Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja (2009) User Reviews

Pazhassiraja- A masterpiece...

[jasin_saj · 9/10 · 19 October 2009]

Hariharan-M.T Vasudevan Nair-Mammootty team After 20 Years..After evergreen classic Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha..Expectations were sky high...Did they meet it..?My answer is a big YES...Yes one of the best war films in India..No doubt..

But comparing it with OVVG is not a good thing...In OVVG MT had full freedom to mould his character with multi-shades because of its fiction or fantasy treatment of Vadakkan Pattu. Here it is a chapter from History..So He used a safety path of straight forward storytelling...We can say script wise MT Excelled in OVVG than this..But a war film from history is not at all an easy task..Because common audience have to follow the path with less troubles..Here MT succeeded 100% with a gripping screenplay within the commercial format...You can see the beauty of dialogues here also..

Hariharan...Seriously I was very much doubtful about his treatment..Because of his recent deliveries..But he corrected in this one...His directorship is very much apt for this movie...He superbly handled(utilised) actors and production crew in all categories..

Mammootty...Who can else in Malayalam to portray a Legendary King...His screen-presence will do half the things..He performed it with subtle manner..kind of underplay...exactly opposite of Chandhu in oVVG...For fans It will be little bit disappointment...Because MT did his characterisation in this way...Thats the one of the best thing about the script..Otherwise it would have been a one-man show...

Sarathkumar...A real warrior in all aspects...Most favourite character in this film for masses..One of his career best..Manoj,Pathmapriya other protagonists..are also in good form... Technical side: Ramnath shetty:- Beauty of frames without camera gimmicks...Night shots the best one in Malayalam..(He excelled in these category in Virumandi also.."Unnai vidai" song). Resuls Sound Mixing...IMO, it's his best work than Oscar slumdog...BGM is good..But Raja sir could have done it even better...

Next is Gokulam Gopalan...big applause for his guts and dedication for this project..

I'm not going to the negatives...(because those are very minute things here...) This kind of films...Rarely happens in Malayalam...A real pride of Malayalam....

A True Master Piece

[samsha22 · 9/10 · 19 October 2009]

Here is my take on the Most Awaited Malayalam Movie till date:

I went to the theater with a lot of expectations.The magical trio of MT-Hariharan-Mammootty is working together after a span of 2 decades. Oscar Winner Resul Pookutty, Ace Stuntman Revi Dewan, 6 time National award winner Sreekar Parasad, Legendary Musician Ilayaraja and ONV among the title card.My expectations grew again.. And to my pleasant surprise, the movie passed the expectation barrier with a distinction.

About the movie- It is a tiny piece from the Indian History... The East India Company is imposing huge taxes on the common people. They have got many small greedy kings with them. But there are some others like Pazhasi Raja, who decides to fight with them with the small manpower which they have. Here Pazhassi Raja is taking on a Gorilla was against the British with the help of tribal soldiers whose leader is Thalakkal Chanthu.. British Governor then signs a peace treaty with Pazhassi because of the setbacks...But they fails to follow the treaty and this angers Pazhassi. Then he decides to restart his war against them.. Pazhasiyude Sainyathile Pramukharudeyellam Thalakku Britishukar Vila Idunnu...How long can they fight against the mighty British Army???? this is the story in a nutshell... Performances- Mammootty has got a meaty role after a long gap and he did it with ease. He once again proved that nobody can beat him in Dialogue delivery. Sarathkumar has done a very good job, especially in the action scenes. His muscles are cool Manoj K Jayan has got a role of his life time, on par with Sargam. Padmapriya as Neeli(Manoj's fiancé) resembles Vijayasanti in the action sequences. Her break down scene was the best piece of acting in this whole movie Kaniha was cute as Kaitheri Makkam. She did a commendable job. All others from Suman, Devan, Jagathi, Suresh Krishna,Thilakan, Captain Raju, Mamukkoya, Jagadeesh etc...did their parts well. After a long gap, I have seen a casting based on actors, not STARS.

My Favourite scene-

Spoiler: Thooki Kollan Povumbol Devan Makanodu "Ninaku Pedi Undo??" Makan " Illa acha" Devan "Pedikkaruthu, Nammal Pedichal Athu Ivarude Vijayam Aavum"

Direction and technical departments: Hariharan has done it again. He will get all the main awards next summer...period. He lifted the benchmark for classics once again. Age is not a barrier for quality script, MT has proved it once again. S N Swamy and co should take a leaf from it. Action scenes were the best in Malayalam. Editing and Photography were world class. Music was on par with Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha Lyrics were meaningful, unlike OSAMA and Bootham kind of craps. I am not gonna list the positives from the movie as it is almost the entire movie apart from 3-4 scenes.

Negatives- 2 fight scenes by Mammooka (Misusing the ropes)..other than that it is a perfect movie

Last but not the least. It is a true story, so we should not expect Pazhasi to kill all the British people and Free India from the British. I heard some comments like that.

Verdict- Another masterpiece from the master of masterpieces

Something to be proud about...

[nashh13 · 9/10 · 8 November 2009]

I have to say, I was taken by surprise. Something as Grand and Majestic as this could pop out of Malayalam film industry!! I am proud, being a Malayali myself. I loved it.

The movie begins with the British's decision to take heavy taxes from the local people under the Rajahs. Pazhassi who belonged to the Kottayam Royal family of Thalassery region oppose this and becomes the first ruler to resist them and fight it out. Pazhassi who is forced to flee from the his palace starts a carefully planned counter action, with the aid of Edachena Kunkan(Sarath Kumar)and Kaithery Ambu Suresh Krishna). He gets the full support from the kurichiers and tribal people headed by Thalakkal Chandhu( Manoj K. Jayan) and Neeli(Padmapriya) who fights the British using Guirella Warfare tactics. British faced heavy setbacks in various confrontations. Though Pazhassi was able to surprise the British with his tactics, traitors like Pazhayaveedam Chandhu helps the British in the later part of the warfare and capture each of Pazhassi's men.

