It is November 14, which means it is children's day all over again. We cannot let this day go by without a mere mention of at least one iconic children's film from Malayalam cinema. Want a clue? Even a film as recent as Dominic Arun's Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra has a fleeting reference to it. We are, of course, talking about India's first 3D film and one of Malayalam cinema's enduring classics, My Dear Kuttichathan.
At one point in Dominic Arun's fantasy-adventure film, we hear Tovino Thomas' character Chathan whistling a tune from director Jijo Punnoose's landmark 3D film. The song in question is 'Aalippazham Perukkaan,' originally sung by S Janaki and SP Sailaja. Thus, the Kalyani Priyadarshan starrer pays a tribute to a cinematic classic while connecting both films with their characters' lore.
The links between both films do not stop there. The 1984 film's writer, Raghunath Paleri also plays a role in Lokah. Raghunath appears as a character named Tom Isaac in the film, and he is the one who gives Kalyani's Chandra her passport.
Lokah's next instalment is set to have Tovino's goblin play the lead, alongside Dulquer Salmaan who reprises his role as Charlie/Odiyan.
