Underplayed Gems

Bharatham (1991)

Bharatham poster
Original title
ഭരതം
Directed by
Sibi Malayil
Genre
drama film
Country
India
Runtime
2h 27m
Rated
U
Rating
7.1 of 10 from 19 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

A man takes over his family's responsibilities and conceals his own sorrows after his older brother leaves. The story follows his quiet sacrifices and the emotional burden he carries.

melancholicdevotionalemotionally restrainedslow-burnpoignantserenefamily-centricclassical

What happens

Bharatham is a 1991 Indian Malayalam-language musical drama film written by A. K. Lohithadas and directed by Sibi Malayil. It stars Mohanlal, Urvashi, Nedumudi Venu, Lakshmi, and Murali. The film was produced by Mohanlal through his production house Pranavam Arts. The film features original songs composed by Raveendran and a background score by Johnson. Bharatham is interpreted as a modern-day adaptation of the Ramayana from Bharatha's perspective. How, in the absence of his elder brother, Gopinathan takes the responsibility of the family and hides his griefs is the core of the story. The film was a critical and commercial success, running for 125 days in theatres. Bharatham is also noted for its music that is largely Carnatic classical and semi-classical. The film won three National Film Awards—Best Actor for Mohanlal, Best Male Playback Singer for K. J. Yesudas for the song Ramakadha, and Special Mention for Raveendran's music, and five Kerala State Film Awards. On the centenary of Indian cinema in 2013, Forbes India included Mohanlal's performance in the film on its list of "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema". It was remade in Tamil as Seenu by P. Vasu in 2000. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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