‘Manichitrathazhu’ (1993) Review

More Indians have probably heard of Monjulika, thanks to Vidya Balan’s insane performance in Bhool Bhulaiyaa, but not many have heard of the Malayalam film that inspired Bollywood’s remake.

Manichitrathazhu is hailed as the best psychological thriller to have come out of Malayalam cinema and is routinely mentioned as one of the greatest Indian movies. The fact that it has also spawned three remakes in various Indian languages is a testament to the power of a great script.

So, without further ado, let’s get into what we think of this movie.

Manichitrathazhu — Review at a Glance

Story: 4.5/5
Acting: 3.5/5
Direction: 4/5

Must-Watch: Yes

Pros: A strong script and good acting

Cons: May not be for those not into slow-burn thrillers

Manichitrathazhu Review — A Deep Dive

The story of Manichitrathazhu has been popularised by regional Indian cinema as well as Bollywood. Still, watching this 1993 film today doesn’t feel stale. Manichitrathazhu is a good thriller with a solid story that has managed to stay timeless even after two decades.

Writer Madhu Muttam has knocked it out of the park by combining local folklore and mental health issues, creating something very unique in the Indian thriller landscape.

You can tell Manichitrathazhu is a labour of love. Everything in the film, from songs to locations, works in the service of the plot. The attention to detail and the lack of frivolous rhetorical devices in the movie are what really stand out. The story is the star of the show, and no one is going to question this when they finish seeing Manichitrathazhu.

This Malayalam psychological thriller is also one of those cool films in which the architecture takes on a role of its own. The haunted Madampalli Tharavad (the ancestral house) that Nakulan and Ganga come to has its own quaint charm when things are calm and takes on a devious atmosphere as things get more intense.

The cast also works really well together, and no one is overacting for the sake of it. Many times, in Indian thrillers, we tend to see actors becoming extremely dramatic or comically emotional (for god knows what reason), but Manichitrathazhu features stellar acting from Shobhana, Mohanlal, and Suresh Gopi.

Manichitrathazhu has set the bar high for what a good thriller should be, and while everyone knows the story now, one should note that various remakes have not been able to live up to the same hype as the Malayalam original.

A case in point: the Tamil Chandramukhi (2005) loses much of the charm the original had despite relying on the same story.

On the other hand, what really proves the brilliance of Manichitrathazhu is that Bhool Bhulaiyaa seems to be a shot-for-shot remake of the original. Most of the jokes are also practically the same, and if you’ve seen the Bollywood film, you’ll most certainly see the copy-paste done.

(But this is not to call out the makers of Bhool Bhulaiyaa for emulating Manichitrathazhu — after all, they didn’t fix what isn’t broken, and that is much appreciated).