Swayamvaram
| Swayamvaram | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Adoor Gopalakrishnan |
| Produced by | Chitralekha Film Co-operative |
| Written by | Adoor Gopalakrishnan K. P. Kumaran |
| Story by | Adoor Gopalakrishnan |
| Starring | |
| Music by | M. B. Sreenivasan |
| Cinematography | Mankada Ravi Varma |
| Edited by | Ramesan |
| Distributed by | Chitralekha Film Co-operative |
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Release date
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Running time
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131 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
| Budget | ₹250,000 (US$3,700) |
Swayamvaram (English: One's Own Choice) is a 1972 Indian Malayalam-language drama film co-written and directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, starring Madhu and Sharada in the lead roles. Notable smaller roles were played by Thikkurisi Sukumaran Nair, Adoor Bhavani, K. P. A. C. Lalitha, and Bharath Gopi. The film depicts the life of a couple—Vishwam (Madhu) and Sita (Sharada)—who have married against their parents' wishes and want to start a new life at a new place. The title is an allusion to the ancient Indian practice of a girl of marriageable age choosing a husband from among a list of suitors.
Swayamvaram marked several debuts—directorial of Gopalakrishnan, acting of the Malayalam star Bharath Gopi, and film producing of the Chitralekha Film Cooperative, an organisation cofounded by Gopalakrishnan himself. The film features an original score by M. B. Sreenivasan, camerawork by Mankada Ravi Varma, and film editing by Ramesan. Writer-director K. P. Kumaran co-scripted the film with Gopalakrishnan. It took seven years for Gopalakrishnan to get the project rolling when his initial proposal for a loan to make a film was turned down by the Film Finance Corporation (FFC). The FFC later partially financed the film when Chitralekha provided the rest.
The film received widespread critical acclaim. It pioneered the new wave cinema movement in Malayalam cinema and became one of the first Malayalam films to use synchronised sound and outdoor locales. The film also became the first Indian film to use sound as a leitmotif. It was shown at various film festivals around the world, and won four National Film Awards at the 20th National Film Awards in 1973, including Best Feature Film, Best Director for Gopalakrishnan, and Best Actress for Sharada.
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