Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja (film)
Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja is a 2009 Indian Malayalam-language epic period drama film based on the life of Pazhassi Raja, a king who fought against the East India Company in the 18th century. The film was directed by Hariharan, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair and produced by Gokulam Gopalan. It stars Mammootty in lead role with an ensemble supporting cast. The music score and soundtrack were created by Ilaiyaraaja, while its sound design is by Resul Pookutty.
| Pazhassi Raja | |
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Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Hariharan |
| Written by | M. T. Vasudevan Nair |
| Based on | Life of Pazhassi Raja |
| Produced by | Gokulam Gopalan |
| Starring | Mammootty |
| Narrated by | Mohanlal (Malayalam) Kamal Haasan (Tamil) Shah Rukh Khan (Hindi) |
| Cinematography | Ramanath Shetty |
| Edited by | A. Sreekar Prasad |
| Music by | Ilaiyaraaja |
Production company | Sree Gokulam Movies |
| Distributed by | Sree Gokulam Release |
Release date |
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Running time | 200 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
| Budget | ₹20 crore |
| Box office | est. ₹49 crore |
The film won National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam, Best Background Score, Best Audiography and Special Mention (for Padmapriya). It received numerous other accolades, including eight Kerala State Film Awards and seven Filmfare Awards South.
Pazhassi Raja was produced at a cost of ₹20 crore, making it the expensive film made in Malayalam until then. It is the first Malayalam film to get a home video release in Blu-ray format. Originally filmed in Malayalam, Pazhassi Raja was dubbed in Tamil as well as Hindi. The film released on 16 October 2009 across Kerala with 150 prints; it ran for 150 days in theatres and was the highest-grossing film in Malayalam cinema until 2013 when the record was broken by Drishyam. It is often regarded as a classic Malayalam cinema. The film received an overwhelming response and it has emerged as one of the top grossers in Kerala's box office history.