First Malayalam movie I watched: Swathi Thirunal (1987)
Sri Padmanabha Dasa Vanchipala Sri Rama Varma , better known as Swathi Thirunal Kulasekhara Perumal Maharaja , and even more popular as just Swathi Thirunal , was not only a well respected and widely known King of the State of Travancore , but continues to be an eternal Prince of Indian classical music. A man with mastery over multiple languages, he patronized both Carnatic and Hindustani forms of Indian classical music, composed many a kritis , sang them himself, and rewarded singers and dancers of repute from across the country during his reign. It is the versatile king's bicentennial birth anniversary this year and what better occasion to finally get hold of his biopic, "Swathi Thirunal", a 1987 Malayalam movie that I was hunting for over five years. With Kannada maestro Anant Nag playing the lead role of Swathi Thirunal, there was much to expect from the movie, and I had only seen glimpses of it online. Excellent music with legends Dr. M. Balamurali Krishna ...