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{{short description|2011 film by Lenin Rajendran}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Makaramanju
| image = Makaramanju.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption =
| director = [[Lenin Rajendran]]
| producer = [[B Rakesh]]
| writer = Lenin Rajendran
| starring = [[Santhosh Sivan]] [[Karthika Nair]] [[Nithya Menon]] Lakshmi Sharma [[Mallika Kapoor]] [[Jagathy Sreekumar]] [[Bala (actor)|Bala]] Chithra Iyer [[Saiju Kurup]]
| music = [[Ramesh Narayan]]
| cinematography = [[Madhu Ambat]]
| editing = Mahesh Narayanan
| studio =
| distributor = Sree Gokulam Films
| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2011|9|30}}
| runtime =
| country = India
| language = Malayalam
| budget =
| gross =
}}
'''''Makaramanju''''' ({{lang-en|The Mist of Capricorn|italic=yes}}) is a 2011 [[Malayalam language]] [[romantic drama film]] written and directed by [[Lenin Rajendran]]. The film is about celebrated painter [[Raja Ravi Varma]]'s life at a certain stage in his life. It also narrates the story of epic character [[Pururavas]]. Cinematographer [[Santhosh Sivan]] and [[Karthika Nair]] appear in the lead roles.

"Urvashi Pururavas" is the painting that has been woven into the narrative of the film. In a [[story within a story]] format, Lenin Rajendran intertwines the story of the artist with that of the mythological [[Urvashi]] and her beloved King Pururavas. The film received mixed reviews upon release. It was one of the five Malayalam films to be screened at the [[International Film Festival of India]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article837968.ece|title=Malayalam film makers plan alternative screening outside IFFI venues|author=Soyesh H. Rawther|date=19 October 2010|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=17 February 2011}}</ref> It won the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Malayalam Film at the [[International Film Festival of Kerala]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2010/12/18/stories/2010121862590400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110320021838/http://www.hindu.com/2010/12/18/stories/2010121862590400.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 March 2011|title=Top prize for Colombian film |date=18 December 2010|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=17 February 2011}}</ref> It has been nominated for the Indian National Film Awards for 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=ENTEN20110175298&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&keyword=regional&nid=104721 |title=Seven Malayalam Films To Compete For National Award |author=Press Trust of India |date=10 May 2011 |publisher=[[NDTV]] Movies |accessdate=10 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524042037/http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?Section=Movies&ID=ENTEN20110175298&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&keyword=regional&nid=104721 |archivedate=24 May 2011 }}</ref>

==Plot==
The film tells the story of [[Raja Ravi Varma]] at a certain stage in his life. He is in the process of painting a masterpiece. The theme of his painting is [[Pururavas]], the legendary king who fell in love with the heavenly nymph [[Urvashi]], who later agrees to become his wife on certain conditions, but disappears without a trace when she discovers that the conditions were violated. Pururavas wanders all around to find her and ultimately does get united with his lover. Ravi Varma, during his work, finds himself attracted to his model [[Sugandha Bai]] and this relationship begin to acquire certain shades of the legend of Urvashi and Pururavas. Together they are thrown into a torrent of love and passion from which they find it difficult to scape.

