What is "muthalali"

Muthalali is a 1965 Malayalam language film directed by M. A. V. Rajendran. It stars Prem Nazir, Adoor Bhasi, T. S. Muthaiah and Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair. Muthalali is inspired by the Tamil language film of the same name.

The Tamil film Muthalali (1957), produced by M. A. Venu and directed by ‘Muktha’ Sreenivasan made on a small budget, was a huge hit. The film won the National Award for the best Feature Film in the regional language category. It was the screen version of a popular play by the same name written by A. K. Venkataramanujam. The unprecedented success of the film was attributed to its good script combined with strong mass elements like songs and performances.

The producers remade the film in Malayalam with the same title. It was released on 30 April 1965. Directed by M. A. V. Rajendran, the film was shot at Rathna Studios, Salem. Dance sequences choreographed by ‘Chinni’ Sampath were an attraction of the film. Music director K. V. Mahadevan who composed the music for the original recommended his assistant T. K. Pukazhenthi’s name to compose for the remake. Playback singer B. Vasantha made her debut in Malayalam films through this film.