Mammooty has given a graceful & effortless performance as Pazhassi Raja making him as Humanly as possible. Sharath Kumar gives us an electrifying performance as Kunkan with his machismo and sword fights. Kaniha, on the other hand, could have done better. I wasn't very impressed. Padmapriyas character maybe(I am not sure) first of its type in Malayalam films. She has handled it well and so has Manoj K. Jayan with his Thalakkal Chandu. Lalu Alex, Captian Raju, Thilakan..etc all of them have done a fine job. Its the English actors who really sucked. They should have put more professional actors. The cinematography was simply brilliant, capturing the beauty of Malabar Region. The sets and costumes and the lighting were excellent, simulating that bygone era on the silver screen. The music score by Ilaiyaraja is magnificent. The direction was good and so was the legendary M.T.'s script. The war scenes were impressive, except for the gravity defying stunt scenes.

Overall Pazhassi Raja is a great flick to watch. 9/10

A Classic for Ages to Cherish

[abhilashfraizer · 10/10 · 19 October 2009]

Pazhassi Raja, the Biopic Magnum Opus is a Classic by all standards, not just because of the legendary talents associated with it, but by the sublime feeling and value it stands for. It is a film that occurs once in a blue moon, with its amazing blend of technical perfection, superb performance and creative resplendence. Masterly crafted in epic proportions, its relevance grows by the fact that it is the based on the true story of one of India's first freedom fighters. Scripted by one of the greatest living writers of India, M.T. Vasudevan Nair, the great movie is the happy result of the greats in South Indian celluloid. Noted names are Mammootty, Hariharan, Resul Pookutty, Ilayaraja, Sharath Kumar, Sreekar Prasad, ONV Kuruppu and so on. The film has indeed lived up to the expectations.

Mammootty, who portrays the King is sublime in his restrained and subtle expressions. He seems to have an aura, an undeniable grace of a great and good hearted king on his face all through the film. The magnificent actor, well known for his fiery dialogue delivery (Still his fiery dialogues in another classic Vadakkan Veeragadha is alive even after eighteen years!) has surprised everyone with his mature rendition of the royal character. We can very well assess from the film that this is the kind of Raja (King) the master script writer and the director had dreamed of. Hariharan's words confirm this point. He says he is fully satisfied with Mammooty's performance. Pazhassi Raja is an upright, patriotic, benevolent king who loves his people and wife. The character is sketched as a human character enriched with royal grace. That is what exactly Mammooty has done. The grace, dignity and charm of a benevolent and just king is excellently portrayed. If he had repeated another Chanthu, I am sure the director and script writer would not have been happy. Remember, Chanthu is a wounded warrior with responsibility to none. He could be angry and explode dialogues freely. Where as Pazhassi is a responsible King, with every human emotion including compassion and love. Tamil Actor Sharath Kumar is a pleasant surprise. Watching him was a delight. Moreover, he is more lucky to have got typical M.T. dialogues which capture's the viewers' hearts. He has also got more scope to express his heroism. I think this is the reason why he has become the favorite of many viewers. Manoj K.Jayan and Padmapriya are brilliant. The death scene of Thalakkal Chanthu and the consequent atmosphere picturized is a marvel in the movie. Great is the cinematography by Ramnath Shetty and Venu, who captures the silvan charm and the splendour of nature. The great Resul Pookuty has transformed the epic into an unforgettable experience of sound. With his magic wand, he has made us felt the importance of sound in a film. Congratulations to everyone associated with this masterpiece. Moreover, the movie upholds spirit of freedom and self-esteem. It has a strong basis. It has a history to tell. The spirit of sacrifice and patriotism which reverberate through out the movie is inspiring. The film is to be experienced, and it will tell how far sincere creative effort can take you, to what heights!

Pazhassiraja - A must watch movie

[bickerer · 10/10 · 19 October 2009]

The movie is recommended since: 1. It has a gripping script even though it stays true to history. 2. The fight scenes are awesome 3. The cinematography is praiseworthy. It captures the beauty of Wayanad forests and war scenes well. 4. The sound design is one of THE best ever in Indian films. Resul Pookutty captures the sound of war and the song of rain effectively. 5. You won't be bored for a minute considering that the movie is around 3.5 hours 6. The film uses the best talent in Indian film industry. Lead actor with more National awards than anyone else, music maestro Ilayaraja, singers Yesudas and Chitra who holds the maximum national awards for the best male singer and female singer respectively, editor with the most number of National Awards, script writer with the most number of national awards and Resul Pookutty who won a Oscar. The team can't be better!

Good, not worth the hype

[newsnehasallapam · 7/10 · 19 October 2009]

Pazhassi Raja is a relief for Malayalam audience who has been made to sit through some mindless craps by the industry. However did it live up to the hype remains a question.

Whatever the answer to this question be, from the public, a standing ovation and shivering salute to Gokulam Gopalan, Hariharan,Mammooty and the rest of the crew for the effort.

An analogy can be drawn with the comments we see in the reality shows these days. "Didnt quite reach there"; "Landing note went flat" Pazhassi Raja promises so much, but fails to deliver to the expectations. However take that baggage away from the movie it is a fine product.

The bouquets: The freedom that the budget gives Hariharan is the biggest positive. The sets, the extras, the costumes, the camera, the sound, the stunts are all enriched in the vastness of the budget.

The story is set in an atmosphere which we are new to, and that adds to the excitement.

The performances could come in next, with Sarath Kumar getting most of the scenes which will bring him claps, closely followed by Manoj K Jayan. However if one asks me whether they were superlative performances in terms of quality, I will have to reply in the negative.

Mammootty is again weighed down by the baggage of expectation from 'Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha' and comparisons are inevitable. The MT magic has not worked in his favor this time around, and the characterization is devoid of any scope for outstanding performance.

But it is to his credit that, it is his face that a Keralite would relate to with Pazhassi Raja's name.