==Cast==
* [[Santhosh Sivan]] as [[Raja Ravi Varma]] and [[Pururavas]]. Cinematographer [[Santhosh Sivan]] is on his acting debut through this film.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_Story.aspx?id=ENTEN20090115658&keyword=&subcatg=|title=Santosh Sivan to act as Raja Ravi Varma|date=6 November 2009|publisher=[[NDTV]]|accessdate=17 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714161905/http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_Story.aspx?id=ENTEN20090115658&keyword=&subcatg=|archive-date=14 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> He dons dual roles in the film, and is pairing up with three different heroines.<ref name="Production"/> Coincidentally, Santhosh Sivan had made use of themes from Ravi Varma's paintings - ''[[Damayanti]] and the swan'', ''Lady in thought'' and ''Girl carrying milk tray'' in his directorial venture ''[[Anandabhadram]]''.<ref>{{cite web | title = Raja Ravi Varma's art makes song number one favourite | publisher = Now Running | url = http://www.nowrunning.com/news/news.asp?it=4867 | accessdate = 17 February 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110714203450/http://www.nowrunning.com/news/news.asp?it=4867 | archive-date = 14 July 2011 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title = Ananthabhadram | newspaper = Deccan Herald | date = 2 August 2006 | url = http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/nov202005/movies16434120051119.asp | accessdate = 17 February 2011 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060908072416/http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/nov202005/movies16434120051119.asp |archivedate=8 September 2006 }}</ref>
* [[Karthika Nair]] as Suganda Baai and [[Urvashi]]. Karthika dons her second full-length role through this film,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmydum.com/top-stories/2946/%E2%80%98makara-manju%E2%80%99-was-a-tough-experience-karthika-nair|title='Makara Manju' was a tough experience: Karthika Nair|date=1 February 2011|publisher=Filmydum|accessdate=17 February 2011}}</ref> as well as makes her Malayalam debut.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sify.com/movies/Karthika-debuts-in-Malayalam-with-Makaramanju-imagegallery-malayalam-jmsqk5icgba.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091224075400/http://sify.com/movies/Karthika-debuts-in-Malayalam-with-Makaramanju-imagegallery-malayalam-jmsqk5icgba.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 December 2009|title=Karthika debuts in Malayalam with Makaramanju|year=2010|publisher=[[Sify]]|accessdate=17 February 2011}}</ref> The film is considered to be a breakthrough in the actress's career and there have been reports that [[Academy Award]]-winning British director [[Danny Boyle]] was impressed with Karthika's performance in the film and has signed her in his next project.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/malayalam/article/62310.html|title=Karthika dazes Danny Boyle|date=13 December 2010|publisher=Indiaglitz|accessdate=17 February 2011}}</ref>
* [[Lakshmi Sharma]] as Bhageerathi, Ravi Varma's wife.<ref name="Synopsis">[http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/7143/malayalam/makaramanju/preview.htm "Makaramanju Synopsis"]. Nowrunning.com. Retrieved 17 February 2011.</ref>
* [[Mallika Kapoor]] as Vasundhara, wife of Pururavas.
* [[Jagathy Sreekumar]] as Govardhandas Makhanji, Ravi Varma's business partner.<ref name="Synopsis"/>
* [[Saiju Kurup]] as [[C. Raja Raja Varma|Raja Raja Varma]], Ravi Varma's younger brother.<ref name="Synopsis"/>
* Chithra Iyer as Rukku Baai, Suganda's mother.<ref name="Synopsis"/>
* [[Nithya Menon]] as a model.
* [[Shamna Kasim|Poorna]] as a model.
* [[Dinesh Panicker]] as Divan
* Chitra Iyer as Sugandha
* [[Vishnupriya (actress)|Vishnupriya]] (cameo appearance)
* [[Malavika Wales]] in an uncredited role.

==Voice dubbing==
*Actor [[Biju Menon]] has dubbed the voice for [[Santhosh Sivan]].
*[[Bhagyalakshmi]] - Bhageerathy-(Lekshmi Sharma)
*[[Praveena]]- vasundhara (Malika Kapoor)
*Vimmy Mariam George - Urvashi/ Sugandhitha Bhai (Karthika Nair)

==Awards==
;[[International Film Festival of Kerala]] 2010
* FIPRESCI Prize for Best Malayalam Film

;[[Kerala State Film Awards]] 2010
* [[Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Film]]
* [[Kerala State Film Award for Best Choreography|Best Choreography]] - Madu Gopinath & Saji Vakkom
* [[Kerala State Film Award for Best Costume Designer|Best Costume Designer]]- S B Satheesh

[[Kerala Film Critics Association Awards]] 2010
* Best Debut Actress - [[Karthika Nair]]

Vanitha Film Award 2010
* Best Debut Actress - [[Karthika Nair]]

[[1st South Indian International Movie Awards]] 2010
* Best Debut Actress - [[Karthika Nair]]
* Best Cinematographer - [[Madhu Ambat]]

==Production==
Lenin Rajendran was the first to make a film on [[Swati Tirunal]], the royal composer from Kerala. And through ''Makaramanju'', the filmmaker pays homage to Raja Ravi Varma. The director says it is the artist's special place in Indian art that had drawn him to his life. "A few years ago, I had done a play on Ravi Varma for [[Kerala People's Arts Club|KPAC]]. During my reading and research on him, I was fascinated to know more about the man and the circumstances in which those works were created. Here was a prince who had paid a price for pursuing his passion for the arts. He faced hostility and criticism but that did not put an end to his affair with brush and paint. Cases were filed against him but he fought against the orthodoxy and won the right to express himself. I felt there was space for a movie," he explains. Instead of a biopic on the artist, the director wanted to focus on the artist at work, and chose a single work to unfold the life of the artist and the period he worked and lived in. "Although his style was European, his themes were from Indian mythology. In each of his works on the Indian Puranas, he chose a point in the story that was filled with drama and emotion. I was struck by the sensitivity and acumen of the man who used his brush to depict those moments. That is why I felt I could understand him better if I concentrated on a work and then narrate the story of the artist's creative process," says the director.<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article2496656.ece "The agony and the ecstasy"]</ref>

