CHEMMEEN

FILM APPRECIATION

BY RIYA SARA THOMAS

The film released on 19 August 1965. It received strongly positive critical reviews
and was recognised as a technically and artistically brilliant film. It is usually
cited as the first notable creative film in South India. It was also the first South
Indian film to win the Indian President's Gold Medal for the Best Film, which it did
so in 1965. It was screened at various international film festivals and won awards
at the Cannes and Chicago festivals. The film was included in the list of 100
greatest Indian films by IBN Live. Chemmeen was dubbed and released in Hindi as
Chemmeen Lahren and in English as The Anger of the Sea. A sequel,
Thirakalkkappuram, was released in 1998.
 CREDITS

• Title: Chemmeen
• Year: 1965
• Genre: Romance/Drama
• Director: Ramu Kariat
• Producer: Babu Ismail Sait
• Screenplay by: S. L. Puram
Sadanandan
• Music/Soundtrack:Salil Chowdhury
• Main Actor/Actress: Madhu ,
Sheela
 Cast

Sheela as Karuthamma Madhu as Pareekkutty Sathyan as Palani Kottarakkara Sreedharan

Adoor Bhavani as Chakki Latha Raju as Panchami Adoor Pankajam as Nalla Pennu S. P. Pillai as Achankunju
 AESTHETICAL VALUES
1. SUBJECT
The subject is Karuthamma (Sheela) who is the daughter of an
ambitious fisherman, Chembankunju (Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair).
She is in love with a young fish trader, Pareekutty (Madhu).
Karuthamma sacrifices her love for Pareekutty and marries Palani
(Sathyan), an orphan discovered by Chembankunju in the course of
one of his fishing expeditions.
The film unveils the journey of Karuthamma through the various
stages of her life.
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Karuthamma (Sheela), the daughter of a Hindu fisherman, yearns to break out of the
web of rules governing her body and her behaviour. At every step of the way, the
fisherman community warns her that she must always protect her chastity. She
must not give the villagers reason to gossip about her, and she must not entertain
any thoughts about any man other than the one to whom she will eventually be
married. A neighbour even asks Karuthamma to pray to Kadalamma, the sea
goddess, to ward off any wild thoughts. There is also a myth about Kadalamma – that
the sea will devour the husband if his wife has been unfaithful.
And yet, Karuthamma is uncontrollably in love with Pareekutty (Madhu), a Muslim
trader. While she knows that their love story is doomed from the start, the dreamy-
eyed trader remains optimistic about a future with Karuthamma, even after she gets
married to Palani.
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PART 1
Karuthamma is the protagonist of the film. Chembankunju, Karuthamma’s
father’s only aim in life is to own a boat and net. Pareekutty finances
Chembankunju to realise this dream. This is on a condition that the haul by
the boat will be sold only to him. Karuthamma's mother Chakki comes to know
about the love affair of her daughter with Pareekutty, and reminds her
daughter about the life they lead within the boundaries of strict social
tradition and warns her to keep away from such a relationship. The
fisherfolks believe that a fisherwoman has to lead a life within the boundaries
of strict social traditions.
PART 2
Karuthamma sacrifices her love for Pareekutty and marries Palani an orphan
discovered by Chembankunju in the course of one of his fishing expeditions.
Following the marriage, Karuthamma accompanies her husband to his village,
despite her mother's sudden illness and her father's requests to stay. In his
fury, Chembankunju disowns her. On acquiring a boat and a net and
subsequently adding one more, Chembankunju becomes more greedy and
heartless. With his dishonesty, he drives Pareekutty to bankruptcy.
PART 3
After the death of his wife, Chembankunju marries Pappikunju the widow of the
man from whom he had bought his first boat. Panchami Chembankunju's
younger daughter, leaves home to join Karuthama, on arrival of her step
mother. Chembankunju's savings is manipulated by his second wife. The
setbacks in life turns Chembankunju mad.
Meanwhile, Karuthamma has endeavored to be a good wife and mother, but
scandal about her old love for Pareekutty spreads in the village. Palani's friends
ostracize him and refuse to take him fishing with them. By a stroke of fate,
Karuthamma and Pareekutty meet one night and their old love is awakened.
Palani, at sea alone and baiting a shark, is caught in a huge whirlpool and is
swallowed by the sea. Next morning, Karuthamma and Parekutty, are also found
dead hand in hand, washed ashore. At a distance, there lies a baited dead shark
and Palani.
 TECHNICAL VALUES
1. Cinematography
Cinematography was done by Marcus Bartley. Bartley’s camera captured the
sea (the backdrop of the film) in its myriad moods, placid and tranquil at times,
aggressive and searing at others and the cinematographer also invested the
rest of the film with his touch of class.

Five decades ago, when technology had not progressed to the level that it has
now, Bartley’s picturesque and panoramic presentation earned him a host of
admirers. Although the cinematographer missed out on the National Award for
the film, he won it later for Shanthi Nilayam another film noted for its haunting
visuals.
2. Soundtrack
The music was composed by Salil Chowdhary and the lyrics were written by Vayalar
Ramavarma. Chemmeen marked Salil Chowdhary's debut in South Indian music.
In a soundtrack full of songs sung by KJ Yesudas, Manasa Maine Varu is the only
number that is sung by Manna Dey. In fact, it is the only Malayalam song sung by
Dey in his career.
3. Editing
Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s editing was another highpoint of this film. The script by S.L.
Puram Sadanandan followed the novel very faithfully and Ramu Kariat went by that.
At the edit table Mukherjee was drowned in footages that he thought would divert
focus. For instance, the childhood of Karuthamma and Pareekutty that was canned
was dumped by Mukherjee. At the end of it Chembankunju turned into a more
rounded character and many scenes had to be shot again.
 THEME ANALYSIS
Chemmeen is a narrative of fisherman’s society.
The theme is a myth in the fisherman communities along the coastal regions of
Kerala. If a married fisherwoman was infidel when her husband was at the sea then
it is said that the Goddess of Sea (Kadalamma) would consume him. The men at sea
must be courageous and honourable. The women on seashore must be
uncontaminated and uncorrupted to assure the protection of their men on
Kadalamma’s dangerous waters.
Throughout the film there is a conflict between traditionalism and modernism.
Although, the author of the book Chemmeen prefers conventional norms, the novel
serves as an important instrument for moralizing and advocating traditionalism.
We see several characters transgressing the traditional beliefs and customs.
Chemban Kunju who happens to disregard not only the traditional practices
and moral conduct turns greedy. He sets about the mission of buying a boat
despite the fact that as per the customs; he is ineligible to own one. Bribing his
way through the customs, he finally owns a boat leading to a devastating end
where he loses his sanity. Karuthamma also trespasses against laws of her
society by falling in love with a Muslim man, Pareekutty. Eventually, she faces
the scorn and hate of the villagers including her father. The same is true for
Pareekutty. The film emphasizes the fact that peace and a harmony is
maintained as long as the traditions and customs are adhered to.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
• [Link]
the-critic-in-me-ramu-kariats-chemmeen-remains-misunderstood-and-
[Link]
• [Link]
• [Link]
free-in-manasa-maine-varu-from-chemmeen
• [Link]
and-Themes
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