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{{for|article on the legendary carpenter Perumthachan|Perumthachan}}
{{short description|1990 film directed by Ajayan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Perunthachan
| image = Perumthachan.jpg
| caption =
| director = [[Ajayan (director)|Ajayan]]
| producer = G. Jayakumar
| writer = [[M. T. Vasudevan Nair]]
| narrator =
| starring = [[Thilakan]] [[Prashanth (actor)|Prashanth]] [[Monisha Unni]] [[Vinaya Prasad]] [[Nedumudi Venu]] [[Babu Namboothiri]]
| music = [[Johnson (composer)|Johnson]]
| cinematography = [[Santhosh Sivan]]
| editing = [[M. S. Mani (film editor)|M. S. Mani]]
| studio = Bhavachitra
| released = {{Film date|1991|1|25|df=y}}
| runtime = 120 minutes
| country = India
| language = Malayalam
| budget =
| gross =
}}

'''''Perumthachan''''' ({{trans|The Master Carpenter}}) is a 1991 Indian [[Malayalam]]-language [[Historical drama|Period drama]] film directed by [[Ajayan (director)|Ajayan]] and written by [[M. T. Vasudevan Nair]]. It is based on [[Perumthachan]] of the [[Parayi Petta Panthirukulam]], a legend in the [[Kerala]] folklore. The problems caused by the [[generation gap]] are explored through the relationship between a skilled carpenter and his tradition-breaking son.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/movies/movies/perumthachan/14579191/|title=News - Entertainment, Music, Movies, Celebrity|website=MTV News}}</ref> The film won the [[Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director|National Film Award for Best First Film of a Director]] and [[Filmfare Award for Best Film - Malayalam]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/39thAnnualFilmfareMalayalamBestFilmActress|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20170208064602/https://archive.org/details/39thAnnualFilmfareMalayalamBestFilmActress|archive-date=8 February 2017|url-status=dead|title=39th Annual Filmfare Malayalam Best Film Actress|date=8 February 2017|via=Internet Archive|access-date=23 March 2020}}</ref> It was nominated for the [[Golden Leopard|Golden Leopard Award]] and is now considered as a classic in Malayalam Cinema.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Perumthachan: An immortal classic|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2018/aug/25/perumthachan-an-immortal-classic-1862377.html|access-date=2021-06-11|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>

== Plot ==
In this Indian story, based on a Kerala legend, a pious and self-disciplined master carpenter of a supposedly mixed-caste, moves easily in his world, building temples and then carving the stone statues which embellish them. He is at home in his traditional world, is at peace with his inner self and the social mores of the time. By way of contrast, he begets a son who is of rebellious nature and questioning of the traditional social hierarchies of the time. He falls in love with the daughter of a royal household which ultimately leads to his demise.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/211231/Perumthachan/overview | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080115085834/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/211231/Perumthachan/overview | url-status=dead | archive-date=2008-01-15 | department=Movies & TV Dept. | work=[[The New York Times]] | publisher=[[Baseline (database)|Baseline]] & [[All Movie Guide]] | author=Clarke Fountain | date=2008 | title=Movies: About Perumthachan}}</ref>

Raman Perumthachan ([[Thilakan]]) is unsurpassed as a wood-carver, sculptor and architect and his creations were so exquisite that he was regarded a reincarnation of the architect of the gods. He was also a man of great erudition. Though brought up as a carpenter, he was alluded to be the son of a Brahmin. Perumthachan himself doubted this supposition and in one part of the film he smiles approvingly when his son suggests to him that perhaps the made up story about his Brahmanical antecedents was a ruse by the upper castes to lay claim to some of his ability and prestige.

The screenplay begins at dusk with an old ambalavasi trying to light a stone lamp. But due to a strong gust of wind the lamp struggles to remain alight. A man lying in the tanner pandal close by gets up and places a stone slab strategically in such a way that the path of the wind is breached. He wears a sacred thread(poonool) and hence is mistaken for a Namboodiri. But he tells the ambalavasi that he is no Namboodiri, but a carpenter who had forgotten to remove his thread which he had worn during the construction of a temple. Immediately the ambalavasi recognises that this was no ordinary carpenter but the legendary Perumthachan himself. News spreads about the arrival of Perumthachan.

He meets up with a rich Brahmin who was his childhood friend and who is now the Thampuran of a rich royal household(Kovilakam). He is requested to oversee the construction of the family's shrine and the sculpting of the image of the goddess. The ravishing beauty of the Brahmin householder's wife Bhargavi Thampuratti([[Vinaya Prasad]])catches his imagination and he sculpts the face of the goddess in the mould of the Thampuratti. Though a man of principles, Perumthachan feels drawn to the woman whose looks he compares to 'Swayamvara Durga'; but steps back, knowing well the consequences of any indiscretion on his part. This apparent attraction leads to a minor misunderstanding towards Perumtachan in the mind of the Thampuran and consequently he is not allowed to complete the work on the idol to his satisfaction and is insulted by the Thampuran during the consecration of the idol. Perunthachan leaves the place disillusioned.

