46TH NATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 1999

INDIRA GANDHI AWARD FOR BEST FIRST FILM OF A DIRECTOR

DAYA

Producer C.K. GOPINATH

Director VENU

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From Rediff on the Net

The MT twist

http://www.rediff.com/entertai/1998/apr/06sh.htm

There's this other Malayalam film by M T Vasudevan Nair on the starting block, Daya. Same old Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, but from the viewpoint of Morgiana, the slave girl who often comes to Ali Baba's rescue.

But MT has been known to do this before, writing a story from the viewpoint of a minor character. Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha which earned Mammotty a national award for best acting and MT the one for best script, dealt with the story of folk hero Aromal Chekavar, from the viewpoint of his poor cousin Chandu.

Reading up the records, MT traced how Chandu became an orphan at a young age and was brought up and taught by Aromal Chekavar's father, actually proving better than Aromal Chekavar at the martial act.

Chandu falls for Aromal Chekavar's sister Unniarcha, herself a folk heroine, until the brother puts a spoke in the wheels. Chandu is not involved with the actual betrayal...

Another story, Randam Oozham (Second Chance) was the Mahabharat, from Bhima's perspective. Now there's one Hindi director rooting for the rights of that one.