The technical dept lead by Resul Pookkutty, the cinematographers and the stunt choreographer would take the next slot.

The Brickbats: Numero Uno, Hariharan: You had no business to keep it dragging on and on for 210 minutes, that took away the focus of the audience every time an inconsequential scene come on.

Had you been more vigilant at the editor's table and chopped off a good 30minutes of the movie, it would have been a lot different.

Second in Command MT: The magic your pen weaved in your prime was totally missing. Not sure if anybody in the respected critic league would be brave enough to declare that the King is naked.

The USP of your scripts was the multi-faceted characters you create and the power packed and though provoking dialogs. Saw just glimpses of it, hence a disappointing effort from you.

I am still wondering how Pazhassi Raja mouths English dialogs with such ease, and the English lady character would make one think of Lagaan every now and then.

Sad that even you fell to the temptation of the super star image by the climax.

Summary: Pazhassi Raja as a stand alone movie is good and pretty good, but when it comes from the crew of OVVG it isn't.

Trade Verdict: The duration is going to be a big setbacks to its commercial prospects I feel..

Pazhassi Raja - Majestic

[hardys101 · 10/10 · 17 October 2009]

For a Mollywood cinephile, there are quite a few reasons to watch Pazhassi Raja .Not only that it is made in the biggest budget ever in Mollywood, it is also an offering from the masters of the media, including Mammootty, M T Vasudevan Nair and Hariharan. Moreover, there are a plenty of other great names including Rasul pookuuty, Ilayaraja, Sharath Kumar and a plenty of others whose credits itself demand interest. Above all, it is the first visual rendering of the most fascinating epoch making struggle of the great leader, against tyranny and oppressions of the British.

Expectations are obviously sky high. And the question is whether it has lived up? And the big answer is 'yes'. The movie is indeed a masterpiece, which grab your attentions from the word go, taking the acceptable cinematic liberties to keep your attention all through, though in a story that everyone knows very well. Set in the final years of seventeenth century, the brilliant writer in M T has taken extreme caution to avoid the complications in narrating history. He goes by the safer path , concentrating more on pazhassi and his men and just giving out the necessary touches of historical facts .And thus the movies gallops over the first barricade of just being a realistic historical.

The movie begins with the Britisher's decision to levy heavy takes from the local rajahs. Pazhassi who belonged to the Kottayam Royal family of Thalassery region oppose this and becomes the first ruler from the state for British, to be branded as a big enemy to fight it out. Pazhassi who is forced to flee from the his palace starts a carefully planned counter action ,with the aid of his trusted lieutenant Edachena Kunkan, Sharath Kumar, Kaithery Ambu (Suresh Krishna). He gets the full fledged support from the kirichiers and tribes headed by Thalakkal Chandhi and Neeli who fights the Britishers wit Guerrilla warfare , with tribal weapons .British face heavy setbacks in various confrontations and as many as five hundred from British army are killed in fight with Pazhassi. Though Pazhassi was able to surprise the British with his tactics and bravery, traitors like Pazhayawvedam Chandhu helps the British to gain momentum and capture each of Raja's men.

The movie shows the grace of its great names in many a points and it is sure without an expert team of technicians like this, it's just impossible to execute a movie of this magnitude. In terms of visual and creative terrain that this movie covers, the big salute must be given to Rananath Sheety and Venu's mind blowing Camera-work, Ravi Dewan's action direction, splendid costume and art direction by N Muthuraj . The only aspect that could have been better include Ilayaraja's music and background scores, though songs like'' kunnathe'' are gems which may once again give the desi nightingale ''Chithra'' another big accolade. And some have craved for some more brilliant dialogues form M T, to be planted on the megastar's character.

Coming to the performances, Mammootty has given a restrained performance as the graceful raaja, but his screen presence and body language is s enough to carry the heavy character with ease. The director also seems to have decided to keep the central character more manly, without heroic build-ups until the last reels. Sharath Kumar comes up in a surprise package, with fantastic heroic looks and emotes well and gives some great action sequences. It is definitely one of the best roles ever by the Tamil Star. Manoj K Jayan and Suresh Krishna, along with Padmapriya and Kaniha, make the movie a treasure of performance with exhilarating performances.

Overall, Pazhassi Raaja remains as a great movie with brilliant direction, solid performances spectacular visuals. Never miss it, of you will be missing a classic, a brilliant tribute to the first freedom fighters who fought a valiant battle realising the inherent death, but to safeguard their honour and their land.

Didn't find twisting & thrilling throughout.......................

[vinodquilon · 6/10 · 17 October 2009]

Didn't find twisting & thrilling throughout the story. Screenplay from MT is not so brilliant as expected. Camera & Sound works are outstanding. Manoj K Jayan & Sarathkumar performs better than Mammotty in their roles. Only Padmapriya can do the role of Neeli. I think this is not a big-budget movie, overpriced for popularity. On beginning movie directly enters into main story line with unnecessary sentiments,Hariharan fails to tell a good thrilling war film. Fighting works are good not at best level. Worth watching for all aging peoples. I think it is a good attempt from Hariharan & crew from the limitations of Malayalam Film industry. Our verdict 6.5 out of 10

Hariharan & mt- The masters return.

[sheela-ekm · 10/10 · 30 October 2009]

All the questions which people had before the release have vanished now. What were they cooking for more than two years- Hariharan, MT and Mammootty? Now, we know- The most classical most commercial most unbelievable Indian film of the century (As Mammookka himself said). Although everyone contributed well in this film, most technicians are passengers safely traveling with Hariharan in the driver's seat and MT beside him.To call Hariharan's contribution "the greatest effort by a Malayalam director ever" would be an understatement. The care he has taken to make it a classic, the power to control the actors & background, the conviction to make a film which no one would dare and his undeniable directorial brilliance is what primarily elevates the film. To think creatively while controlling a project like this for such a long time is not easy and he made it seem like a cakewalk. A special thank you to him for proving that silence CAN also get the attention of the people. There was pin drop silence in the theaters during some emotional scenes without dialogs. That's the power of cinema. NOT a hero,heroine, villain and comedian who keep speaking from start to finish in one frame (Like so many Malayalam films these days). Hariharan's craft is unparalleled.

