Yathra

Yathra (transl. The Journey) is a 1985 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by Balu Mahendra. It is a remake of Mahendra's own 1982 Telugu film Nireekshana.[1] It stars Mammootty and Shobana in the roles portrayed by Bhanu Chander and Archana in the original.[2][3][4]

Yathra
Poster
Directed byBalu Mahendra
Produced byJoseph Abraham
Screenplay byBalu Mahendra
Story byJohn Paul
StarringMammootty
Shobana
Music byIlaiyaraaja
CinematographyBalu Mahendra
Edited byD. Vasu
Production
company
Prakkattu Films
Release date
  • 20 September 1985 (1985-09-20)
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam

Yathra tells a fictional story but is built upon the human rights violations by the police and the prison authorities in India during the nationwide emergency of 1975-1977, when the fundamental rights of the citizens were suspended. It is an adaptation of the 1977 Japanese classic The Yellow Handkerchief.

Plot

The story unfolds as Unnikrishnan (Mammootty), a convict, now free from jail, tells his tragic love story to his fellow passengers in a school bus. An orphan and a forest officer by profession, he falls in love with a local woman, Thulasi, during his stay at a forest area. They decided to get married, and he sets off to tell his best friend about his plans.

On his way back, the police arrest him as a suspected criminal, who looks similar to Unnikrishnan. There he accidentally kills a policeman and gets life imprisonment. During his early days at jail, he writes a letter to Thulasi asking her to forget him. When his prison term was about to complete, he writes a letter to see if she waits for him. After long years of torment in the jail he goes to meet Thulasi. Does she still wait for him? That's the question of his fellow passengers, too. At the end, she does wait for him, and welcomes him with lamps, and a face, wet with tears of joy, and sadness, together. Thus, the film ends off happily, with everyone shedding tears of joy.

Cast

Awards

Mammootty won the Kerala State Film Award – Special Jury Award in 1985 and Balu Mahendra won Best Director at Filmfare Awards South. It also won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value.[5][6]

Soundtrack

The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja and the lyrics were written by P. Bhaskaran and O. N. V. Kurup. The song "Thanannam Thannanam" is inspired by "My Favorite Things" from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music.

No.SongSingersLyricsLength (m:ss)
1"Kunnathoru Kaavundu" (resung song from Asuravithu) Cochin AlexP. Bhaskaran
2"Thannannam Thaanannam"K. J. Yesudas, Ambili, Chorus, Antony, Anna SangeethaO. N. V. Kurup
3"Yamune Ninnude"S. Janaki, ChorusO. N. V. Kurup

References
  1. Shedde, Meenakshi (18 July 2015). "Risking life and liberty". The Hindu. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  2. "Yaathra". www.malayalachalachithram.com. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  3. "Yaathra". malayalasangeetham.info. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  4. "Yaathra". spicyonion.com. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  5. "6 Movies Of John Paul Which Prove That He Is A Master Writer!". Oneindia. 2 June 2016.
  6. "Balu Mahendra: A fascinating journey in filmdom". The Hindu. 15 February 2014.
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