Years roll on and his son Kannan ([[Prashanth (actor)|Prasanth]]) has grown into an insightful young man of great charms and talent. Perumthachan is proud of his son's abilities and pleased by his son's growing reputation, but is also worried by his son's tendency to overlook the traditional rules and values of sculptural art and by the strain of unscrupulousness in the son which is a mark of the new, more materialistic and self-centred generation. It is Perumthachan's long cherished wish that he be the one who builds the Saraswati mandapam which Bhargavi Thamburatti had desired for. Kunhikkavu Thamburatti([[Monisha Unni]]), the daughter agrees to her late mother's wish, but it is Kannan, not Perumthachan, who is called up to do the work. The young man goes to the very household of the same rich Brahmin for whom his father had carved the image of the goddess years ago and designs and supervises the building of the temple. In an ironical repetition of his father's experience, he falls in love with Kunhikkavu. But unlike his father, he does not hold himself back and a scandal erupts in the royal household. The girl's father tells perumthachan that he even wished that kannan died falling off from the construction rather than creating shame to the royal household. Seeing that the scandal is slowly destroying his old patron, the father of the girl, Perumthachan arrives to oversee the construction of the temple. He tries to cajole his son to walk away from his relationship. The son refuses to yield and the distraught Perunthachan, in a final act of desperation, drops his chisel deliberately on his son's neck, killing him during the work of the final touches to the dome of the temple.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cinemaofmalayalam.net/|title=Cinema Of Malayalam|website=www.cinemaofmalayalam.net|access-date=18 March 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701064643/http://www.cinemaofmalayalam.net/|archive-date=1 July 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Cast ==
* [[Thilakan]] - Raman (Perumthachan)
* [[Prashanth (actor)|Prashanth]] - Kannan Vishwakarman
* [[Vinaya Prasad]] - Bhargavi Thampuratti
* [[Nedumudi Venu]] - Unni Thampuran
* [[Monisha Unni]] - Kunjikkavu Thamburatti
* [[Jalaja]] - Devaki
* [[Manoj K. Jayan]] - Thirumangalam Neelakantan
* [[M.S. Thripunithura]] - Maani Embrandiri
* [[Babu Namboothiri]] - Kesavan
* [[T. P. Madhavan]] - Pramani, the village chief
* [[Kozhikode Narayanan Nair]] - Nedumbaram Mooss
* [[Adoor Pankajam]] - Unnimaya Valyamma
* Prabhakaran - Variar
* Sreelatha Menon - Thozhi
* Kozhikode Sarada - Keshavan's mother

==Crew==
* Director: [[Ajayan]]
* Screenplay: [[M. T. Vasudevan Nair]]
* Cinematography: [[Santhosh Sivan]]
* Editing: M. S. Money
* Art: [[P. Krishnamoorthy]]
* Associate director: Unni Narayanan

==Production==
This film was directed by Ajayan with Santosh Sivan as the cinematographer. The story was written by M.T. Vasudevan Nair and the warm background music was composed by Johnson.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kripacinema.com/php/showContent.php?linkid=484|title=KRIPA CINEMA.COM|website=www.kripacinema.com}}</ref>

M.T. Vasudevan Nair has told this legendary story of the master carpenter with finesse, bringing to mind the old rituals and traditions and a world since long forgotten. He systematically builds up the suspense until ultimately the ending comes upon you surprisingly, almost shockingly, leaving you cold and unbelieving.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.hindu.com/lr/2005/11/06/stories/2005110600180400.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051130033140/http://www.hindu.com/lr/2005/11/06/stories/2005110600180400.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=30 November 2005 | location=Chennai, India | work=[[The Hindu]] | title=Powerful story of love | date=6 November 2005}}</ref> In the [[afterword]] to his book ''The Master Carpenter'', M. T. Vasudevan Nair wrote that Ajayan first approached him for a [[screenplay]] of his story ''Manikkakkallu''. That did not materialise and later he approached with another dream project ''Perumthachan''.<ref name=TMC/> In the end of the afterword, M. T. thanks Ajayan for persuading him to write screenplay for ''Perumthachan''.<ref name=TMC>{{cite book|title=The Master Carpenter|year=2005|publisher=Katha|isbn=8189020234|page=184|author=M. T. Vasudevan Nair}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0100354}}

{{National Film Award Best First Film of a Director}}

[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:1990 films]]
[[Category:1990s Malayalam-language films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by M. T. Vasudevan Nair]]
[[Category:Films whose cinematographer won the Best Cinematography National Film Award]]
[[Category:Best Debut Feature Film of a Director National Film Award winners]]

Perumthachan (film) - Revision history

imported>Krishnavilasom Bhageerathan Pilla at 08:20, 11 June 2021