The principal production began in October 2009. The film's set has been put up in an old bungalow known as Church bungalow on the compound of a Lutheran church, near [[Pallichal]] in [[Thiruvananthapuram district]]. The film was also shot in [[Kochi]] and [[Mumbai]].<ref name="Production">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/11/27/stories/2009112751020200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629022528/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/11/27/stories/2009112751020200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 June 2011|title=Brush with the past |author=Saraswathy Nagarajan|date=27 November 2009|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=17 February 2011}}</ref>

==Music==
{{Infobox album
| name = Makaramanju
| type = [[Soundtrack]]
| artist = [[Ramesh Narayan]]
| cover =
| alt =
| released = 2010
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = [[Film soundtrack|Feature film soundtrack]]
| length =
| label = M. C. Audios & Videos
| producer =
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
The film's music has been composed by [[Ramesh Narayan]]. There are eight tracks in the soundtrack, with lyrics by [[Kavalam Narayana Panicker]], K. Jayakumar and Chandran Nair.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/mp/2011/01/27/stories/2011012750200400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203204650/http://www.hindu.com/mp/2011/01/27/stories/2011012750200400.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 February 2011|title=Chords and notes: Makaramanju|date=27 January 2011|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=17 February 2011}}</ref>

{{tracklist
| headline =
| extra_column = Artist(s)
| total_length =
| title1 = Manjil Melle
| extra1 = [[K. J. Yesudas]]
| length1 =
| writer1 = Chandran Nair
| title2 = Aahko Chahiye
| extra2 = [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]] & [[Sujatha Mohan|Sujatha]]
| length2 =
| writer2 = K. Jayakumar
| title3 = Mele Mele
| extra3 = [[Ramesh Narayan]] & [[Anuradha Sriram]]
| length3 =
| writer3 = [[Kavalam Narayana Panicker]]
| title4 = Then Thennale
| extra4 = [[Srinivas (singer)|Srinivas]], Sunita Menon
| length4 =
| writer4 = Kavalam Narayana Panicker
| title5 = Kaanuvaanere
| extra5 = [[Hariharan (singer)|Hariharan]] & [[Sujatha Mohan|Sujatha]]
| length5 =
| writer5 = K. Jayakumar
| title6 = Mele Mele
| extra6 = Ramesh Narayan
| length6 =
| writer6 = Kavalam Narayana Panicker
| title7 = Mosobathiya
| extra7 = [[Manjari (Indian singer)|Manjari]]
| length7 =
| writer7 = Traditional
| title8 = Saalabhanjike
| extra8 = Ramesh Narayan
| length8 =
| writer8 = Chandran Nair
}}

==Reviews==
The film received mixed reviews from various critics. A review by Nowrunning.com writes: "Makaramanju loses grip on its material half way through, and remains an elusive piece that doesn't tug at your heart strings. Which is why, you walk out of the hall mumbling to yourself that perhaps a bit more clever scripting could have made all the difference."<ref>[http://www.nowrunning.com/movie/7143/malayalam/makaramanju/3367/review.htm "Makaramanju Review"]</ref> [[Rediff.com]]'s reviewer said that the film "is watchable but you have to brush up your knowledge of mythology and history to fully appreciate it."<ref>[http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/south-reviews-makara-manju-is-intricate/20111003.htm "Review: Makara Manju is intricate"]</ref>

== Accolades ==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Ceremony
! Category
! Nominee
! Result
|-
|rowspan="1"|[[1st South Indian International Movie Awards]]
|[[SIIMA Award for Best Cinematographer|Best Cinematographer]]
|Madhu Ambat
|{{won}}
|-
|rowspan="1"|[[40th Kerala State Film Awards]]
|[[Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Film]]
| Lenin Rajendran
|{{won}}
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.makaramanju.in/}}
* {{IMDb title|id=1830704}}
* [http://malayalasangeetham.info/php/createSongIndex.php?txt=Makaramanju&stype=movie ''Makaramanju''] at the Malayalam Movie Database

[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:2011 films]]
[[Category:2010s Malayalam-language films]]
[[Category:2011 romantic drama films]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1870s]]
[[Category:Indian biographical drama films]]
[[Category:Indian romantic drama films]]
[[Category:2011 biographical drama films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Lenin Rajendran]]

Makaramanju - Revision history

CleanupBot at 17:45, 1 June 2023