KUMMATTY THE BOGEYMAN ARAVINDAN GOVINDAN

  • INDIA

    • /

  • MALAYALAM

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  • 1979

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  • 90 mins

  • FILM COURTESY

    Restored by Film Heritage Foundation

  • PHOTO COURTESY

    Film Heritage Foundation

Kummatty is a mystical figure from Malabar folklore, both a bogeyman and a magician to village children. One day, he arrives with a wizard’s rod, masks of birds and beasts, and a song on his lips. The children, enchanted, follow him as he sings and dances. Director Aravindan saw Kummatty as a symbol of Spring, arriving with nature’s renewal.

ಕುಮ್ಮಾಟ್ಟಿ ಮಲಬಾರ್‌ ಜನಪದರಲ್ಲಿನ ಒಬ್ಬ ಅತೀಂದ್ರಿಯ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ. ಹಳ್ಳಿಯ ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಗೆ ಅತ ದಕ್ಷವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಜಾದೂಗಾರ. ಒಂದು ದಿನ ಕುಮ್ಮಾಟ್ಟಿ ಮಂತ್ರದಂಡ, ಪಕ್ಷಿಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಪ್ರಾಣಿಗಳ ಮುಖವಾಡಗಳನ್ನು ಹಿಡಿದು ಕುಣಿಯುತ್ತಾ, ಹಾಡುತ್ತಾ ಬರುತ್ತಾನೆ. ಮಕ್ಕಳೂ ಮೋಡಿಗೊಳಗಾದವರಂತೆ ಹಾಡುತ್ತಾ ಕುಣಿಯುತ್ತಾ ಅವನನ್ನು ಹಿಂಭಾಲಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ.

Producer(s) or Production Company :

K. Ravindranathan Nair

Screenplay :

Aravindan Govindan, Kavalam Narayana Panicker

Director of Photography :

Shaji N. Karun

Editor :

A. Rameshan

Music :

Kavalam Narayana Panicker, M. G. Radhakrishnan, Aravindan Govindan

Sound :

Devadas

Cast :

Ramunni, Master Ashokan, Vilasini Reema, Kothara Gopalakrishnan, Sivasankaran Divakaran, Vakkil, Mothassi, Shankar, teachers and students of the Cheemeni L. P. School

Awards - Winner :

Kerala State Film Award (Best Children's Film), Kerala Film Critics Association Award (Best Children's Film)

Awards - Nominations | Screened | Official Selection :

Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival (Official Selection), Dharamshala IFF (Official Selection)

ARAVINDAN GOVINDAN

Aravindan Govindan was a visionary filmmaker who revolutionized Malayalam cinema in the 1970s. Born on January 21, 1935, in Kottayam, Kerala, he was a noted cartoonist and played a key role in Kerala's theater movement before venturing into films. A self-taught director, he crafted poetic and contemplative films like UTTARAYANAM, KANCHANA SITA, THAMPU, KUMMATTY, ESTHAPPAN, CHIDAMBARAM, and VASTUHARA. He directed eleven feature films and twelve documentaries, winning seven National Awards. His work gained international recognition, with retrospectives in Japan and France. His remarkable career was cut short when he passed away on March 15, 1991, at the age of 56.