Oridathu (1987)

 ●  Malayalam ● 1 hr 52 mins

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Set in the 50s in a remote part of Travancore Cochin, the story tells of a village, threatened by electrification. This masterfully crafted tale delightfully depicts the trials and triumphs in the lives of many of the villagers, before and after the introduction of electricity. How will the introduction of electricity affect the lives of the villagers? Will it prove to be a boon or a bane?
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Did you know? This movie received immense critical acclaim, winning many awards and accolades including the National Film Award for Best Direction, Kerala State Film Award for Best Film, Kerala State Film Award for Best Director. Read More
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Actor
as Dr. Rajasekharan Pillai
Supporting Actress
Supporting Actor

Direction

Production

Production Company

Writers

Screenplay Writer

Camera and Electrical

Director of Photography

Music

Music Director
Film Type:
Feature
Language:
Malayalam
Colour Info:
Color
Frame Rate:
24 fps
Aspect Ratio:
2.35:1
Stereoscopy:
No
Trivia:
Aravindan says that this film is not against modernisation. In an interview, the director said, "My film is not against modernisation. I was trying to look at the changes taking place in the life of the people and the village. I still fear one day that technology will take over. I was born in a small village and up to the age of ten I hadn't seen the electricity. I still remember with nostalgia those times, when people moved through the night with burning flares. When electricity came, they went out".

The various alternative English titles of the film are Once Upon a Place, ... And There Was a Village, There Was a Village, At a Place, Some Place, and A Village, Somewhere.

This movie can be seen as a continuation of Aravindan's earlier film Thampu (The Circus Tent, 1978) and his cartoon series Cheriya Manushyarum Valiya Lokavum (The Small Man and the Big World). Thampu, shot in black and white in a direct documentary mode, dealt with the roving street circus of Kerala.

This movie received immense critical acclaim, winning many awards and accolades including the National Film Award for Best Direction, Kerala State Film Award for Best Film, Kerala State Film Award for Best Director.