Christmas Rathri (1961)
Christmas Eve
Release date : 28 January 1961
Christmas Rathri was a bold step in Miss Kumari’s onscreen career, gradually progressing to roles that suit her age – from playing Thikkurissy’s daughter in Poothali (1960) to his wife in a span of a year ( not forgetting them as a couple in Harishchandra). With the usual ingredients that Merryland’s business ingenuity wove into the narrative – suspicion of infidelity and the tribulations that follow it, Miss Kumari again brought a winner to the box-office with Christmas Rathri. An interesting (marketing) ploy was the heavy publicity accorded to a play embedded inside the movie in Eastman color on Unniyarcha, the warrior from Kerala’s Northern Ballads (Vadakkan Pattukal). Kunchacko, with his keen eye, developed it into a full-length feature, starting a new genre in Malayalam cinema
Songbook – Cover
Publicity Still from Christmas Rathri (1961)
More about the Movie
| Miss Kumari | Thikkurissi Sukumaran Nair |
| TK Balachandran | SP Pillai |
| Adoor Pankajam | Muttathara Soman |
| Adoor Ponnamma | Pankajavalli |
| Paravoor Bharathan | SA Fareed |
| N Govindankutty | Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair |
| Kannamma | Bahadoor |
| Ambika Sukumaran |
| Director | P Subramaniam |
| Producer | P Subramaniam |
| Banner | Neela Productions |
| Story | Muttathu Varkey |
| Screenplay | TN Gopinathan Nair |
| Dialogues | Muttathu Varkey |
| Lyrics | P Bhaskaran |
| Music | Br Lakshman |
| Playback Singers | P Leela, PB Sreenivas, Kamukara, AP Komala, TS Kumaresh |
| Cinematography | NS Mani |
| Editing | KD George |
Copyright & Courtesy : The Hindu ( B Vijayakumar’s MetroPlus Kochi Column)
The story revolves around Advocate George (Thikkurissi) and Annie (Miss Kumari). They are an unfortunate couple not blessed with children. The mental agony affects the health of George and he turns a chronic heart patient. He and Annie draw away from the society trying hard to hide their painful inner feelings.
Vareechan (Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair) is a kind hearted landlord. He sends Dr. Mathew (T. K. Balachandran) to Europe for higher studies. Vareechan has an hidden agenda. He wants to give his daughter Gracy (Ambika) in marriage to Dr. Mathew. And Vareechan’s plan becomes easy when Mathew and Gracy fall in love with each other.
Mathew’s father had died by snake bite. His goal in life now is to pursue research in treatment for snake bite and develop anti-venom to save human lives. Mathew opens a dispensary in the city where his good old friend Advocate George and family reside. Mathew takes up the challenge of curing George’s heart ailment.
Mathew’s visits to George’s house and his friendly interaction with Annie makes George suspicious.
Mathew’s research progresses and he succeeds in inventing anti-venom. This proves to be successful on animals. He now wants to experiment this on human beings. Mathew who was immersed in his research was not able to attend to Vareechan or Gracy for sometime. Mathew’s long silence makes Vareechan even more doubtful. He decides to conduct Gracy’s marriage with another person. Gracy leaves home to escape from the marriage fixed against her wishes.
Mathew takes up the task of experimenting the anti-venom on humans in the presence of people and he chooses Christmas Eve for the event.
Advocate George decides to take revenge on Mathew for ruining his family life and for what he suspects undesirable relations with his wife Annie.
Gracy reaches the venue and offers herself for the anti-venom experiment. She is subjected to snake bite and is given an anti-venom injection. Gracy survives and human race gets a life saving remedy against snake bites. All dark clouds are cleared. Advocate George repents over his suspicion. Vareechan decides to conduct the marriage of his daughter Gracy with Mathew. The film ends praising the Lord and the glory of Christmas.
Songs from the Movie
Christmas Rathri became a turning point in my career path, for the realisation that it brought me; it was time to move on to play more mature roles. In Christmas Rathri, I played Sri Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair’s wife. I was his onscreen daughter in Poothali (1960).
Watch Christmas Rathri (1961) Online
