Manichithrathazhu (1993) User Reviews

One of the best Indian movies

[arun-kadavil · 10/10 · 11 January 2007]

This has got to be one of the best movies both in malayalam and in India. superb script combined with beautiful direction and acting has made this movie a treat to watch. I have watched this one numerous times..don't even remember the number. As many I was also disappointed to see its remake in other languages. I think they spoiled the beautiful concept and feel of this movie. Sobhana who got a National Award for this movie should have been given a second one after seeing the way other actress performed her role in those remakes.

Its one of the dream movies which doesn't come very often...Perfect from all points of view - story, dialogues, performance, comedy, songs and direction..

Please watch it if you haven't already.

Skillfull story telling weaving believes and science!

[ashokkm · 10/10 · 17 September 2007]

Its been some 14 years since I saw this movie, and recently I went out and bought it on DVD!

I love the way they have mixed the settings of a large traditional Kerala household, the urban legends that I can totally identify with, and how its all presented with beautiful realism and how its been provided with a scientific explanation, and more interestingly how scientific approach branches out to use a traditional technique to suit the subject in question! Such an interesting and involving topic has been handled ever so skillfully throughout the movie with a subtle thread of contextual and refreshingly original comedy, which again, fits like a glove to the storytelling!

This movie makes me proud of my Malayali tradition and background!

Best movie I have seen

[amith_sripad · 10/10 · 23 May 2006]

Manichitratazu is a very great Classical movie which I have ever seen. The portrayal of human psychology is marvelous. The movie plot is thrilling, mystic and powerful. Fantastic performances by all actors like Mohan Lal, Shobana, Vinaya Prasad, Suresh Gopi, Innocent, Nedumudi Venu, etc. Shobana's dancing skills is excellent and also good powerful acting by her and she rightfully deserves the national award. Not boring even if watched 3 -4 times.

I am especially moved as to how the story writer has sketched this story. Really marvelous. He and the Director and the whole team deserves applause.

One of the greatest Malayalam movies ever made

[mervkv · 22 May 2005]

The first half of Manichithrathazhu may be slow, but the second half becomes gripping. The amazing climax, featuring Shobana's spectacular dance with her partner, pushes this movie from a simple Malayalam thriller to the level of high art. Although the film isn't perfect--there are minor plot holes, and Mohanlal's entertaining performance goes over the top in some scenes--Manichithrathazhu is one of the best Indian movies I've seen.

After watching this movie, I couldn't believe it was directed by Fazil, the same guy who churned out overly sentimental mush like Aniyathi Pravu (1997) and shameless, cookie-cutter Hollywood remakes like Life Is Beautiful (2000). Manichithrathazhu has to be the high point of Fazil's career.

After a lifetime of avoiding most Malayalam movies like the plague, old classics like this film are turning me into a big fan of Malu films. Also, after watching his charismatic performances in films like Nadodikattu (1987), Pattana Pravesham (1988), Akkare akkare akkare (1990), and Manichithrathazhu, I find myself becoming an enthusiastic fan of Mohanlal. If you're not already a Mohanlal fan, watching Manichithrathazhu may make you one.

Coolest Psycho Thriillers India has produced

[renjith_here · 9/10 · 5 May 2003]

This movie is a perfect mix of intelligent comedy and intense suspense. A superb climax which made my day when i saw this movie as a kid 10 years ago. The acting is excellent though i felt Mohanlal overdid some of his scenes. Easily one of the best movies Kerala has produced.

