Manichitrathazhu review: 31 years on, Fazil’s psychological thriller starring Mohanlal, Shobana remains a masterpiece in Malayalam cinema (2024)

Even when revisiting the film in 2024, despite certain problematic portrayals, Manichitrathazhu is one of those works that never feels outdated, thanks largely to writer Madhu Muttam. From the very beginning, the brilliance of the makers is evident. The movie opens with a jovial track “Akkuthikkuthanakkombil” which might make viewers think they’re in for a fun family or romantic comedy. But the reality is quite the opposite. This deliberate misdirection is followed by humorous scenes featuring Unnithan (Innocent) and his wife Bhasura (KPAC Lalitha), Nakulan’s relatives, the local temple priest Kattuparamban (Kuthiravattam Pappu) and Unnithan’s helper Dasappan Kutty (Ganesh Kumar). In these scenes, the belief that the Madampalli mansion is haunted is subtly introduced without drawing too much attention. However, as the film progresses, Madhu and Fazil gradually reveal more about the legends surrounding Madampalli, allowing the tension to build at a measured pace without overwhelming the audience.

Johnson’s background score plays a crucial role in making Manichitrathazhu an enduring classic. Whether the scene is comical, serious or horrifying, his musical expertise shines through. He skillfully used instruments like the keyboard, mridangam, violin, ilathalam, veena and others, elevating each moment to unsurpassable heights.

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Madhu’s screenplay is an excellent example of how to keep viewers partially in the dark, providing just enough information to avoid confusion. Towards the end of the first act, the story behind the legends of Madampalli, involving Nagavalli, a classical dancer brought to the mansion by Shankaran Thampi, a powerful landlord who once ruled the area, is brilliantly narrated by Lalitha. This is where Fazil’s filmmaking expertise comes into play. Although he could have included a flashback, Fazil wisely chose not to, using only Lalitha’s narration and Shobana’s expressions to convey everything, including the fact that Nagavalli was brutally murdered by the landlord for having a relationship with a dancer named Ramanathan.

With well-timed humorous and dramatic moments that never detract from the overall experience, Manichitrathazhu builds tension as the inhabitants of Madampalli begin to spot a mysterious female “ghostly” figure. ‘Convinced’ that Sreedevi (Vinaya Prasad) is responsible and that she has mental health issues, Nakulan calls his friend Dr Sunny for help.

Suresh Gopi and Shobana as Nakulan and Ganga, respectively, in Manichitrathazhu. (Image: Matinee Now/YT)

Despite being a large-scale production, Fazil’s decision to introduce Mohanlal, already a superstar at the time, only midway through the film, deserves special recognition and underscores his confidence in the project. The pre-interval sequence and interval block of Manichitrathazhu remains one of the finest in Indian cinema, perfectly balancing all the elements that make Manichitrathazhu so compelling.

Once Sunny arrives, the tension in Madampalli intensifies and more frightening incidents occur, reinforcing the elders’ belief that when Ganga opened Thekkini — the room where the spirits of Nagavalli and Shankaran Thampi are believed to be imprisoned — she unleashed Nagavalli’s ghost. However, Sunny shares Nakulan’s belief that Sridevi is responsible for these events — or at least he pretends to.

Mohanlal with Shobana in Manichitrathazhu. (Image: Matinee Now/YT)

(Spoilers ahead) In one of the most remarkable and unexpected twists in Malayalam cinema history, Sunny reveals towards the end to Nakulan that Ganga is actually responsible for all the mishaps so far and that she suffers from DID (formerly known as multiple personality disorder). This revelation not only amplifies Manichitrathazhu’s brilliance but also challenges the traditional horror narrative in Malayalam cinema, which typically involves a ghost and an exorcism by a priest, offering instead a scientific, psychological explanation for what were often misconstrued as cases of ghost possession.

As the film unravels how and when Ganga first experienced her psychological triggers and what factors may have contributed to them, it becomes evident why she empathised with Nagavalli and how this empathy developed into an alternate personality. Beautifully narrated by Madhu in the song “Varuvaanillaruminn,” Ganga had a lonely childhood, living with her grandmother while her parents worked in Calcutta. Growing up surrounded by mythical stories and legends, Ganga’s young mind absorbed many of these tales and the loneliness began to affect her. Years later, when she learns that her parents are taking her to Calcutta, Ganga experiences her first psychological trigger, as her departure from the ancestral home would uproot her from her comfort zone. In Madampalli, she finds herself in an environment similar to her grandmother’s stories. Hearing about Nagavalli’s tragic fate — murdered and denied the right to live on her own terms — Ganga begins to identify with her, seeing parallels between their experiences. As she gradually takes on Nagavalli’s personality, she starts perceiving Mahadevan (Sridhar), a professor living next door to Madampalli, as Ramanathan and Nakulan as the ruthless landlord, standing in the way of her union with her lover.

