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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Kaliyattam
| image = Kaliyattam.jpg
| alt =
| caption = VCD cover
| director = [[Jayaraj]]
| producer = K. Radhakrishnan
| writer = Balram Mattannur
| screenplay =
| based_on = [[William Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Othello]]''
| narrator =
| starring = [[Suresh Gopi]] [[Lal (actor)|Lal]] [[Biju Menon]] [[Manju Warrier]]
| music = '''Songs:''' [[Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri|Kaithapram]] '''Score:''' C.Rajamani
| cinematography = [[M. J. Radhakrishnan]]
| editing = {{ubl|[[B. Lenin]]|[[V. T. Vijayan]]}}
| studio = Jayalakshmi Films
| distributor = Surya Cine Arts
| released = {{Film date|1997|08|22|df=yes}}
| runtime = 130 minutes
| country = India
| language = Malayalam
| budget =
}}

'''''Kaliyattam''''' ({{langx|en|The Play of God}}) is a [[List of Malayalam films of 1997|1997]] Indian [[Malayalam cinema|Malayalam]]-language [[tragedy]] film directed by [[Jayaraj]]. It stars [[Suresh Gopi]], [[Lal (actor)|Lal]] (in his acting debut), [[Biju Menon]] and [[Manju Warrier]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prd.kerala.gov.in/1997.htm|title=List of Malayalam films released during the year 1997|publisher=PRD, [[Government of Kerala]].|access-date=2009-10-07|archive-date=20 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101020043509/http://prd.kerala.gov.in/1997.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="malayalasangeetham.info">{{cite web|url=http://www.malayalasangeetham.info/mmdb/721.html|title=Kaliyattam [1998]|publisher=malayalasangeetham.info|access-date=2009-10-07}}</ref> The film is an [[Film adaptation|adaptation]] of [[William Shakespeare]]'s play ''[[Othello]]'',<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/400-years-later-shakespeare-still-remains-relevant-in-indian-cinema/article23648292.ece|title=400 years later, Shakespeare still remains relevant in Indian cinema|last=Radhakrishnan|first=Sruthi|date=2018-04-23|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-12-07|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> set against the backdrop of the [[Theyyam]] performance of [[Kerala]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hodgdon |first1=Barbara |last2=Worthen |first2=William B. |title=A Companion to Shakespeare and Performance |publisher=Wiley-Blackwell |year=2005 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/companiontoshake0000unse_r8v5/page/130 130–131] |isbn=978-1-4051-1104-1 |series=Blackwell Companions to Literature and Culture |url=https://archive.org/details/companiontoshake0000unse_r8v5/page/130 }}</ref><ref name="BizHat.com">{{cite web|url=http://movies.bizhat.com/review_kaliyattam.php|title=Kaliyattam|publisher=BizHat.com|access-date=2009-10-07|archive-date=10 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090110064022/http://movies.bizhat.com/review_kaliyattam.php|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cinemaofmalayalam.net/jayaraj.html|title=jayaraj|publisher=cinemaofmalayalam.net|access-date=2009-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426203320/http://www.cinemaofmalayalam.net/jayaraj.html|archive-date=26 April 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/Storyold/4833/|title=Monsoon moods on film|last=Sandeep|first=K. M.|date=26 June 1997|work=[[The Indian Express]]|access-date=2009-10-07}}</ref> The screenplay is written by Balram Mattannur. Suresh Gopi plays Kannan Perumalayan, the equivalent to [[Othello (character)|Othello]], [[Lal (actor)|Lal]] plays Paniyan, the equivalent to [[Iago]], [[Manju Warrier]] plays Thamara, the [[Desdemona]] version, and [[Biju Menon]] plays Kanthan, [[Michael Cassio|Cassio]]'s role. Suresh Gopi's role as Kannan Perumalayan was critically acclaimed.

In 1998, Suresh Gopi received the [[National Film Award (India)|National Film Award]] for [[National Film Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] and [[Kerala State Film Award]] for [[Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] for his critically acclaimed performance. Jayaraj won the [[National Film Award for Best Director|Best Director Award]] for ''Kaliyattam''. The film was a critical and commercial success.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/Storyold/31673/|title=Thai Saheb bags national award for best film|date=10 May 1998|work=[[The Indian Express]]|access-date=2009-10-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/may/09film.htm|title=Indrani Haldar, Karisma bag national awards|date=9 May 1998|work=[[Rediff.com]]|access-date=2009-10-07}}</ref>

==Plot==
This is an adaptation of [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s ''[[Othello]]'', revolving around Kannan Perumalayan, a [[Theyyam]] artist who corresponds to [[Othello (character)|Othello]], and Thamara, the beautiful daughter of the village head. While Unni Thampuran hates Kannan because he had a crush on Thamara, and Paniyan, who plays a Komali, covets the role of Theechamundi which Perumalayan holds. Paniyan plants the seeds of doubt about Thamara's [[fidelity]] in Kannan's mind, making him suspect that Thamara and his assistant, Kanthan, are having an affair. Kannan spots a silk robe which he had presented to Thamara in Kanthan's hands.

