Banner : Prathap Chithra
Producer : S Pavamani
Direction: P N Sundaram
Script/Dialogues – Thoppil Bhasi
Lyrics- P Bhaskaran
Music – Devarajan
Cast - Prem Nazir, Raghavan, Bahadur, Adoor Bhasi, K R Vijaya, Rani Chandra, T R Omana, Sreelatha etc
The Malayalam film Ayodhya, released on August 15, 1975, opens with a verse from Ezhuthachan’s Adhyatma Ramayanam in the context of Seetha’s ‘agnipareeksha’ (ordeal by fire). The title cards foreground a framed picture of Sree Rama’s ‘pattabhishekam’ (coronation) and an open Ramayana. The social melodrama pivots around a stepmother’s cruelty toward the eldest son in a joint family while her own son supports his elder brother as in the Ramayana.
The film was a remake of the Telugu film Samsaram (1950) with NTR and Lakshmi Rajyam in the lead roles. It was based on a story written by Vempati Sadasivabrahmam. The unusual success of this Telugu film in Tamil Nadu prompted popular producer, and founder of Gemini Studios, to remake it in Tamil as Samsaram (1951) and in Hindi as Sansar (1951) with Chandralekha fame M.K. Radha and Pushpavalli in the lead roles in both versions. Both the films were box office hits.
Ayodhya, produced under the newly formed banner Prathap Chithra, was producer S. Pavamani’s first venture. Directed by P.N. Sundaram and shot at Gemini and Satya Studios, the film repeated the success story of the other versions. Script and dialogues written by Thoppil Bhasi wereimpressive.
Popular actors such as Prem Nazir, Raghavan, Adoor Bhasi, Bahadur, K R Vijaya, Rani Chandra, T R Omana and Sreelathaacted in the film. Muthiah, Prathapachandran, Manavalan Joseph, Paravoor Bharathan, Meena, Philomina, Tamil actor Kanthimathi appeared in guest roles. Music composed by Devarajan was a highlight and Kishore Kumar sang his only Malayalam song in this film.
Fragmentation of a joint family and its reunion after ‘melodramatic’ situations is the theme of this film . Narayanan (Prem Nazir), is a farmer in a village and the head of a joint family consisting of his wife Lakshmi (K.R. Vijaya), and his brother Madhavankutty (Raghavan) and sister Sarasamma (Sreelatha) by his stepmother (T.R. Omana). Sarasamma’s husband Jayaraman (Bahadur) also lives with them.
Narayanan gets a job in a financial company in Madras and migrates to the city with his wife and children in search of better prospects. After some time the stepmother follows him along with Sarasamma and Jayaraman. Madhavankutty, however, stays back in the village to look after the agricultural lands of the family. Madhavankutty falls in love with Kamalam (Rani Chandra), the daughter of the rich planter (Adoor Bhasi) who visits the village along with her colleagues.
Ill luck finds Narayanan and Lakshmi with the arrival of his step mother and her daughter to Narayanan’s house ‘Ayodhya’ in Madras. The stepmother and Sarasamma live a luxurious life and they manipulate Narayanan’s earnings. They even steal money. Narayanan struggles to manage family expenses. Lakshmi becomes pregnant and unable to meet hospital expenses for her delivery, Narayanan attempts to divert office funds to meet the hospital bill. Narayanan is caught red-handed and is dismissed from service. Out of shame and fearing arrest by police, he absconds. Kamalam comes to Lakshmi’s help and pays the hospital bill. Madhavankutty who comes to Madras unexpectedly discovers his mother’s and sister’s cruelty.
Lakshmi and her children suffer ill-treatment and cruelty at the hands of Sarasamma and her mother. They even question her morality alleging that Lakshmi had an illicit relation with Madhavankutty. Unable to bear the torture Lakshmi leaves the house with her children. Kannamma (Kanthimathi), a slum dweller, gives Lakshmi shelter. Lakshmi’s children beg for their upkeep. Some unusual twists and turns later Lakshmi’s son (Master Raj Krishna) gets a job in the office of Madhavankutty who is the manager of a company in Madras. They are unaware that they are related. Lakshmi’s son finds Narayanan wandering in Madras like a lunatic and brings him home. He doesn’t know Narayanan is his father. Lakshmi, though, recognises her husband. There follows a reunion of the joint family. Madhavankutty weds Kamalam and the broken joint family is now reunited.
Ayodhya is an example of how good social films remade even two decades after the original can be successful. Comedy involving Bahadur, Meena and Sreelatha were copies of the scenes from the original Telugu, Tamil and Hindi versions.
Songs written by P. Bhaskaran and set to tune by Devarajan became hits. Instant hits were ABCD chettan kedi … (Kishore Kumar), Raman Sree Raman … (P. Jayachandran), Kalabhathil mungi varum …(K.J. Yesudas- P. Madhuri). Other hits include Puthari koythappol enthu kitti … (Jayachandran, Madhuri and chorus), Vandi vandi … (Jayachandran, Madhuri and chorus) etc.
Will be Why remembered : As a good social film; only Malayalam film of playback singer Kishore Kumar and the first film by popular film producer S. Pavamani.
