'Yoddha', which was released in 1992, is still enjoyed by Malayalam movie buffs, even though the Mohanlal-starrer was outwitted at the box office. Starring Mohanlal and Madhoo in the lead roles, 'Yoddha' has stood the test of time as proven by its appeal even to the new generation. Its director Sangeeth Sivan has now revealed some interesting yet lesser known facts about the movie, partly shot in Nepal.
One great ‘secret’ about the movie is that the person who acted as the kidnapper of the young lama in the climax sequence was none other than the real father of Siddharth Lama, the actor who essayed the much appreciated role of Rimpoche. Siddharth , the son of Nepali filmmaker and actor Yubraj Lama, was then only 6 years old.
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'Yoddha' was in fact the culmination of the dreams of three youngsters who wished to make a movie on the background of the Chinese martial arts Kung Fu. Sivan also revealed that 'Yoddha' was inspired by the famous Mandarin kung fu film 'The 36th Chamber of Shaolin'.
Initially, the director had envisioned the entire movie to be based in Nepal. However, when he shared this idea with screenwriter Sasidharan Arattuvazhi, the latter improvised on the storyline and connected it with the sequence which is shown as set in a village in Kerala. The well-known character called Arassumoottil Appukuttan, played marvellously by Jagathy Sreekumar, was a later addition by the screenwriter.
'Yoddha' is incidentally the first Malayalam movie for which Oscar-winner AR Rahman has the composed music. The musical maestro had composed the first song in the movie a week after the filmmakers narrated the entire storyline to him.
Sivan also recalled that 'Yoddha' did not create a stir in the theatres during its release in 1992 as the Mammootty-starrer 'Pappayude Swantham Appoos', released alongside it, registered an incredible collection at the box office.
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Release: September 1992
Director: Sangeeth Sivan
Music: AR Rahman
Lyrics: Bichu Thirumala
Starring: Mohanlal, Madhoo, Siddharth Lama, Jagathy Sreekumar, Puneet Issar, Urvashi.
