vazhi | Won |
Best Director | Dr. Biju | Won | ||
Best Music Director | Ramesh Narayan | Won | ||
International Film Festival of Kerala[6] | 15th International Film Festival of Kerala |
NETPAC Award for Best Malayalam Film | Veettilekkulla Vazhi | Won |
Kerala State Film Awards[7] | Kerala State Film Awards |
Best Cinematography | M. J. Radhakrishnan | Won |
Best Processing Lab | Won | |||
National Film Awards[8] | 58th National Film Awards |
Best Feature Film in Malayalam | Veettilekkulla Vazhi | Won |
Zanzibar International Film Festival[9][10] | 14th Zanzibar International Film Festival |
Signis Award (Commendation) | Dr. Biju | Won |
Industry Award for Best Cinematography | M. J. Radhakrishnan | Won | ||
References
- "Screening schedule of 12th Mumbai Film Festival". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- "List of Films to be screened at the 12th Mumbai Film Festival". Mumbai Film Festival. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- "Veettilekkulla Vazhi shooting almost over". Oneindia.in. Retrieved 6 September 2010.
- "Imagine India 2011 Awards". Imagine India Film Festival. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- "Veettilekkulla Vazhi win three awards at Imagine Film Fest". Oneindia.in. 15 June 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- "Top prize for Colombian film". The Hindu. 18 December 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- "Debutant directors sweep Kerala state awards". The Indian Express. 23 May 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- "Southern cinema sweeps National Awards". The Hindu. 19 May 2011. Retrieved 19 May 2011
- "Winners Announced at Annual ZIFF Awards Ceremony". Zanzibar International Film Festival. 25 June 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
- Dominic Dipio. "A Season of Visions at ZIFF 2011". Afrika Film Festival. Retrieved 10 July 2011.