So many accusations came for the film while it was being made and you have to hand it over to the crew for having faith in the film. MT Vasudevan Nair is undeniably one of the greatest living writers in India. There are people criticizing him for the film, but it is because they really just don't have anything bad to say about it, so they say something. We should remember that compared to any other Malayalam cinema, Pazhassi is miles ahead in terms of content and budget, and it has been possible because the script travels easily from one scene to the next. The second half just sails and I didn't feel a lag at any point. He deserves credit for making pazhassi's presence felt even in the scenes without him. Gokulam gopalan, what to say?. Considering the size of our industry, He is the bravest producer of ALL TIME in the history of world Cinema. I can only imagine how many people would have told him he is making a big mistake. He should thank hariharan and MT for being able to walk with his chin up. I doubt if he would have spent so much if it wasn't them in the movie. This movie is a testimony of all of their sincerity.

Mammuka! Nothing to say! He is the King! Purely majestic! He is magic! This is probably the only movie where he has acted the most with his eyes. Be it-the sandhi scene or the whole of second half. After getting disappointed with so many recent films, it was heavenly to see him in this. He should thank his gurus for this chance. At the same time, the fact is, this movie would never have happened if it wasn't for mammootty., who else will play the role? Padmapriya was the second hero in my opinion. FINALLY! A FEMALE CHARACTER IN A SERIOUS ROCKING ROLE! Phew! The way Malayalam cinema has been treating women in the past years has been disgraceful to say the least. All stereo typed roles of wives and underplayed sex objects! Kudos to hariharan & MT for bringing back woman power. (Panchagni is one of my favorites) I am happy Mt has nothing explicitly bad to say about women in this movie unlike OVV. Really I don't understand what his issue is sometimes. He almost bordered on it once in a scene with mammootty and kanihaa. The rest of the cast were top notch: Sarath (WOW), Manoj and kanihaa rocked! Jagathy and suresh and rest of the cast also! But really, this is a technicians film. All these actors have acted in a lot of other films, but could never get this reaction from us, that's purely because of the director. The other technicians were splendid too. Raman shetty, Resul, Ilaiyaraaja, Sreekar Prasad, art design and whole crew! Was fantastic. I don't know if Im eligible to criticize an Oscar winner, his sounds were great but sometimes there was too much in wars. There was no clarity overall. It was tough to separate the music and sound. I don't really care if there are other negatives. After such an effort, it is sinful to comment on the bad aspects. This is the best Malayalam film of all time so far (Especially considering the current situation of the industry). And the Malayalam audience can take pride in the fact that they have made it a success. This proves that we love good cinema more than just any star. One thing is for sure. Like OVVG, Pazhassi will live forever. Gopalan can take pride in the fact that he has made an investment that will live forever. He has to thank two people for it:

Heart of the movie: Hariharan Brain: MT

Gokulam gopalan and mammuka can take a bow.

LAST NOTE: This is a once in a lifetime Malayalam movie. No matter how optimistic we be, the truth is our generation will not witness such crowds and excitement again.

Pazhassiraja-WORTH A WATCH !!

[vinish777 · 6/10 · 15 December 2009]

I went for this movie with expectations running sky high - mainly for two reasons :- a)Because this film has been marketed in epic proportions ; and b)Mammooty films hardly fail at the b.o...

Before going into the review, let me briefly summarise the story for you. The story is told in 19th century Kerala, when King Kerala Varma Pazhassi thamburan knows his empire is within the grips of the British East India Co. but will fight until his last drop of sweat & blood is sacrificed in the name of his nation...

Well, i liked a lot of things about the movie- Strong script/dialogues..not a single weakpoint there. all the artistes are very much living the characters.. i had doubts if Kaniha would underperform as she is a newcomer, ...but even she came out shining brightly, cos the script was simply brilliant though her role was limited in the movie.

Mammoty & actor Sharat did a brilliant job in the film.They are the 2 men in the film who led the movie into the success it is today.Yet another 2 names that have a major role to play in the film are characters played by Manoj K Jayan & Padmapriya as the tribals who support King Pazhassi in a war strategy called "Polipooru"...

Picturesque scenery, soulful music (lets not forget KS chitra won the state award for "Kunnathe Konna"...a very popular song from this film)..and great action sequences....all raise pazhassiraja's usp value to the next level.

But as it is said a coin has 2 sides, there are negatives, some would say they are negligible. For example , there are scenes with a British couple, which is rendered meaninglessly in the story, i really wished the entire scene was taken off, because it hasn't contributed to the film at all, another fault i see, is 2 brilliant actors of malayalam cinema, Jagadi & Jagadish Sreekumar have, least to say, very meaningless & forgettable roles in such a big project. Another demerit I've seen is the monotonous action sequences, one after another in a 3.5 hour long film,, i mean, i have no interest in watching people fight on screen unless it is choreographed well..in pazhassi, i give a 0.5/5 for the fight scenes, due to poor choreography of the fight scenes and there are too many, that really bore the hell out of you!

I've seen this 1 time, maybe if history interests you, you will watch many more...

A Timeless & Priceless commercial classic

[pazhassipraja · 10/10 · 30 October 2009]

Even if there was hype, this movie was also an underdog movie because: Everyone including me thought how can history movies be successful in this modern day? How can Hariharan and mt make film for audiences of today? How will the audience sit for 3+ hours? How can it ever be bigger than OVVG?

Except for the fans, a lot of others were very negative about the film.

BUT

I was breathless. How did they make this? I don't think there is a need for telling the story. There is nothing to prove for Hariharan mt. they are legends. They have made zero budget movies without stars (like Nakaksatangal) to prove it. But the beauty gets bigger when the canvas gets bigger. Great Script.Supreme direction by the ace director. Great cinematography Great art direction. Great music. Great everything.