A rare masterpiece

[anupasokan · 10/10 · 25 May 2006]

One Excellent masterpiece. This is one of the rare movies where the story can be interpreted in two ways. One way is to believe that Ganga is possessed by Nagavalli the dancer's spirit. The other is to assume that she is suffering from multiple personality disorder. The movie has arguments for both. The psychiatrist's explanations and predictions and his ability to solve the problem leaves most of the audience believing in the MCD theory. But Nagavalli fans point to the famous dance scene where Ganga's eyes change colour, and the scenes where she breaks objects like the clock which seemed quiet impossible to most. This reinforces the possession theory. Probably this is the first Indian movie to feature MCD. Highlights of the movie are the scene where Ganga gradually evolves into Nagavalli and her Malayalam changing into chaste Tamil, and the bharatanatyam dance sequence. It also has an unique song sung in a sad tone: 'pazham thamizh pattu'. Urban legends say the song's vaadi raga is unlucky, almost like gloomy Sunday and macbeth. Although made more than 13 years ago, it still glues you to the seat. two remakes were done on the movie. the kannada version was good though it didn't match the original. A tamil version was poor and twisted.

Excellent

[shineraj · 9/10 · 7 November 2006]

This was one movie which really impressed me in 1993. Writing a review after so many years is a proof of how much sense it makes to me even today. Malayalam movies are always ahead of the rest of the country in making meaningful and realistic stories. That too on quarter of the budget a Bollywood movie is made with. This movie was a masterpiece work from Fazil. This movie also had another 6 A list directors doing diff segment of this movie, like the comedy part was done by Priyadashan. This movie was later made into a Tamil, Kannada and Telungu all which turned out to be super duper hits. Plans are in the pipeline to remake it in Hindi. But the essence of the movie is being lost in the translation. The 1993 Malayalam version is the best yet. This movie was well made and well received my all the generations of Keralites. A must watch if u like horror, thriller or friction movies.

A film which cannot be remade with the same quality!!!

[hari_krhs · 10/10 · 12 August 2006]

I was in high school when i saw it first in theater and now after 13 years i still enjoy this movie. I was very much disappointed when i saw it's remake which was far from the original work. Its filled with rubbish comedy scenes and awful performance of characters. Shobhana who won the national award for the role did an excellent performance. I know those who loves the remake will disagree me but you know what is the truth, don't you? I am not going to criticize the remake cause it may hurt someone's mind and i am also not interested in controversies anyway. If anybody is still there who didn't watch this movie please do it. This movie is worth watching, don't miss it!!!

Best Film I have Ever Seen

[BollyReview · 10/10 · 21 January 2015]

I have seen over 400 Indian films and nothing beats Manichitrathazhu. One of the most remade films in Indian cinema, Manichitrathazhu is a perfect combination of horror, psychological thriller and classical dance. All of the performances are great. Each scene is perfect. You can watch this film over and over again and discover something new with each viewing. It has been analyzed and re-analyzed for years and we still can't get enough of it.

Even if you have seen some of the remakes like the Tamil Chandramukhi or Hindi Bhool Bhulaiyaa, please see the original Manichitrathazhu. You will enjoy it much more and realize why the original will always be the best.

There was also a few sequels made like Kannada Apthamitra and Telugu Nagavalli. And there is a spin-off in Malayalam called Geethanjali. But like I said, nothing beats Manichitrathazhu. Get ready to be a fan!

A well drafted Indian movie with International standards

[rishadjsb · 9/10 · 5 September 2014]

Manichitrathazhu is that kind of a movie which will not bore you how many ever times you watch it. The direction and casting has been the highlight while the actors in the movie especially Shobana did a fantastic job for which she receive the National Awards for best actress. The movie is told in line with the culture and tradition of the place, Kerala and the rituals practiced there. Its a horror movie with a scientific view given to it and never got deviated from concept of science to a ghost movie. The movie maintains its pace and mentioned earlier, Shobana's work should be praised as it was at a different level, something which Indian cinema never ever witnessed till date. The director crafted each and every scene and characters so elegantly and wisely that every character contributed to the movie and every scene was relevant to the storyline. Its a must watch Indian movie of all time especially if you like the genres likes horror or suspense.

Evergreen Gem of Malayalam cinema.

