Poothaali (1960)
The Floral Nuptial Chain
Release date : 3 September 1960
One of the early box-office hits for Merryland, the redeeming factor that elevated it despite a staid screenplay was the novelty factor of the first double role in Malayalam cinema. The audience couldnot get enough of the hero & the villain played by TK Balachandran, and even had fight sequences between each other ! Another Muttatu Varkey onscreen adaptation, Miss Kumari played Sarojam, the bubbly & vivacious heiress whose favourite necklace is stolen by the evil twin, and the events that unfolds around it. Miss Kumari would go on to play the lead for two more Muttathu Varkey films, the final being Snapaka Yohannan (1963).
Movie Handbill
Movie Still of Poothali (1960)
More about the Movie
| Miss Kumari | TK Balachandran |
| KV Santhi | SP Pillai |
| Pankajavalli | Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair |
| Kannamma | Aranmula Ponnamma |
| Vaanakkutty | Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair |
| Bahadoor | Muttathara Soman |
| Director | P Subramaniam |
| Producer | P Subramaniam |
| Banner | Neela Productions |
| Story | Muttathu Varkey |
| Screenplay | Muttathu Varkey |
| Dialogues | Muttathu Varkey |
| Lyrics | Thirunayinaarkurichi Madhavan Nair |
| Music | Br Lakshman |
| Playback Singers | P Leela, Kamukara, CS Radhadevi, Subhadra |
| Editing | KD George |
| Art Direction | MV Kochaappu |
Copyrights & Courtesy : The Hindu (B Vijayakumar’s MetroPlus Kochi Column)
Saroja, the only daughter of the wealthy and glorious Mangalathu Madhava Menon, lost the flower necklace around her neck while watching the fishermen’s social dance on the beach one evening. Saroj, who was attentive in dance, did not even know it.
It was a flower garland worn around her mother’s neck. She worshiped it divinely in memory of her mother. She searched the necklace all over the beach. A handsome young man who saw the necklace being stolen ran away and caught the thief. He, Babu handed it over to Saroja. He returned home with a grateful heart. Madhava Menon blamed his daughter for not inviting the good young man home.
Then for several days Babu and Saroja met on the beach. Those meetings brought them into a pure love affair. The father did not stand in the way of his daughter’s aspirations. Saroja’s marriage to Babu was fixed. It was then that some of Menon’s cronies, Panikkar, driver Vendra and others found out that Babu was an alcoholic, a gambler, a prostitute and informed Menon about it. Menon did not believe it at first. But when he saw Babu drinking alcohol in a hotel, Saroja told her not to see Babu or talk to him anymore. They also postponed their scheduled wedding. In fact, Babu did not know that they had misunderstood him because of his brother and mischievous Shekhar. Menon agreed to marry Babu if he did not want even a penny of his property. Babu admitted that he was ready to marry Saroja even though he did not get the property. Saroja ran to meet Babu, who was overjoyed. Sekhar put her in the car on the way. Shekhar and Babu were similar in shape. Pretending to be Babu, Saroja went with Sekhar. Sekhar took her to a desolate place with rocks. The terrified Saroja cried out, but to no avail.
Menon was shocked to find his daughter missing. Information that Saroja is not to be seen troubled Babu also. Babu left in search of Saroja. Babu also reached that desolate place. After a fierce confrontation with Shekhar, he saved Saroja. Menon praised Babu’s bravery and perseverance.
The marriage between Babu and Saroja went smoothly.
Poothali (1960) – Songbook Cover
Songs from the Movie
Movie Still from Poothali (1960)
Watch Poothali (1960) Online
