Imagine stepping into a time machine and rewinding to the festive Christmas season of the year 2000—a period when Malayalam cinema was redefining itself. The stage was set, the screens were ready, and then arrived "Devadoothan," a movie unlike any other, weaving a tale of music, mystery, and haunting love. Yet, what was meant to be a masterpiece missed its mark, leaving both the audience and the makers perplexed. Was it ahead of its time, or simply misunderstood?
| Director | Writer | Release Date | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sibi Malayil | Reghunath Paleri | 22 December 2000 | 🎭🖤 Musical Horror |
Random Musings - Turning back time
Let's set our minds and go back to a distant year in history, to be exact - Christmas season of the year 2000
The turn of the millennium had been kind to A10, as he was running ablaze with the success of his larger than life flick 'Narasimham', his first release of the year, which in turn followed forgettable movies like 'Sradha' (I.V Sasi) and 'Life Is Beautiful' (Fazil). The year couldn't end any faster, when the Sibi Malayil directorial starring the superstar hit screens on December 22,2000, during a hopeful Christmas season in Kerala.
I can't attest first hand about the reception that the movie received at the time, as I wasn't born, but from later anecdotes, I understood that the movie wasn't received well, with the expectation vs reality battle not being a fad then and a standing debate about the movie being ahead of it's time and releasing at the worst possible time in 2000.
Fueled by movies such as Aaram Thamburan and Narasimham, which Mohanlal did 3 years apart from each other, it kind of set the precedent for the star to depict macho and larger than life characters, at a time when Antonlee (our own Stan Lee) came into the fray and started producing these commercial entertainers, under the banner of Ashirwad Cinemas, sensing the scent of reaping good profits (a market for such movies had been opened up by then). A bar of expectation had been set by the commoner, who just wanted to have a great time at the theaters and did not want to be treated to sad dramas and have an unenthusiastic theater experience.
As ChatGPT explains it best, we Malayalis have always used movies as a method of escapism, to seek entertainment which offers a break from reality and that can instantly lift our mood. Racy entertainers have always became escape routes, with veteran directors such as Joshiy and Shaji Kailas perfecting the craft of being able to cater to the audience's requirements with their commercial ventures towards the tail end of the 1990's and during the turn of the millennium.
Why did Devadoothan fail at the theaters in 2000?
As said by Malayil sir himself, Siyad Koker (the producer) and the superstar himself must have persuaded the director to alter his vision, by inserting some unnecessary action scenes and comedy (commercial movie elements), to deviate the entire treatment from a somber musical to one which could attract the family audience.
No disrespect aimed to A10 who took on the role, despite the uncertainty of the movie's BO outcome, but the fight scenes could have been avoided back then, for the movie to stay grounded to the subject and to deflect the hero's mass appeal. This role was undoubtedly a cakewalk for the superstar, with the grunt work and outcome being delivered from the script and the director's vision.
At a time in 2024, where the A10's own fans are grumbling about the reluctance to work with new directors and subjects, I have respect for the superstar's choice and inclination to star in a unique subject. This goes without saying that Malaikottai Valibhan had a phenomenal performance coming from the thespian himself.
I can provide a pacifier saying that our society wasn't ready to accept a musical entertainer, back then with pretty much no mass elements or anything to be excited about. To be honest, the film wouldn't make itself look appealing to the entertainment-minded audience, with it's horror angle as well. Keep in mind that the movie released during the Christmas season, when there would be a sense of hope and joy among people all around.
Another point to ponder about was the ticket rates. The ticket pricing back then meant that family budgets could be lent with a severe dent, unless the movie had a pretty great 'Word of Mouth' among people. Reiterating my point about people needing the requirement to be entertained at the theaters, with a sense of satisfaction from bucks well spent, post the movie.
Keep in mind that tickets costed somewhere around Rs 40 to 60, which was serious money back then. Spending on movies was a rarity back then, as families wanted to get the highest dose of entertainment for the bucks being shelled out on a movie night. Word of Mouth and promotional content on magazines played a huge role in driving the ordinary family to the silver screen.
From the rerelease theater response that I watched on YouTube, a fan shared an anecdote mentioning that the movie did not have much promotion or fanfare on the days leading to it's release. Since A10 is always a bankable star with fans having an expectation to have a great time in theaters with him onscreen, many people went in intrigued and were left disappointed.
The turn of the millennium also helped set the precedent for the right ingredients for a profitable commercial venture, which, if blended correctly with the right vision, helped mint miracles on the screen and on the business table. A glance at the year's releases speaks for itself, namely Valyettan, the afore mentioned Narasimham and Thenkassipatanam, which had the right dose of a sympathetic backstory, drama, comedy and fight scenes that would receive the loudest cheers from the audience. Audience will and always have the expectation to engage with the movie and to connect emotionally with the characters on screen.
Coming back to our commercial movie history, the expectation levels were set high by fans themselves and for a few years thereon, A10 was trying to escape from the expectation bubble that he helped create, further taking on grounded roles as the quintessential family man from 2002 onwards.