[Vibijithnair · 10/10 · 1 January 2014]

One of the greatest thriller ever made in India & also among my most gratifying movie ever i had seen. No doubt story by Madhu muttam is the real hero & performance by all actors were magnificent especially Shobana(won national award). Shobana was scintillating & showcase a do or die performance. 1st half is enriched with comedy & little horror. 2nd half is nail biting taut thriller leads to fiery climax. There is no point in criticizing this masterpiece despite of its length. Music was both nostalgic & horrifying(climax). BGM by Johnson is brilliant which taken film to another dimension. Performance,Script,Music,Bgm,Cinematography,Direction,Make-up and Art department etc. were par excellence. Manichitrathazhu is one of the rare thriller which provide wholesome entertainment to the viewers in large quantity. There is no unnecessary scene and so its a 100% Impeccable masterpiece ever an Indian cinema produced. After premiering on T.V many times i never get bored watching again & again. Highly Recommended for thriller aficionado and also for avid moviegoers.

=>MUST watch before die. =>Dont watch its remake version all were just mockery repercussion!

I would like to rate it 9.5/10

A unique blend of Nail biting drama,Suspense,horror,Thrilling sequences and breathtakingly stunning climax.........

[hari_msw07 · 8/10 · 17 October 2004]

Suresh Gopi returns to his native place along with his wife Shobana after a long time to meet his uncle Nedubudi Venu.They decide to stay in their family mansion which remains unoccupied owing to the fears of being haunted by an old dancer, Nagavalli.Nagavalli was murdered there by the king years ago for having an affair with another court singer.Shobana becomes fascinated on seeing the palace that she purposefully unlocks the room that had been once been the room of Nagavalli. Soon a series of ghostly events cut loose and fear begins to grip the family.Mohanlal acts the role of Dr.Sunny who comes to the aid of his buddy Suresh Gopi and solves the puzzle to discover there is more than what he had imagined to be solved.The movie offers an ideal comedy track from late Kuthiravattam Pappu, Innocent, Ganesh and Sudheesh. Mohanlal leaves a memorable mark. However the full credit goes to Shobana for her stupendous acting. This may be the best of Fazil movies and by far the best suspense thriller in history of malayalam cinema.

For those thriller crazy maniacs, this is the ideal movie. Go grab ur copy of DVD for this evergreen classic.

It is engaging

[throshan · 7/10 · 25 October 2000]

It is a well made movie with some excellent performances from Shobana, Mohanlal and others including Suresh Gopi, Innocent. The movie tries to touch our fears and empathies about Ghosts and such other superstitious beliefs which is prevalent all over India. The movie is a story of a woman from such a back ground and how it impacts her subconsciously leading to terrifying manifestations of dual character or multiple personality. The movie begins at lighter note with lot of humor and starts becoming more and more serious towards the end. The climax is one of the best things in the Movie. Shobana got a National award for the portrayal of this woman. Mohanlal has a strong presence and role in the movie. Humor element is added by Innocent. It is an quite engaging movie.

Unbiased non-Malayali Indian review... OK comedy suspense

[santosheflu · 5/10 · 8 December 2014]

I consider my review unbiased because I don't have any special feeling for Malayalam (the language in which the movie is made) cinema and I don't consider Mohanlal (the lead actor) as a god of acting. I am not denying that he has acted fine but it is also true that he is too old to play the role of the doctor he is playing in the movie. Common...look at the guy and his mustache...and of course, his pot-belly. However, the story is original and interesting. That it has been deeply rooted in Malayali (or Kerala) culture makes it a little not-so-interesting for non-Malayali lovers of comic suspense thrillers. The comic parts become tedious at times. I believe they can be hilarious for people from that linguistic community. I got to know a lot about the culture of this particular state (Kerala) of India from this movie. No geography book gave me that much of information though I'm an Indian.

Please...the rating is because of those who are sentimentally attached to the movie, not realistic.

if i have to choose 5 great movies.this is one of them.a must watch.never go for its remakes,they are all scraps.

[vivekkrishnang-971-989423 · 9/10 · 10 April 2014]

The story of this movie is very unique and has not been told before. First we thought it is a supernatural story, but as we understood the dual personality of Shobhana we got very interested in this character and how she would be able to get out of her predicament. The characters in the movie, Sunny Joseph, Nakulan, Ganga, Ammavan are all memorable and have been portrayed with realism.

