Inspired by 'The Count of Monte Cristo', Padayottam was the first Indian movie to be shot in 70mm format. Prince Udayan (Nazir) is the successor to the Kolathiri kingdom. He is betrayed by his cousin Devan (Madhu) which forces him to go into exile. Years later Udayan returns to Kolathiri to take his revenge.
Cinematography
70mm grandeur that ate every other Indian film alive in '82
Production
Ship battles and palace sets built with unhinged ambition
Costume
Royal drip that screams 'I will have my revenge AND the jewels'
Director
Jijo Punnoose
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Mammootty and Mohanlal share barely minutes of screen time here—both were still rising, neither knew they'd become Malayalam cinema's eternal rivals.
Jijo Punnoose essentially bankrupted his family's Navodaya Studio making this; the 70mm gamble didn't pay off commercially, but it cemented Malayalam cinema's technical ambition.
IN