Achieving Cult Status post 2000
Amrita TV bagged the satellite rights to screen this movie, back then and a reference to this was made on Reddit recently. The movie didn't deserve the disapproving response from the audience back then, however it was the harsh reality back then, when movies that tanked in the BO, had little to no takers from major TV Channels.
Despite the movie's failure, it got itself a cult following, with a Spooder cut running amok on Reddit and multiple discussion posts being made, that sought to unravel lingering doubts about the movie, that still left itself an impact on the watcher, decades after release.
Until Devadoothan rereleased in July 2024, I had no inclination of watching the movie and did not heed to helpful suggestions from redditors on the r/MalayalamMovies subreddit to give the movie a watch. Musical horror wasn't my genre of taste. Same went for the soundtrack of the movie which I hadn't bothered to give a listen to, except for 'Poove Poove' by P Jayachandran, which is a solid foot tapper.
I just knew the opening lyrics of Karale as well, which was clowned upon because the 'Aleena' portion. Ignorance of the young mind, I understand. With a renewed sense of appreciation for the movie after the rerelease, I started enjoying the beautiful duet. We shouldn't deny the wonderful prowess of K,J Yesudas and PV Preetha (a name that is often forgotten), who delivered such a timeless love track.
I remember browsing threads prior to the rerelease, where discussions were rife on the subreddit to give the movie one more chance to be accepted by the audience and a fantasy of redditors to sing 'Endaro Mahanubhavulu' in unison as the intro segment kicked in.
Rerelease Watch - It's Showtime!
July 28 rolled around and I made my way to Nagawara to see what the fuss was all about!. I was well aware that I would be watching the movie with a packed theatre as well and that Jagathy's portions had been trimmed from the film, along with some fight scenes giving us a director's cut of the actual story, with no extra and unnecessary crumbs.
The crew credits started rolling down, with the backdrop of the white dove, the Seven Bells, caricatures of characters from the movie and Vidyasagar's background score. Things started wonderfully as expected, when 'Endaro' started crooning from the PVR Speakers. Even the waves of the sea making an impact, as the orchestra melodiously delivered the retro Tyagaraja song with a western twist.
Wonderful applauses filled me ears as A10's voice instructing the orchestra and when the great made his appearance onscreen. Truth be told, I was eagerly awaiting for this intro segment!
Jayaprada entered the stage and things started getting serious between our hero and the professor, culminating in the stunning revelation of the reason why she remained unmarried and the mystery surrounding the instrument. The intermission block was pretty interesting and made me pine for the second half. It couldn't come any sooner and the suspense regarding the mystery lover was escalating.
We eventually come to realize the existence of a blooming romance between Nikhil Maheshwar and Aleena, with Aleena literally acting as the eyes of Maheshwar. Reghunath Paleri's script made the entire plotline magical and we as audience are left pining for the lovers to unite (for which we already know the outcome).
This is beautifully articulated by Kaithapram and Yesudas in the wonderful track 'Karale'
"Karale nin kai pidichal
Kadololam venillavu
Ulkannin kazchayil nee
Kurugunn oru venn piravu"
which roughly translates to:
"Darling, when I hold your hand,
It's a sea of moonlight.
From the gaze of my inner eye
you are cooing like a white dove."
Love is such a wonderful feeling is'nt it? Their intense love for each other, despite setbacks is one to behold. Such was their relationship, that music, respect and love were destined to intertwine with each other. Noticed how Aleena speaks proudly of Nikhil throughout the movie and the pride on her face while showing Vishal, his photo?
This scene can itself attest well to that emotion, with Yesudas' melodious crooning just about right to set our veins racing, with the thought of the musician's mysterious aura.
He's truly the celestial singer that's worthy enough of displaying Nikhil's mastery over music, onscreen and the blessed virtuoso whom Vidyasagar chose, as the chosen one to render the magical emotion, that is 'Karale'. Kinda syncs does'nt it?
The climax provided a literal sense of warmth to the heart, as the two doves (signifying the lovers) finally reunite (probably in the afterlife), the amazement on Vishal's face upon witnessing it and the wholesome act of the Devadoothan placing his award of recognition on the Seven Bells, that will forever stand as a symbol of the romance, that once used to grace this earth.
Knowingly or unknowingly, Nikhil Maheshwar's musical influence had guided another talented musician to create a renowned piece of art titled 'Rhythm of Love', that would go on to be appreciated by many. Indeed, Vishal was the chosen messenger, to reunite the lovers (metaphorically) and to deliver a famed album that was influenced by, as Vishal puts it, 'the king of music'. The dedication of the album towards the fallen musician felt apt.
As the credits rolled down again to the tune of 'Endaro', I left the Elements Mall with a sense of eerie around me following the satisfying climax and a regret that the movie did not receive the respect and appreciation it deserved, back then. I made a note to watch the movie again, as I came to the realization that I had witnessed a 'Vismayam' in the theater. A feeling of happiness, magic and dread, all at the same time enveloped me, as i made the auto trip back home. As Jayaprada summed it up beautifully, it was a heavenly experience.