Even though this is a ghost movie, there are no special effects. Director Fazil uses simple tricks like shadows on the wall and sounds to heighten the tension. In one scene, the whole family goes to watch a Kathakali performance. Sunny sits in the front and occasionally turns back to see if Ganga is alright. The sound of the drums heighten in the background. Then, once when Sunny turns back, there is silence and Ganga is not there. The intensity of the scene is heightened by the lack of any background sound, which we thought was a very innovative but subtle technique.

In this movie, the script by Madhu Mattom is the hero and Shobhana is the heroine. Shobhana had two roles, one as the mild mannered Ganga and the other as the revenge seeking Nagavalli. It during the Nagavalli phase that you see her transformation, in her voice and in her mannerism. Shobhana won a truly deserved National Award for this role.

Mohanlal makes his entry just before the interval, which is unconventional. From that point onwards, it is his show and the character he portrays is that of a fun loving psychiatrist. He is unconventional in his treatment style also. Mohanlal does not have much histrionics in this movie and plays a very subdued role.

For a movie which is a psycho-thriller, it has excellent comedy provided by Innocent, Lalitha and Mohanlal himself.

The story, screenplay and dialogue is by Madhu Mattom and we liked all three of them. There are no unnecessary scenes in this movie and each scene in the screenplay sustains our interest in the story. We also are impressed by the craft of director Fazil for making this movie very interesting. The movie also had a second unit by directors Sathyan Antikkad and Priyadarshan. M.G.Radhakrishnan has provided some memorable music for this movie. All the songs are nice to hear, but our favourite is Palavattom Pookalam This movie is one of our favourites and is a must watch.

Very Best Commercial Movie of All time

[ranjithengg07 · 10/10 · 12 May 2011]

This is the best commercial movie i have seen in so many years.still keeps me hooked when i see this movie because of the freshness of the subject.i have seen all the remade versions of this movie.needful to say all were craps and this still remains to be fresh,solid,scintillating,brisk because all the technicians and artists who worked in this movie gave their best and memorable performances to make this movie the best among commercial movies.Mohanlal,probably the greatest actor India has ever delivered, gives out a splendid performance as always by rightly knowing his potentials.you ll know why he is a such a best natural actor when you look at the mannerisms and gimmicks he gives in this movie which he does throughout the movie without going out of the character.Suresh Gopi has given a memorable performance as a hapless husband especially he delivers his best when he comes to know that his wife is the exact psychologically disturbed person.truly amazing.Nedumudi Venu,Innocent,K.P.A.C. Lalitha,Sudheesh,Vinaya Prasad,Pappu,Ganesh Kumar and of course Thilakan every one have given memorable performances,but easily the scene stealer is Shobana.she delivers one of her best performances to date for which she got a very well deserved national award.be it a naive Ganga or the ruthless nagavalli she is there to deliver the best.really amazing to watch her performance throughout the movie.kudos to her.finally The hit maker.it is none other than our very own Fazil who gives this movie its true colors along with Madhu Muttam and his crew.only he could have pulled this film in this form of being fun filled,yet intricate.brilliant.

finally,this is the best commercial movie of all time and a movie which should be cherished in each and every malayali's DVD library.

one of the brilliant film ever made in malayalam film industry

[ronyrajumc · 10/10 · 27 December 2017]

Manichithrathazhu is considered as one of the best thrillers ever made in India as well as one of the best Malayalam films ever made. Manichithrathazhu was remade after nearly 10 years in various languages, including Tamil (Chandramukhi), Kannada (Apthamitra), Bengali (Rajmohol), and Hindi (Bhool Bhulaiyaa), all being commercially successful.