Rewatching the movie shows that every subtle action by Shobana throughout was a clue to Manichitrathazhu’s twist, with the actor ensuring these nuances remained hidden unless closely examined. (Image: Matinee Now/YT) Shobana won the National Film Award for Best Actress and for her performance as Ganga and Nagavalli. (Image: Matinee Now/YT)

After the revelations, rewatching the movie shows that every subtle action by Shobana throughout — eyebrow movements, mouth twitches, fading smiles and overenthusiasm in certain instances — was a clue, with the actor ensuring these nuances remained hidden unless closely examined. Once Nagavalli takes over Ganga’s mind, Shobana’s performance shines with more brilliance, her body language masterfully portraying Ganga’s struggle to move like a dancer. As a classical dancer herself, Shobana effortlessly transitions between the two personalities, blending them when necessary. In the iconic track “Oru Murai Vanthu,” composed by MG Radhakrishnan and penned by Vaali, we see Ganga dancing as Nagavalli with great difficulty. When Nagavalli dreams of dancing with Ramanathan in the song, Shobana delivers an exceptional classical performance with Sridhar, highlighting the difference. Although Ganga embodying Nagavalli’s personality is only fully revealed twice to us, the various hints planted by Fazil and Madhu throughout the movie — like the debate between Ganga and Sunny over the authenticity of Nagavalli’s chilanka (ghungroo) and Ganga’s reaction when Nakulan nearly drinks the poisoned tea — show Shobana maintaining her character with utmost precision. It’s no surprise she won the National Film Award for Best Actress and her performance remains unmatched to this day. While praising Shobana, voice artists Bhagyalakshmi (who dubbed for Ganga) and Durga (who dubbed for Nagavalli) also deserve recognition for their outstanding work.Each and every actor in the movie, including Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi, have also delivered remarkable performances.

Fazil’s brilliance as a director is evident throughout the movie and even after 31 years, it still shines. His meticulous choreography of each scene, along with his direction of camera angles and object placement, deserves special mention. In the scene where Nakulan, Ganga and Sridevi gather in the kitchen after hearing that their servant is unwell post seeing something terrifying, the film shows a pot, some plates and a pendulum clock being smashed by thrown objects. If we look closely, Fazil brilliantly places Shobana and Sridevi outside the frame. However, a closer inspection reveals Shobana’s fist clenched as if holding something, possibly rocks, and each time, the objects break from a side closer to or facing Ganga. The way cinematographer Venu captured these visuals masterfully and how TR Shekar edited them to realise Fazil’s vision, are also admirable and kudos to Matinee Now for remastering the print so well. Priyadarshan, Siddique-Lal and Sibi Malayil, who worked as second-unit directors and oversaw the shooting of certain portions, also deserve praise for their contributions to this masterpiece. In short, it’s the dedication of the entire team, who brought their best to the project, that makes Manichitrathazhu a timeless classic.

Radhakrishnan’s track “Pazham Tamil” also embodies the soul of Manichitrathazhu and lyricist Bichu Thirumala’s subtle weaving of Ganga’s situation into the song is inspiring. Mani Suchithra’s remarkable art direction is another factor that contributes to Manichitrathazhu’s classic status. The way Thekkini is depicted showcases his expertise and each frame set in various parts of the mansion is nearly perfect, with Mani using minimalistic or rich designs as required. PN Mani’s makeup, especially for Shobana in the climax sequence, and Velayudhan Keezhillam’s costumes too are mesmerising, highlighting each character to perfection.

However, one aspect where the film hasn’t aged well is in Dr Sunny’s treatment of Kattuparamban’s PTSD, which even the psychiatrist dismisses as a joke. Sunny’s choice of words to discuss mental health issues also comes across as somewhat insensitive.

Nevertheless, it can still be said that Manichitrathazhu is one of the finest Malayalam movies of all time and one of the best psychological thrillers Indian cinema has ever produced, making it a milestone in the careers of everyone involved.

Manichitrathazhu movie cast: Mohanlal, Shobana, Suresh Gopi
Manichitrathazhu movie director: Fazil