August 1 (film)

August 1
Directed by Sibi Malayil
Produced by M. Mani
Written by S. N. Swamy
Starring Mammootty
Sukumaran
Captain Raju
Urvashi
Music by Shyam
Cinematography S. Kumar
Edited by V. P. Krishnan
Production
company
Sunitha Productions
Release date
  • 21 July 1988 (1988-07-21)
Country India
Language Malayalam

August 1 is a 1988 Malayalam film directed by Sibi Malayil, written by S. N. Swamy, and starring Mammootty, Sukumaran, Captain Raju and Urvashi. The film was produced and distributed by M. Mani under the banner of Sunitha Productions. August 1 is loosely based on the 1971 British novel The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth.[1]

This film was remade into Telugu as Rajakeeya Chadarangam (political chess) in 1990 with Akkineni Nageswara Rao portraying the chief minister role and Krishna portraying the inspector role (played by Mammootty in the original).

A sequel titled August 15, directed by Shaji Kailas, and scripted by S. N. Swamy was released in March 2011.[1]

Plot

Just after the election K.G. Ramachandran (Sukumaran), popularly known as KGR, is elected as the new Chief Minister. As a young Turk with a clean image, KGR overshadows Kazhuthumuttam Vasudevan Pillai (Prathapachandran) who is another strong aspirant for CM's chair. Just after the meeting Kazhuthumuttam joins with Eranjoly Aboobakkar (Mamukkoya) and Mathai Thomas Pappachan (Kollam Thulasi) at a hotel room to plan out the next move.

Vishwanathan, commonly referred to as Vishwam (KPAC Sunny), a high-profile business tycoon and political lobbyist joins them at the hotel. Vishwam, the political sponsor of Kazhuthumuttam, is now in deep trouble as he has several business ambitions in the state. Vishwam has collected several million rupees from several businessmen, whom he had also given promises. If KGR continues in power, his plans would be ruined.

KGR, on the other hand leads a simple life along with his wife Vatsala (Urvashi), a home maker. He brings out several revolutionary changes in the state, including dismissal of corrupt officers and changes in liquor policy of the state. Even Kaimal (Janardhanan), his party president finds him too arrogant to tame. The popularity of KGR is on sudden rise.

A desperate Vishwam decides to assassinate KGR. He presents the plan to his friends who, though not readily, agree to be a part of it. Vishwam contacts Muniyandi Thevar, a Malaysian-based businessman and smuggler in Madras, who introduces him to a professional hit man (Captain Raju).

But after the payment of the amount is done, Kazhuthumuttam feels cheated as again, he has been denied the CM's post. Kazhuthumuttam, in a state of intoxication, calls up Gopu (Sreenath), a journalist and spits out the information that 'Chief Minister KGR will be assassinated shortly', but without committing his identity. Even though the caller does not give his name, the journalist identifies him as Kazhuthumuttam. He therefore passes the information to a friend of his, Perumal (Mammootty), a police officer (DySP of Crime Branch).

Perumal doesn't seem to take this serious at first, and since the identification of the voice of the caller by the journalist is not positive, they conclude it is a prank call. Still they convey the message to the higher officials. Th IG of Police, still not thoroughly convinced, orders a routine investigation into the matter. Perumal is assigned the case and he begins his investigation by arresting Vishwam. But Vishwam couldn't give them any further details as he was also unaware about the whereabouts or name of the killer, except that the killer has introduced himself as Gomes, a fake name.

Perumal reaches Madras, from where, he arrests Thevar and brings him to Kerala. Perumal reaches at the hitman's hiding place. Eventhough he was not there Perumal finds out from a news paper that CM has been admitted in a hospital. Realising that the hitman went to kill the CM, he rushes to the hospital. Meanwhile the hitman enters the hospital disguised as a patient. He enters the CM's room and tries to kill him. But it is interrupted by Vatsala. When he gets out of the room he collides with Perumal and Perumal chases him. He couldn't get out of hospital because Police are everywhere. He hides and attacks Perumal and gets away.

According to an eyewitness, Perumal issues a sketch of the killer and gets it broadcast on TV, but he skips from police miraculously. Police searches the hitman everywhere. Perumal arranges security in CM's house and everywhere. Perumal assures IG that there would be an another attempt to kill CM on Independence day. IG tells him request CM to be absent at ceremony because he is CM's friend which CM denies later.

On the day of 15 August, the Independence Day, when the CM is checking the guard of honour, Perumal waits eagerly with all police facilities to grab the killer. While scanning the CCTV feeds, Perumal observes the hitman Gomez among the police in uniform, in the line for the guard of honour. (The assassination setting is very similar to the 30 July 1987, attempted assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India). Perumal sprints from the Control room and shoots down Gomez, before he can hit the CM, thereby saving KGR.

The final scene shows the burial of the would-be assassin Gomez, where Gopu questions Perumal how the killer had got into the guard of honour. Perumal replies that he doesn't know and that had if the killer was alive, then he would have asked him.

Cast

  • Mammootty as Perumal, DySP, CB-CID.
  • Sukumaran as K. G. Ramachandran (KGR), Chief Minister of Kerala.
  • Captain Raju as Nicholas, the professional assassin known by different names in the film viz, Gomas and Mehta.
  • Urvashi as Vatsala, wife of K. G. Ramachandran (the Chief Minister).
  • Sreenath as Gopu, a journalist, reporter of Kerala Vartha (a fictional newspaper).
  • G. K. Pillai as I.G. of Police
  • Azeez as DGP Gopal
  • Prathapachandran as Kazhuthumuttam Vasudevan Pillai, a politician, MLA and leader of the ruling party, and an aspirant to the Chief Minister post.
  • Janardhanan as K. Divakara Kaimal, a politician, President of the ruling party.
  • K. P. A. C. Sunny as Viswam, a businessman and political lobbyist.
  • Jagathy Sreekumar as Gopikkuttan, a personal assistant to Ramachandran (the Chief Minister).
  • Mamukkoya as Eranholy Aboobacker, a politician, MLA, and leader of the ruling party.
  • Kollam Thulasi as Mathai Thomas Pappachan, a politician, MLA, and leader of the ruling party.
  • Innocent as a thief.
  • Lizy as a thief.
  • Vijayan as Muniyandi Thevar, a businessman based in Tamil Nadu.
  • Jagadish as a Sub Inspector of the Tamil Nadu Police.
  • Poojappura Radhakrishnan as Hotel manager.

Box office

The film was commercial success. It grossed ₹13 lakh (US$18,000) in Tamil Nadu.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 "Shaji Kailas starts Mammootty`s film". Sify. 2010-10-12.
  2. ↑ "Celluloid sultans of Kerala". India Today. 31 December 1988.
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