Mattoral

Mattoral (lit.: The Other) is a 1988 Indian Malayalam-language family drama film directed by K. G. George from a story by C. V. Balakrishnan, who co-wrote the screenplay with George.[1] It features Mammootty, Karamana Janardanan Nair, Seema and Urvashi in the lead roles. The plot focuses the life of two couples' Silent treatment and the sudden desertion of a housewife.[2][3]

Mattoral
Theatrical poster
Directed byK. G. George
Screenplay by
Story byC. V. Balakrishnan
Produced byS. Sankaran Kutty
V. Punnuse
Starring
CinematographyRamachandra Babu
Edited byM. N. Appu
Music byM. B. Sreenivasan
Production
company
Swapnachithra
Distributed bySwapna Release
Release date
  • 29 July 1988 (1988-07-29)
Running time
150 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageMalayalam

M. B. Sreenivasan composed the film's score, while Ramachandra Babu served as the cinematographer. The film was shot in Thiruvananthapuram.[4]

Plot

Kaimal, a rude and egotistical bureaucrat, and Susheela, a housewife, are leading an unhappy married life, with two children. Meanwhile, their family friends Balan and Veni, a newly married couple, seem to lead a different and liberal life.

Suddenly one evening, Susheela disappears from the house, only to identify later that she eloped with a car mechanic Giri and is at his home. Kaimal, though devastated, goes ahead with his insipid routine, but is hurt by many of his colleagues. Balan, the family friend, throughout supports Kaimal to get relief. Balan moves to get an answer for the mystery of this unprecedented desertion, while also trying to bring back Susheela, who was still having a discontented life with Giri, to Kaimal's life. It follows some dramatic turns portraying the inner conflict of the characters.

Cast

Production

Principal photography took place in Thiruvananthapuram, with the first shot taken at a car workshop in Thakarapparambu. Mammootty read the script from writer C. V. Balakrishnan only after the initial filming was completed. A scene wherein Mammootty's character hums a song was changed to him singing, after a suggestion by director John Abraham, who while his visit to the film's set sang "Alappuzhakkaran Kesavanaasante", a Kuttanad folk song from there, which was included in the scene as Mammootty singing.

The film is based on a story by author C. V. Balakrishnan, who co-wrote the script, in his film debut. K. G. George had once said, "it was C. V. Balakrishnan's film".[4]

Critical response

In a 2016 article for The Hindu, film critic C. S. Venkiteswaran described the film as "one of the most chilling portrayals of middle class life and the void that men are despite their progressive, civic appearances."[5] In a 2018 critical study article of K. G. George's films, Hindu's Joseph Anthony observed, "If George's women battle jealous, self-indulgent and exploitative men in his other films, in Mattoral they battle a more formidable enemy, the ideal husband — the decent man or the bore."[6]

References
  1. "Book of life". The Hindu. 16 May 2008. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2011.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. "Mattoraal". www.malayalachalachithram.com. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  3. "Mattoraal". malayalasangeetham.info. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  4. Biju Muthathi (17 October 2017). "'മറ്റൊരാളി'ന് മുപ്പത് വയസ്സ്; മമ്മൂട്ടിയെ കാണാനെത്തി എഴുത്തുകാരന് സിവി ബാലകൃഷണന്; മറ്റൊരു സിനിമ കൂടി പ്രതീക്ഷിക്കാമെന്നു കഥാകാരൻ" [Mattoral turns 30; C. V. Balakrishnan meets Mammootty, saying another flm can be expected]. Kairali TV (in Malayalam). Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  5. C. S. Venkiteswaran (22 September 2016). "Reflections on complexities of Malayali society". The Hindu. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  6. Joseph Antony (7 April 2018). "K.G. George's cinematic genius and understanding of the female mind". The Hindu. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
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