Adimadhyantham

Adimadhyantham tells the story of a deaf Vedan boy from northern Kerala named Ekalavyan, who has to follow and perform some traditional tribal rituals to carry forward his family tradition in Theyyam and traditional beliefs.{{cite web|title=No Malayalam films at IFF Kerala!|url=http://newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/article230143.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119211252/http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/article230143.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 November 2015|publisher=Expressbuzz.com|accessdate=5 December 2011}}{{cite web|title=ഡമാസ്‌ക്കസ് മനംകവര്‍ന്നു; 'ആദിമധ്യാന്തം' എത്തി |url=http://www.mathrubhumi.com/movies/iffk/article.php?id=237194 |publisher=Mathrubhumi |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111214010713/http://www.mathrubhumi.com/movies/iffk/article.php?id=237194 |archivedate=14 December 2011 }} The boy is speech-and hearing-impaired, and his fears about death and loneliness form the main thread of its story. The boy experiences days and nights differently and has nightmares about death.

The Adimadhyantham-IFFK controversy started off from the fact that the film was initially co-edited by an IFFK official Beena Paul Venugopal. Later the editing work was handed over to another person, for obscure reasons, and the film did not credit Beena Paul Venugopal as a co-editor either. What originated as a credit claim, later led to the expulsion of Adimadhyantham from the list of films in the competition section of the International Film Festival of Kerala, of which Beena Paul Venugopal is a managing official. This amounted to an unexpectedly huge scandal because Adimadhyantham was the only Malayalam film selected to the competition section of the 16th IFFK. The expulsion was through the direct intervention of Priyadarshan, chairman of the Chalachithra Academy, and the rejection was defended publicly by K. B. Ganesh Kumar, Minister for Cultural Affairs.[http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/showbiz/mollywood/no-end-adimadhyantham-controversy-921 The Deccan Chronicle. 'No end to Adimadhyantham controversy.']{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{cite web|title=ആദിമധ്യാന്തത്തിന്റെ സംവിധായകന്‍ പറയുന്നു: എന്നെ അവര്‍ വേട്ടയാടി |url=http://www.nalamidam.com/archives/6704 |publisher=nalamidam.com |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111222123531/http://www.nalamidam.com/archives/6704 |archivedate=22 December 2011 }}{{cite web|title=ആദിമധ്യാന്തം: ഒരു സിനിമാ കൊലപാതകത്തിന്റെ കഥ |url=http://www.nalamidam.com/archives/6723 |publisher=nalamidam.com |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111222085026/http://www.nalamidam.com/archives/6723/ |archivedate=22 December 2011 }} This raised a controversy and K. B. Ganesh Kumar, the Minister for Cultural Affairs, claimed that the film was rejected because, only a rough-cut version was submitted. He produced a DVD in the press conference to prove his argument, while the selection committee maintained that a finished film was, in fact, submitted to the committee and that they had seen the complete film before selecting it. This flared up the controversy and the matter was pulled to the High Court of Kerala. The court rejected the plea on technical grounds (lack of English subtitles during submission of the film, a rule never strictly followed in the preceding years). An appeal moved to the Division Bench was also rejected on the same grounds leaving an IFFK without a Malayalam film to compete.[https://archive.today/20120707082641/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-12-08/kochi/30491068_1_chalachitra-academy-iffk-competition-section Times of India. 'HC rejects Aadimadhyantham plea again.'] Later, upon flaring up of the scandal, K. B. Ganesh Kumar conceded to include the film in the non-competing category, limited to just two screenings.[http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article2705917.ece The Hindu. 'Sherry says no to film screening.']{{Cite web |url=http://www.metromatinee.com/IFFK-2011/aadimadhyantham-to-crime-branch-investigation |title=Metromatinee. 'Aadimadhyantham to Crime Branch Investigation.' |access-date=11 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107225915/http://www.metromatinee.com/IFFK-2011/aadimadhyantham-to-crime-branch-investigation |archive-date=7 January 2012 |url-status=dead}} The left oriented cultural organization Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham took the issue up and waged a protest at one of the IFFK venues.{{Cite web |url=http://www.metromatinee.com/IFFK-2011/iffk-2011-day-2-a-day-for-films-protest |title=Metromatinee. 'IFFK 2011 day two, a day for films and protest.' |access-date=11 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108020233/http://www.metromatinee.com/IFFK-2011/iffk-2011-day-2-a-day-for-films-protest |archive-date=8 January 2012 |url-status=dead}} The issue came up in the open forum discussion on the second day of the festival, and the delegates engaged in heated arguments with Priyadarshan. In the end, Priyadarshan apologised for the problems.[https://web.archive.org/web/20151119221233/http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/article232842.ece The New Indian Express. 'An ugly turn to first open forum.'][http://www.madhyamam.com/news/138702/111211 Madhyamam. ആദിമധ്യാന്തം: പ്രിയദര്‍ശന്‍ മാപ്പ് പറഞ്ഞു.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108065230/http://www.madhyamam.com/news/138702/111211 |date=8 January 2012 }} After the protests, Adimadhyantham was screened in the festival under "Malayalam Cinema today" section on 13 December 2011.{{cite web|title=Adimadhyantham to be screened|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/adimadhyantham-to-be-screened/211518-60-123.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126034246/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/adimadhyantham-to-be-screened/211518-60-123.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 January 2013|publisher=IBN Live|accessdate=13 December 2011}}{{cite news|title='Adimadhyantham' to be screened today|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-12-13/thiruvananthapuram/30511428_1_special-screening-international-film-festival-organizers|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130126083943/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-12-13/thiruvananthapuram/30511428_1_special-screening-international-film-festival-organizers|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-01-26|accessdate=13 December 2011|work=The Times of India|date=2011-12-13}}{{cite web|title='Adimadhyantham' to be screened|url=http://newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/article233828.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119221936/http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/article233828.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 November 2015|publisher=Expressbuzz|accessdate=13 December 2011}} Prior to that, the film was premiered on 4 December 2011.

• 59th National Film Awards - Special mention Award.[https://archive.today/20120717084125/http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_story.aspx?section=Movies&Id=ENTEN20120196192&keyword=regional&subcatg=MOVIESINDIA&nid=183761 Malayalam films fail to impress at National Awards]
• 14th John Abraham Award for Best Malayalam Film (by Federation of Film Societies of India).{{cite web|title=ജോണ്‍ എബ്രഹാം പുരസ്കാരം ആദിമധ്യാന്തത്തിന്|url=http://www.deshabhimani.com/newscontent.php?id=114915|publisher=Deshabhimani daily|accessdate=4 February 2012}}[http://ffsikeralam.in/awards.html "John Abraham Awards for Best Malayalam Cinema - Looking Back"]. Federation of Film Societies of India (Kerala). Retrieved 28 January 2023.
• Kerala State Film Award for Best Debut Director: Sherrey
• Kerala State Film Award – Special Mention: Prajith- Child Actor

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• {{IMDb title|2284964}}

Category:2011 films

Category:2010s Malayalam-language films

Category:Films shot in Kozhikode

Category:Films shot in Kannur

Category:Films shot in Thalassery

Category:Environmental films

Category:2011 directorial debut films