Like what I said before Hariharan is the grandest part of the movie because- -the locations are super. He deserves an award just for finding such spots. -the takings are really majestic and thrilling.Truly a masters touch. -the determination and will to make one movie for three years in forests. -his casting is spot on. Not one character is out of place. He got the best performances out of his actors. -he managed to co-ordinate stars, hundreds of junior artists and technicians very well. There is not a doubt that his job was the toughest in the film to set the right atmosphere and also to make them act, successfully transporting us into the period.

Next points about MT: -This is a special script from the master. It is amazing how he managed to accommodate all the actors and give them equal importance in the script. A lot of people are complaining that there is no layered subtext or dimension or characterization like ovvg. I think they are fools. Ovvg is a story with which mt and Hariharan could bend it any way they wanted. The characters in Pazhassi are people with one sole aim- freedom, how much more can you add depth to that? Mt has lot of limitation. Even then mt has put a great family angle to Pazhassi.

-in my opinion this is one of Hariharan's and mt's best works considering how they have so far managed to satisfy the mass and the class (even to satisfy one of the two categories is something the current young generation is struggling to do)

Mammootty: He can be proud of the fact that there is NOT ANOTHER HUMAN BEING IN THIS WORLD WHO CAN PLAY PAZHASSI RAJA! -A lot of people are criticizing him now but trust me this is one of his career best. The Pazhassi raja you see is not the talkative Chanthu. He is the man who speaks more with his silence and his eyes. Hariharan and mt have done the opposite of OVVG and it will take time for people to acknowledge Mammuka's performance.

SARATH KUMAR: Hariharan has extracted the best performance of Sarat Kumar's life. He has an author backed role which is commercially more likable as the loyal army chief.

Manoj,Padmapriya and Suresh Krishna are really rocking too. Supporting cast was all good. Devan, Thilakan, Nedumudi Venu, Jagathy, and the foreigners were all great.The most impressive in the foreigners is Baabar and his exchange of looks with Pazhassi in climax was out of the world. The Major is also notable.

Sound and BGM: Rasul has done a great job overall. But I don't think that he is at his best in the movie. Sometimes there's too much noise and on second viewing I noticed that, some sounds( like the sarath stabbing Suman sound) is almost laughable. It's cartoon like.

Cinematography and art direction: Both have worked well on enhancing the director's vision although the camera work sometimes is inconsistent and blurred(maybe projector problem).

Next Gokulam Gopalan: It is no mean task to spend 25 Cr for a Malayalam movie. And there is no safer bet than the Hariharan mt combo but still you have to appreciate the raw guts of this man to stand by his team when so many obstacles came their way.

This is a film which is the product of great research from mt. And hard work, creativity and will power of Hariharan.

Hariharan is really the backbone as it is a very visual film. Flop Films like BLUE (100 Cr +), Kanthasamy (50 Cr+), etc. have proved that with great power… comes greater responsibility…we can be proud that we have our own classic big budget director. In these times when film makers fail to keep our attention even for 10 minutes, these two have made us gape at the screens for 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Pazhassi is actually a low budget war film. Hariharan deserves a lot of credit to make 25 Cr seem like a lot more. This is like 1/100th of the cost of a Hollywood film to put it lightly. Gladiator was approx 103,000,000.00 USD

This film is special because it has broken all the rules, trends and instilled a sense of patriotism in every audience member.

A Timeless & Priceless commercial classic

Not up-to my expectations

[sachu44 · 6/10 · 19 July 2010]

Expectations were sky-high for this one as their last movie Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha is one of the best movies in India.Megastar Mammootty gave the acting of his career is that movie which won him Best-Actor award... But this movie disappoints me...very dragging...though it was a Taylor made role for Mammootty,he is not at all charming as in Vadakkan Veeragada...Director didn't utilize his caliber..Performances of Manoj K Jayan and Padma Priya were good..Manoj won State Best Actor for portraying Thalakal Chandu...Sarath Kumar also done justice to his role....Anyway its 1 of the best movie released in Kerala for last 3 years.

Utter Waste

[ahmedliju71 · 3/10 · 19 January 2010]

I recently been home with so much enthusiasm after reading the review in IMDb and hearing a lot from friends took myself and my family to the movie. I should say Hariharan has made much better movies with much less effort than claimed for this movie. The story far from being true to history MT failed to reach any where near the standards he set himself with movies like Vadakkan Veera Gatha. The stunts are awful, editing was worse compared to any modern movies. The whole movie is made around killing each character ie., 30 minute to kill each person and Pazhassi in the end added some masala in the beginning, towards the end I really felt like walking out. Sharath has done well in the movie (may be better than mamooty) which is the only positive note, and may be the sound is good too. Watch movie with very little to expect, to me it was a bad story (script)and story telling, poor picture making and false history. Happened to watch Keral Cafe as well - Shows Malayalees can still make excellent movies 10 stars there !!!!!

I truly expected better script from MT,very disappointing for die hard fan of MT.

Gem of a movie..!

[danishhamza · 10/10 · 19 October 2009]

The long anxious wait is over and the classic movie Pazhassi Raja has released in all the major theatres with much enthusiasm.

The Hariharan – MT Vasudevan team is back with their historical venture with Mammootty at the helm. Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha was a novel venture and Pazhassi Raja can only heap laurels on the makers for their creative endeavor.

Mammootty has proved once again that he has more mettle than anyone can vouchsafe for. Mammootty with his royal looks and majestic voice shows us why he is considered as the best in Indian Cinema. Tamil actor Sarath Kumar is a pleasant surprise and Manoj K Jayan is back with a bang. The manliness of these three characters is a novel sight for the audience. Kaniha as Pazhassi Raja's wife Makkam, Suresh Krishna as Kaitheri Ambu, Lalu Alex as Emman Nair, Captain Raju as Unni Mootha add to the meaning of the cinema. So also Peter Evans as Major James and Harry Key as Thomas, the representatives of the East India Company deserve special credit for their performance

With the music by Ilayaraja and special sound effects by Resul Pookutty, which is very evident in the war scenes, the movie is a treat for movie lovers. This film is technically several notches above the standard fare offered in Malayalam cinema. It would not be an exaggeration if we say that it is comparable to the best in Indian cinema.The camera work by Venu and Ramanath Shetty give the film a sleek look. The action sequences remind us of the internationally acclaimed Chinese martial art movies of recent times like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Hero.

