Kaalapani

A historical drama set in the cellular jail in the Andaman Islands. Govardhan is a doctor. He is accused over an attack on a train and, though innocent, sentenced to life. He will serve it at the island prison to which the British administration sent political prisoners. What the film describes is how the prison worked: prisoners forced to turn a hand mill to extract coconut oil, the measured daily quota, starvation, the whip, and men made to beg for mercy. The narrative does not build a single hero. There are people on the island from different regions and different languages, and both the solidarity and the friction between them are shown. One real figure of the period appears as a character. It was among the most expensive Malayalam productions of its time; a large part of the prison was rebuilt. It won four national awards. Mohanlal plays Govardhan; Tabu, Prabhu, Amrish Puri and Nedumudi Venu are in the cast. Priyadarshan directed. Beyond Malayalam the film was adapted and released in three more languages. A powerful production for anyone who likes historical drama and stories of the colonial period. Before you watch, know this: the film shows torture in detail and its register is heavy from beginning to end.