I did end up recording major scenes from the film, as a memoir of the magic that I witnessed. This blog entry being a more shameless opportunity to share it with the world (xD).
After Thoughts
A thought that kept bugging me for days was how different the director's cut looked from the theatrical version, which was the real deal and which maintained the true essence of a musical horror. Jagathy Sreekumar and Jagadeesh's scenes were jarring and kept distracting me from the film, due to the need of forced comedy.
The credits section from both cuts also displayed a stark contrast between each other. The theatrical version looked pretty bland (limitations of the 2000's), while the one in the director's cut looked fresh. A comparison has been given below
Very few actresses from other industries have performed and left a mark, that's yet to be eclipsed in Malayalam Cinema. Jayaprada, with her acting prowess, beauty and treatment of the character handed to her, falls comfortably in the bracket of actresses that Malayalis would love to see on screen, one more time. Dubbing and performance were on point, with Bhagyalakshmi's performance behind the screen needing to be lauded.
As a parting note to this section, Devadoothan and it's crew can rest easy with the satisfaction, that it's legacy has now been secured in the hearts of those who appreciate Cinema. The rerelease did pave way for the movie to reach a wider set of audience and can be rightfully termed as a masterpiece that was ahead of it's time.
Devadoothan, truly is a gift that keeps on giving. Apart from mesmerizing the viewer with it's heavenly soundtrack, viewers who came to treat it as one of their comfort watches get to notice some new minute detail, with every rewatch. A mystery that keeps unfolding.
I have much respect to my regional cinema, as this field has always persevered in bringing wonderful stories to the audience, without any thought to it's profit making opportunity or any anxiety on how the audience would perceive it. If the movie is good, leave it to the audience to ensure that it keeps popping up in discussion circles, to ensure the legacy that it truly deserves.
Random Thoughts
Do you believe in coincidence or instances, where you just hope for some relief and incidentally come across someone (whom you think as an afterthought) is someone whom God has sent as a relief point, at that particular period of your life?
I have seen many 'devadoothans' in my short span of life, who were miraculously sent by God himself to relieve me from my problems or to provide a healing wound for the same. They come in unassuming and leave a mark of relief in my life reel as they depart, when thinking back about those moments.
Trivia
- This was supposed to be Sibi Malayil's debut film, meaning that a vision for executing the story was lying somewhere around in the 1980's. Think about the year 1985 when the CGI effects were more or less developed and costly. With the budget that Mollywood was running on back then, executing such a concept would have never be possible, without the apt technology or investment. We had to wait for a decade or more, but it was well worth the wait
- Sibi's vision was to project the lovers story through the lens of a child's dreams, instead of a grown up person. When A10 came to know about the storyline from Koker himself, he insisted on committing to the project. The entire campus storyline was set up from scratch to accommodate the character.
- Vineeth got injured during the dog chase scenes and senior actor Murali was furious with the entire mishap. Vineeth's take on the incident
- Laurels came calling to Vidyasagar, as he was awarded the Kerala State Film Award in 2000, in appreciation for his mastery on Devadoothan's soundtrack. A true magician and it can be lauded as one of this best works. Spare a thought for Yesudas, P. Jayachandran and S.Janaki who got the opportunity to deliver some timeless classics, tracks that they can be proud of
- The track 'Mathapoothiri' which was on the movie's soundtrack listing, was not included in the movie. Some anecdotes exist under the song's YouTube video comments, that suggest that some picturization may have been carried out, featuring A10 and Jagadeesh. Our own version of Lost Media, if that counts!
However, if you notice the scene where Vishal plays the piano in the presence of Ithakk, you can notice that the intro notes of Mathapoothiri are being played.
Credits - Devadoothan Theatre Cut - Amrita TV- Mathapoothiri may have been the first song in Malayalam to embrace auto-tune technology. Came to know about the song and this tidbit from Youtube
- The Seven Bells Instrument, which plays a major role in the story, was specially made as a prop for the movie. The seven bells represent the seven musical notes of Carnatic Music and is a fusion of a Harmonium and a Piano. What a magical aura it has!
- The movie was shot in Tamil Nadu, at the Government Arts College, located in Ooty. A wonderful location to shoot at and it had that old eerie vibe to it.
- Got a very old upload of Endaro Mahanubhavulu from YouTube. Gosh.....I love Youtube. it is truly a wonderful time machine and I love the warm, fuzzy feeling of Rafa Videos' vintage logo on the video, with the retro vibe kicking in and the thought that some wonderful soul rented it's cassette, played it on the DVD Player and proceeded to record it, making it one of the first hundred thousand uploads on YouTube!
- Late Update - Got another one for Karale as well! This is from 2007 as well. Do you love and experience the vintage vibe kicking in?
Memorabilia - for the memories
My Iphone Note, immedietely after watching the movie. The last update was made on August 2,2024, by when i had watched it a total of 3 times at the same theater.
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