Gems like these happen only once in a while and when it does, never give it a miss. Two big thumbs up for this masterpiece of our times!

Malluwood Meets Miracle

[jamshy_mail · 10/10 · 19 October 2009]

The most hyped malayalam movie of the year, has gave what it promised, and more. The film is indeed the best period movie taken in India. For malyalies, this is a film that makes you proud to step on the lands, where these great warriors fought. The film is rich in content and technical wise. All the characters did their part well, Especially Mammootty, Sarathkumar and Manoj.K.Jayan. The makers don't have an intention to make the superstar rich with a great introduction scene and all for his fans. They maintain this standard thorughout the movie. Its not about how much each characters scores. The film is set up very beautifully in the 18th century. One thing i found interesting was the Character transition of Pazhassiraja. The king his is found with pleasant face in the beginning and with the film the character changes to a bold faced one. Thats was brilliantly done by mammootty. In fights, Mammootty was good , But Sarathkumar outplayed him in that. Manoj.K.Jayan and devan has played a role that will bring us a great feeling of patriotrism. You, whether whose fan , will clap for some scenes, especially when you see the British flag burning and the mammoottys 3rd fight alone. The team has proved that this small industry can make such huge movies. Hariharan was excellent in camera-work. MT did good work and gave some mind blowind dialogues. Resul pookutty gave our ears a mighty treat. Pookkutty said this film is like Gladiator and all. But , I don't think so. Gladiator is nothing compared to Pazhassiraja. Illayarajas music was good. And the song Adiyushasandhya rocks. Watch it and be proud of Kerala and Malluwood.

+ves Mammootty , Sarathkumar, Manoj.K.Jayan Hariharans Direction MTs script Pookuttis sound mixing Choreography

-ves Jumps in fight scenes

Rating : 9/10

A Masterpiece

[micheal_hopkins27 · 10/10 · 21 October 2009]

Hi! Watched this movie yesterday! To tell you the fact, i don't have enough vocabulary to express my feelings about this movie. Its simpy EXCELLENT. Be it be for acting, cinematography, standard of story telling, historical accuracy, sound effects, this movie excels in all departments. For me, such a movie has never been taken( in all respects) in India( bollywood can inspire a lot from the movie). To start with, Kudos to MT Vasudevan nair, the Jnana peedam award winning literary giant , he is the backbone of the movie. No one apart from him could have written such a script maintaining historical accuracy and attention of viewers. Only a man who has mugged up history and mythologies, epics can write such a commendable script. Then hariharan, the director of the movie , has done a remarkable job. I guess he is booming with confidence when he find MT working with him. Well in the acting department, i have to say that every actor in the movie has done an amazing job. For me it has got more do with the right casting(most of our directors don't even give a damn about casting anyways). Mammotty..Oh boy..he is simply exhilarating portraying the character of Pazhassi raja. He has perfectly understood the mood and mindset of the character. He is quite subtle, yet showing his adrenaline rush whenever required. I had goosebumps during the scene when he is tactfully captured by the British and pazhayaveedan chandhu, and his wife offering him water on a copper plate hiding a mighty Urumy out of nowhere and freaking out the British. Sarath Kumar for me, delivers some Cracking Material, he really looks like an Army chief, very manly, and he has done justice to his character. Another surprise package in the movie is Manoj K Jayan and Padmapriya as tribal Leaders. i don't want to explain too much things, and it will spoil the surprises. Technically the movie is at its best, can be comparable with international movies. The camera work is stunning and visuals just take u along with the movie to the 18th century. Well another hero, though don't have any screen presence is our Resul Pookutty, his samples of sounds make the movie quite realistic. Watch out for the fight sequences. The background score is Brilliant, a different work form Illayaraja. For me the most creative scene of the movie, is when , the pazhassi army performs a well calculated surprise raid during night on British camp, and captures it. Meanwhile Pazhassi, sitting on horse from a high altitude hill, quite bothered about the outcome. When the army set the British arm-stockpile on fire, pazhassi gets view of a small rising flame far away, in the moonlight. Oh boy, that express in Mammotty face is priceless. This should be an inspiration for other Indian directors, who believe that, giving an ambiance of king, queen and war can yield a classic movie. Once again my Pranamam to guru, MT vasudevan Nair. Overall my Verdict : Excellent.

PAZHASSIRAJA the best movie after 1990

[yassin0 · 10/10 · 19 October 2009]

Kerala Varma Pazhassiraja--WOW!!!..Brilliant movie

About the move: No words 2 describe such a magnificent piece of work....It's a masterpiece....Superb movie....Very diff 2 find any -ve points...Malayalam cinema coundnt be better....every aspect of the movie is mind blowing...

Direction was excellent...hariharan took such a pain 2 make each scene so perfect...Now the script from M.T....wow!!!hats off 2 M.T sir who gave such a wonderful script...Dialoges were superb & meaningful...

Among the cast everyone rocked...Sarath kumar was brilliant...his best performance ever...Manoj.K.Jayan & padmapriya coundnt have been better...Suresh krishna,Suman,Jagathy all wer good...

Now coming 2 the mega star.....Mammooka...Wat 2 say about ikka...no words 2 describe his performance...He was absolutely perfect...He lived the role...dialoge delivery was exceptional...During the last 30 min of the movie he rocked.....No 1 could have done it better...Chance of another national award...Climax scenes were so great...Wat a feel the movie has.....Mamukka was simply awesome......