Kannan, out of grief and anger, takes Thamara<nowiki>'s life by suffocating her with a pillow. On the same night, Paniyan plans to get Kanthan killed by Unni Thampuran. But the plan goes awry, and Thamburan is killed. Amidst these events, Kannan is told of his mistake by Paniyan's wife, Cheerma, before Paniyan murders her. Kannan overpowers Paniyan, crushing his legs with a stone, and leaving him to live the rest of his life crippled. Kannan Perumalayan gives the ''</nowiki>''Perumalayan<nowiki>''</nowiki>'' role to Kanthan and commits suicide in the Theyyam [[Pyre|ritual fire]].

==Cast==

* [[Suresh Gopi]] as Kannan Perumalayan ([[Othello (character)|Othello]])
* [[Manju Warrier]] as Thamara ([[Desdemona]])
* [[Lal (actor)|Lal]] as Paniyan ([[Iago]])
* [[Biju Menon]] as Kanthan ([[Michael Cassio|Cassio]])
* [[Bindu Panicker]] as Cheerma ([[Emilia (Othello)|Emilia]])
* [[Narendra Prasad]] as Thamburan ([[Brabantio]])
* E. A. Rajendran as Unni Thampuran ([[Roderigo]])

==Soundtrack==

{{Infobox album
| name = Kaliyattam
| type = Soundtrack
| artist = [[Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri|Kaithapram]]
| cover =
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|1997|08|22|df=yes}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kaliyattam (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/kaliyattam-original-motion-picture-soundtrack/558549045 |access-date=2020-10-04 |website=[[Apple Music]] }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio = Music City, [[Kozhikode]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Audio CD Cover |url=https://i2.wp.com/mossymart.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Kaliyattam-Malayalam-Audio-Cassette-by-Ilayaraaja-www.mossymart.com_.jpg |access-date=2020-10-04 |website=Mossymart}}</ref>
| genre = [[Film soundtrack]]
| length = {{Duration|36:32}}
| label = Johny Sagariga [[T-Series (company)|T-Series]]
| producer =
| prev_title = [[Thattakam]]
| prev_year = 1997
| next_title = [[Ennu Swantham Janakikutty]]
| next_year = 1998
}}

The music and lyrics were composed and written by [[Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri]].
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
! Track || Song || Playback || Raga
|-

| 1
| "Vannathi Puzhayude"
| [[K. J. Yesudas]]

| [[Madhyamavathi]]<ref name='malayalasangeetham.info' />
|-

| 2
| "Velikku Veluppaankaalam"
| K. J. Yesudas

| [[Mohanam]]
|-

| 3
| "Ezhimalayolam"
| Kaithapram

|
|-

| 4

| "Sapamapa Magari"

| [[Choir]]

|
|-

| 5
| "Kathivanoor Veerane"
| Kallara Gopan

| [[Yamunakalyani]]

|-

| 6
| "Ennodenthinee Pinakkam"
| [[Bhavana Radhakrishnan]]

| Shahana
|-

| 7
| "Kathivanoor Veerane"
| Sreeja

| [[Yamunakalyani]]

|-

| 8
| "Ennodenthinee Pinakkam"
| K. J. Yesudas

| Shahana

|}

==Awards==
===[[45th National Film Awards|National Film Awards 1997]]===
* [[National Film Award for Best Director]] – [[Jayaraj]]
* [[National Film Award for Best Actor]] – [[Suresh Gopi]]

===[[Filmfare Awards South|Filmfare Awards 1997]]===
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Director - Malayalam|Filmfare Award for Best Director – Malayalam]] – Jayaraj
* [[Filmfare Award for Best Music Director - Malayalam|Filmfare Award for Best Music Director – Malayalam]] – [[Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri|Kaithapram]]

===[[Kerala State Film Awards|Kerala State Film Awards 1997]]===
* [[Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor]] – Suresh Gopi
* [[Kerala State Film Award for Best Popular Film|Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value]]
* [[Kerala State Film Award for Best Music Director|Best Music Director]] – Kaithapram
* [[Kerala State Film Award for Best Singer|Best Female Playback Singer]] – Bhavana Radhakrishnan

===Kerala Film Critics Association Awards 1997===
*Best Actor – Suresh Gopi
*Best Supporting Actor – Lal

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0199669|Kaliyattam}}

{{Othello}}
{{Jayaraj}}
{{Kerala Film Critics Association Award for Best Film}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1997 films]]
[[Category:1997 Malayalam-language films]]
[[Category:Films based on Othello]]
[[Category:Films shot in Palakkad]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Actor National Award–winning performance]]
[[Category:Films scored by Kaithapram Viswanathan Namboothiri]]
[[Category:Films whose director won the Best Director National Film Award]]

Kaliyattam - Revision history

MaxieMorales00 at 05:37, 19 March 2026