Mohanlal, Priyadarshan made a pan-Indian film for Rs 2.5 crore, completed it in 60 days; couldn’t recoup budget

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Widely regarded as one of the most technically accomplished and visually rich Malayalam movies of all time, Kaalapani’s screenplay was written by T Damodaran and Priyadarshan based on a story developed by the latter. Bankrolled jointly by Mohanlal’s Pranavam Arts and R Mohan’s Shogun Films, it was the costliest Malayalam film until then. Primarily set in 1915, the film chronicled the lives of those incarcerated in the Cellular Jail (Kaalapani) at Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for their connection with or participation in the Indian independence movement.

Mounted on a massive budget of Rs 2.5 crore, according to a 1995 report by India Today, at a time when most Malayalam movies cost around Rs 1 crore, Priyadarshan did not compromise on any of its aspects. The Mohanlal-starrer featured some of Indian cinema’s biggest names. While its music was crafted by “Isaignani” Ilaiyaraaja, its cinematography and editing were handled by Santosh Sivan and N Gopalakrishnan, respectively. The film also boasted art direction by Sabu Cyril, special effects by ST Venky, and audiography by Deepan Chatterji.

Mohanlal with Tabu in Kaalapani. (Express archive photo)

The cast, apart from Mohanlal, included some of the biggest names in the entertainment world, such as Tabu, Prabhu, Amrish Puri, Alex Draper, John Kolvenbach, Sreenivasan, Cochin Haneefa, Delhi Ganesh, Sankaradi, Vineeth, Annu Kapoor, Nedumudi Venu, Maniyanpilla Raju, and Tinnu Anand. And needless to say, all of them contributed significantly to Kaalapani’s technical and artistic grandeur.

Mohanlal with Prabhu in Kaalapani. (Express archive photo)

Although a period movie that required immense work and featured so many artistes, including hundreds of background actors, Priyadarshan reportedly completed Kaalapani’s shooting in just about 60 days. While some portions were filmed in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the makers also constructed the sets of the Cellular Jail on 1.5 acres at the Murugalaya Studio in Madras (now Chennai) for Rs 12 lakh.

Mohanlal with Amrish Puri in Kaalapani. (Express archive photo)

Reportedly, the costumes alone cost about Rs 25-30 lakh. The movie’s post-production work, meanwhile, took four months to complete. The Mohanlal-starrer eventually hit the screens on April 6, 1996. Besides Malayalam, Kaalapani was also dubbed and released in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu languages, making it the first proper pan-Indian Malayalam film, before the term even found its way into our vocabulary. Interestingly, the movie’s Hindi dubbing rights were bought by Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL).

Kaalapani was reportedly the first Malayalam film to be recorded in Dolby Stereo, and according to Manorama Online, many A-class theatres in Kerala upgraded their sound systems for its release to ensure it was presented as the makers envisioned it to be, offering audiences the best experience possible. Despite raking in big bucks and emerging as one of 1996’s biggest grossers in Malayalam, Kaalapani’s overall performance couldn’t match its hefty budget. Thus, the movie reportedly became a box office failure.

A still from Kaalapani. (Express archive photo)

Nonetheless, the Mohanlal-starrer swept both the National and Kerala State Film Awards. While Kaalapani earned Sabu Cyril, Santosh Sivan, Deepan Chatterji, and ST Venky the National Film Awards for their contributions in the respective departments, it also won the Second Best Film at the Kerala State Film Awards, besides earning Mohanlal his third Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor. The movie won four more trophies at the Kerala State Film Awards, thus dominating that edition of the ceremony.

Although the movie underperformed at the box office, Kaalapani is regarded as one of the finest works of nearly everyone involved in it, both in front of and behind the camera.