Rating : 9.5/10 Mamukka: 101/100 MT- 10/10 Hariharan - 10/10 Sharath kumar - 10/10

Must watch movie...please don't miss it...

Pazhassiraja

[bluechip_trs · 9/10 · 22 October 2009]

Indian ANSWER TO TROY,GLADIATOR BRAVE HEART. Its most awaiting movie in India.Its just not an Indian Cinema. Its a world cinema. Famous Indian actor, who won 3 National awards in Two different languages Padmasri Bharath Mammootty done the title role. The movie is simply awesome telling the story of one of the first freedom fighter in India Kerala Varma Pazhassiraja. Film is directed by Hariharan and the story is written by Famous award winning Indian writer MT Vasudevan Nair. The film is dubbed in to 5 languages. Hope this film will be rock in red carped. The sound mixing is done by Oscar winner Resool Pookutty. For more just watch the movie and enjoy.

Hype-lore

[Deshwar_Khan · 4/10 · 27 January 2010]

Many Indian movie makers have learned the tactic of riding on the wave of hype and making money out of third class movies. This movie is probably the latest in the list of Malayalam movies that do that. With a paltry confused audience and lack of existence of any real meat that can be translated to a good movie, the producers have to try all kinds of stunts to make a movie a success. The result is movies like this 3+ hours long farce.

We have great difficulty in establishing the authenticity of historic events that happened 20 years ago, so forget about the authenticity of the event that has gone into this movie. It is not a movie based on history, it is merely a fictional version of a page from the history of Kerala. So, patriots, no need to boil your blood over this.

It is a Malayalam movie where the same superstars and comedians appear in slightly different costumes. It is a Malayalam movie with the usual masala (endless unrealistic stunts, dialogs with no punch and no regard for the people who watch it).

Only good thing about the movie is the photography and the credit goes not to the photographer, but to Kerala herself. Sound mixing is great in some scenes, but it didn't help much to elevate the enjoyability of the movie.

Stunt scenes are horrible. The director should have cut down on the stunt scenes to hide all the awkward moves saving us some time. But, clearly, he was trying to please the audience at the other end of the spectrum. Mammootty could have used some ayurvedic massage before the fights to loosen his muscles a bit. It is very hard to think that the famed kalari fighters could have a paunch that bulges out above the hard-tied mundu.

Sharthkumar has done a great job in his stunts and acting, so did Thilakan. Most others including the great Mammootty are average. Kanika, who acted as Makkom, made me wonder how Pazhassi Raja could possibly be a great man with such an over-acting spine-less wife. Then there was Padmapriya who acted as Neeli, a flying, fighting tribal girl who looked as fair as a Persian and looked and talked as if she grew up in New Delhi. Then, there were a bunch of white men in loose fitting clothes, who looked like they were picked up from Kovalam beach. But, I think the director is to blame for all the poor acting, punch-less dialogs and lousy stunt scenes. It is very clear that most scenes were shot without enough thought behind it.

If this movie comes anywhere near you, run away.

Classical

[gauthamkrishna-09647 · 10/10 · 11 June 2021]

I don't know how many of you watched this in theatre but I have watched it in theatre and the effect I got it after watching in theatre remained it in my heart for one month. This type of movies happens only once in Indian Cinema. I bet you that no other epic movies can beat this one. This movie was well scripted(there is nothing to wonder because it's M. T Vasudevan Nair's script). Hariharan has done a very good job by executing the movie in a proper manner as the script suggests. People say that One of the best epic movie in Indian History is Bahubali But it's only because they haven't seen Pazhassi Raja and if they did they won't. Now coming to the performance no other actor could be imagined as Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja Other than the Megastar Mammooty,Manoj K Jayan,Sarath Kumar,Suresh Krishna,Kaniha and Padmapriya has done justice to their roles. Padmapriya's performance in this movie is one of her top performance in her acting career. All the English Actors has done a decent Job. The beauty of Wayanad is Clearly portrayed in this movie. Words are not enough to describe this masterpiece. In the future, I don't think any movies based on British freedom fight can beat this movies.

Best of Malayalam Cinema in a Decade

[surjithbhaskar · 9/10 · 28 October 2009]

I am an ardent watcher of movies and never thought a producer will spent such amount of the limited theaters compared to other south Indian languages. I was pleasantly surprised to see Gokulam Gopalan made such an effort. I too believed that this was an over-hyped movie due to the budget. But having seen the movie I must say I am impressed with it. About the story part, everyone knows it, so it was the presentation that caught my attention. More than 3 hours, I thought there would have been boring minutes in-between. But there were none. Makers of Jodha Akbar please note this, you need not have a budget of Ten million to make a movie visually splendid and for almost a similar length movie, I must say I was bored for some part of Jodha Akbar. What makes the film click is the acting. Mammootty in a restrained manner and Sarathkumar wowed every one. Manoj K Jayan and Padmapriya also gave one of their best performances. I am an avid watcher of Hollywood films, so when I say action in this film is good it is not an exaggeration. Sure it has wired stunts but the action scenes are intense enough. Music was a let down, but sound design by Rasool Pookkutty was not. This man is surely going to go places. What made the action scenes seem fabulous was his hard work. MTV is a master story teller and he proved this once again. I stopped short from giving full marks because of the under par casting of foreign actors. They seemed out of place and not one of them convinced viewers by their acting that they are from that century while the rest of the cast was superb. Last but not the least, Hariharan, I never thought he would pull it off, hats off. Cinematography and editing is fabulous as well. Overall this is the most well made Malayalam film till now if you delete the foreign acting bit. Not even a single Malayalam movie fan should miss it.

Bottomline: Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja: 'Tour De Force'.

