
Mathilukal ('Walls') is a free adaptation of the novelette of the same name, written by the celebrated Malayalam writer, Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. Autobiographical in character, it is set against the background of India’s freedom struggle in the ’40s when he was serving a term of imprisonment in the Trivandrum Central Jail. When the film opens, we see Basheer in a police lock-up, quite at home in the company of a few petty criminals. He has been languishing there for more than a year now without a trial.
Directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mathilukal leans on a strong ensemble — Mammootty, Murali, Ravi Vallathol — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about romance titles of 1990.
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A World War II prisoner returns home to his childhood sweetheart. However, back home, he discovers that he has to compete to win her love.
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