Movie of the century

[pratheekever · 9/10 · 21 July 2014]

An amazing psychological thriller and the best movie of the century. The humors introduced between the story makes it more colorful. I watched this movie for the first time when I was a kid and have watched it over a 100 times till now. I bet no movie can beat it in future. All the actors have given their best, totally dedicated to their respective roles. It was indeed the turning point for the malayalam film industry. No matter what this movie cannot be recreated and any attempt to compete with this movie would be a waste of time.This movie impressed and was applauded by the entire country and hence it was remade in almost all other languages.

horror ,suspense and mystery in its most dark form in this psychological thriller

[siyad · 2 October 1999]

This film created waves among India and won many awards.In this psychological thriller a couple comes to their ancestoral home which is bounded by a big family and surrounded by mysterious beliefs.But to the couples surprise they themselves experience strange things such as someone throwing plates and clocks etc from vaccum. This leads to Suresh Gopi's friend mohanlal who is a psychatrist forced t come to solve this issue and the most unbelievable secrets are found .He experiences some female's sound who was beleived to be dead .He follows these sounds to find the secrets.The climax is the most best part in the film and the most horrifying one.

Excellent Thriller

[maheshcr07 · 9/10 · 19 September 2013]

The movie without any drawbacks.

That is not usual. But it is a movie like that. The main positives of the movie: 1.Great performances from great actors like Mohanlal,Shobhana,Thilakan and Innocent 2.The outstanding background score and music from veterans 3.Excellent direction from Fazil,and the best assistance to it by Siddique-Lal,Sibi Malayil and Priyadarshan 4.The great locations like Thripunithura HillPalace,etc.. 5.Excellent plot and script. 6.Humour situations. 7.Most of the parts of the movie discussed feels realistic

Overall a perfect family horror thriller in Malayalam.

One word to describe this movie is WOW.

[unnikrsnan · 10/10 · 15 January 2021]

This a must watch movie what ever the language it doesn't matter. So many remakes are filmed in various languages. But this one, the original stands above all of them. No words to describe the movie.

a rare gem

[joejyojo · 10/10 · 18 April 2018]

Such a wonderful script and making is rarely seen in mollywood. Manichitrathazhu is truly a malayalee movie. The route taken by the movie is outstanding.

Its a must watch epic psycho thriller.

Not a horror movie

[kamalthaf · 10/10 · 13 October 2019]

Don't consider this movie as a horror movie. It is a psychological thriller.

Nearly 25 years later, still very funny and quite frightening .....

[PimpinAinttEasy · 7/10 · 7 May 2016]

Dear Fazil,

you did a reasonably good job directing Manichithrathazhu. I am not saying you are William Friedkin or Stanley Kubirck. But you knew your limitations. I guess you understood that Madhu Muttom's script was solid and that the cast you had at hand was stellar. You let them do their jobs. I read that Priyadarshan, Sibi Malayil and Siddique Lal helped you out. The film is a great mix of the comedy and horror genres. The star cast of Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi and Shobana was one of the best in the early 90s (second only to Dhruvam). Innocent, KPAC Lalita, Kuthiravattom Pappu, Nedumudi Venu, Thilakan, Ganesh Kumar, Sudheesh, Rudra and Vinaya Prasada are at the very peak of their powers. Innocent carried the first half on his shoulders with his comedic scenes which might have been improvised. Ganesh Kumar also had some really funny scenes.

I liked the way you shot and edited Shobana's entry into Nagavalli's room. The camera is following behind her and there are hardly any shots of her face. Hence the audience is kept in the dark about her experience. There were so many interesting elements in the film. Like the clash between the modern couple (Suresh Gopi and Shobana) and their superstitious relatives. But when the going gets tough, the relatives gets right behind the couple to defeat the "evil spirit". Then there was the schism between religion and science and how the two can co-exist. I am surprised Madhu Muttam did not write more movies.

Best Regards, Pimpin.

(7/10)

Psychological drama... Great movie..!

[abhijithkgu · 10/10 · 23 December 2018]

Don't remember how many times I have watched this movie. But when it comes in television I watch this without boredom. Such a masterpiece story and making. Hats off to faasil - director. If i am asked to pick 5 best malayalam movies ever, manichithrathazhu will surely be on that list.

Absolute Class👌