[sandeep-kanavu · 10/10 · 2 November 2009]

Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja is a movie that is far beyond anything that the small little Malayalam industry has served. It is a unique other-worldly experience and we do feel like we lived with the characters in the film. A LOT of reviews have positively and negatively put this film up with foreign films, I don't think that is necessary. As an industry that has served several good films (from the same makers) in the past, we have nothing to prove to this world. But as an industry, that is on the verge of degradation in terms of content (If you have seen Malayalam films in the last decade and a half), we have a lot to prove to ourselves. The movie and its makers are as rebellious as the title character portrayed regally by Mammootty. The movie is a much needed milestone and it has an unbeatable and undeniable force that stirs our hearts which has been numbed by other movies in recent times. Whether you like it or not, Pazhassi Raja is the single most important film in this century for the Malayalam industry, and its unprecedented success proves that it is also one of the most loved films.

Now for the points:

HARIHARAN: If people throw praises at someone like Shankar for making a Sivaji (said to be the most expensive in Tamil), then we should all fall at Hariharan's feet for captaining the biggest ship from Kerala. This is a project that deserves a lot of concentration, and of course thanks to the press, we all know about the many obstacles the crew faced. There are no words to describe his efforts. He has made no compromises and it is evident. I can't recall another Malayalam film where there are so many memorable visuals and heavy scenes. The war sequences were extremely well constructed. Some of the scenes are unbelievably crafted and I would like to name them but there are far too many and are potential spoilers. Pure raw tangible class.

VASUDEVAN NAIR: This is probably the most unique screenplay ever for a historical. The way it picks up pace is enchanting. He has given space for so many characters to grow, and if the memory of a Chandhu or Neeli or Kungan or Pazhassi or Ambu or Baber or Dora or Moopan or even Mamukkoya lasts with us, it's because of the space Nair has given them and the performances that Hariharan has taken out of them. Nair is in expected form.

MAMMOOTTY: After Pothanvava, Maya bazaar, Pattanathil Bhootham, Parundhu, Nasrani, Bigb, Annanthambi, love in Mylapore or wherever... Mammooty has finally redeemed himself. Please act in more of such roles. Don't do the mimicry bits any more. I doubt if any other actor can have the kind of aura Mammootty has around him. He was Majestic.

There can be pages and pages written about the supporting cast such as Manoj, Sarath, Padma, Kanihaa, Jagathy, Captain Raju, Lalu Alex, etc. But we'd have to write a book about how important this film is then. Ravi Divan's actions were great and unlike others I didn't find the rope tricks to be annoying (Aren't we used to it?). Maybe it was because I watched crouching tiger recently and didn't question that.Resul's work was special too. Sreekar Prasad did some brilliant work especially in the war sequences. Art direction needs special mention. It was splendid (not sure who it was done by though).

Overall: Just like how another review mentioned, Pazhassi Raja is a 'Tour De Force' that is miles and miles ahead of anything that Malayalam cinema has ever served and we have only Hariharan, Gokulam Gopalan and Vasudevan Nair to thank for it.

An Enchanting Hariharan Film

[ramankuttypattar1 · 10/10 · 6 November 2009]

Managed to catch the most awaited movie of all time from the Malayalam film industry ever during my holidays(and I doubt if anything will come to beat this, at least, not in this lifetime.) And it was special especially for an M.T.-maniac such as myself.

It might seem inappropriate to some to call this a Director's movie especially when there are names such as Mammootty or M.T.Vasudevan Nair attached to this project, but that never stopped us from discounting the efforts of a Spielberg or a Ridley Scott or a Maniratnam or a Shankar, they hire the best of the best too. I personally think this is easily the biggest Director's film from Kerala and one of the biggest from India, considering the several restrictions that a small movie industry such as the one in Kerala involves.

Everyone from the megastar to the beautiful white horse to the foreign cast to the random background artists at the corner of the screen to the palaquins and canons performed splendidly. I can't recall another movie which had such pitch perfect ensemble casting and acting in the recent past. The movie is huge in ALL aspects and departments. The script is tight and the legendary Nair has clearly made a very great effort.

The never-before-seen war sequences were outstanding and well planned. The art direction was spot on and so was the cinematography. The graphics were surprisingly one of the best in recent times from the south Indian Industry.

I really don't care about the negatives but since I'd rather give a real review: The wired stunts were not convincingly performed by the artists. The foreign cast was edging on melodramatic at times but that's understandable since it's also for the common Indian audience. The make up was great overall considering the scale of the film but manojk's could have improved (But it's still much better than the big budget dud-Dasavatharam) And that's about it.

Overall: Hats off to Hariharan for reigning this mammoth project (I believe the production took more than 2 years). One of the best performances from Mamooty and Sarath Kumar. A splendid script from M.T. The movie really did make me think about these warriors who fought for our country.

I was reduced to a child when I was applauding at the sight of the burning flag at the fort- the result of the united effort of Pazhassi's army. And the last sequences of Kunkan and Pazhassi were truly breathtaking like many other sequences in the film. The greatest achievement of the film lies in the fact that it actually woke up our dormant patriotic emotions. My next flight to my homeland is something I'm very much looking forward to, thanks to the movie.

And finally, thanks to the producers for giving us this golden gift of a movie which we shall cherish for eternity.

pazhassi thampuran--mammootty

[arunkumarh-15847 · 10/10 · 16 October 2018]

In the world,mammootty, he can only do this role and he is the right person.. he is a wonderful actor.

Disgusting...

[vvs3693 · 5/10 · 24 August 2010]

The most expected movie till date...

It does not live up to the standards.

Some brilliant performances from Manoj K Jayan, Padmapriya n Sarath kumar. Musical dept too did an excellent job.. The sound design by academy award winner Resul Pookuty live up to the expectations...

Mammooty's role has nothing for the actor to show his caliber. The film has compromised for commercial gains and to give the lead role more importance. one of the song (Kunnathe Konnaykum) was included just for this cause. One may argue that it was to show the personal life of Pazhassi but that was totally unnecessary . In the background of some shots one can see mobile towers, actors with modern slippers etc. which shows the negligence... Most of the visual effects and some of the action sequences are even vulgar than that in some B-grade films.

Over all the movie is watchable.. But never reaches anywhere near a classic.