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Chitramela
Aka Image Festival 1967 172’ b&w Malayalam d T.S. Muthaiah pc Shri Movies s Nagarathinte Mukhangal: M.K. Mani, S.L. Puram Sadanandan; Penninte Prapancham: T. Vasudevan, Bharathan Kutty; Apaswarangal: Srikumaran Thampi c N.S. Mani m P. Devarajan lp Nagarathinte Mukhangal: Sheela, K.P. Oomer, Kottayam Chellappan, Baby Rajani, Baby Usha; Penninte Prapancham: S.P. Pillai, Adoor Bhasi, Bahadur, Manavalan Joseph, Shri Nagendra Pillai, Meena, Khadija, C.R. Lakshmi; Apaswarangal: Prem Nazir, Sharada, Thikkurisi Sukumaran Nair, Sukumari, G.K. Pillai, Nellicode Bhaskaran, T.R. Omana, Wahab Kashmiri
Malayalam cinema’s first portmanteau film, consisting of three short films, is also Tamil/ Malayalam actor Muthaiah’s debut as director. Nagarathinte Mukhangal [Faces of the City] (38’) shows the tragic fate of children left at home by pleasure-loving parents who frequent nightclubs. Penninte Prapancham [A Woman’s World] (39’) is a Laurel and Hardy-inspired comedy speculating on life 50 years in the future when sex-change operations become commonplace. The longest story, Apaswarangal [Discordant Notes] (95’), is a tragic love story between a street singer and a blind woman. To achieve success, the street singer has to accept the patronage of a famous dancer, which estranges him from his girl. In the end she dies in his arms.