1921 (film)

1921
DVD cover
Ayirathi Thollayirathi Irupathi Onnu
Directed by	I. V. Sasi
Produced by	Muhammed Mannil
Written by	T. Damodaran
Screenplay by	T. Damodaran
Story by	T. Damodaran
Starring	Mammootty Suresh Gopi Madhu T. G. Ravi Seema Urvashi
Music by	Shyam
Cinematography	V Jayaram
Edited by	K Narayanan
Production company	Mannil Films
Distributed by	Mannil Films
Release dates	19 August 1988 (1988-08-19)
Running time	197 minutes
Country	India
Language	Malayalam
Budget	Rs. 1. 20 crore

1921 - Ayirathi Thollayirathi Irupathi Onnu is a 1988 Indian historical war drama film directed by I. V. Sasi, set during the Mappila Uprising of 1921. The film has a star-studded cast including Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Madhu, T. G. Ravi, Seema, Urvashi and Mukesh. Written by long-time Sasi collaborator T. Damodaran, the film tells the fictional story of Corporal Khader (Mammootty), a former British army officer and World War I veteran, who joins with the Mappila rebels during the Uprising.

Made with a budget of Rs. 1. 20 crore, 1921 was then the most expensive film in Malayalam. The film was a moderate success only due to its low profit. The film won Kerala State Film Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value in 1988.

Plot

The film focuses on bullock cart driver Khader (Mammootty), a retired Corporal and World War I veteran, and Unni Krishnan (Suresh Gopi), a hardline nationalist revolutionary from a family of Hindu landlords. Both men join the brigade of Variyan Kunnathu Kunjahammed Haji (T. G. Ravi), one of the prominent leaders of the 1921 Uprising.

The plot gradually introduces a variety of characters, representing the Malabar society of the 1920s. The film also touches various social dilemmas which lead to the 1921 Uprising, the atrocities committed by the British army during the events and the eventual collapse of the rebel unity and organisation.

Cast

• Mammootty as Khader
• Suresh Gopi
• Madhu as Aali Musaliyar
• T. G. Ravi as Variyan Kunnathu Kunjahammed Haji
• M.G. Soman
• Ratheesh
• Mukesh
• K.P. Ummer
• Vijayaraghavan
• Balan K. Nair as Beeran
• Jagannatha Varma
• Bheeman Raghu
• Mohan Jose
• Augustine
• Kundara Johny
• Raghavan
• Vincent
• Seema as Radha
• Urvashi as Thulasi
• Rohini as Lakshmi
• Parvathy as Aasiya
• Kaviyoor Ponnamma
• Lalithasree
• Valsala Menon

Box office

The film's screenplay and dialogues, written by T. Damodaran, were praised by the general public. Initially the film was not doing at the theaters as well as expected.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was composed by Tamil composer Shyam. The lyrics of the songs in the film were adapted from folklore Malayalam poems by poets such as Moyinkutty Vaidyar (19th century). Independent India's "national song" Vande Mataram, written by Bengali poet Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (1838 - 1894), is also featured in the film with vocals by K. S. Chithra. Other "playback singers" are Naushad and Vilayil Fazila.

Song	Playback singer	Lyrics	Duration
"Manathu Maaran"	Naushad	Moyinkutty Vaidyar
"Dheerasameere Yamunatheere"	K. S. Chithra	traditional poem
"Muthunava Rathnamukham"	Naushad	P Abdul Khader and Moyinkutty Vaidyar
"Firdausil Adukkumpol"	Naushad and Vilayil Fazila	P. Abdul Khader and Moyinkutty Vaidyar
"Vande Mataram" (Sanskrit)	K. S. Chithra	Bankim Chandra Chatterjee

External links

• 1921 at IMDb

• Sreedhar Pillai. Celluloid Sultans of Kerala 31 December 1988 India Today Archives
• T Damodaran cremated with state honours MARCH 28, 2012 The Mathrubhumi daily
• Sampurn Media. Mammootty - IV Sasi - Damodaran together again 23 April 2010 The New Indian Express
• Sreedhar Pillai. Celluloid Sultans of Kerala 31 December 1988 India Today Archives