One of the best Malayalam movies of the 1960s. "Murappennu" is the first script of Jnanpith award winning Malayalam novelist MT Vasudevan Nair which was made into a movie. The film itself is a relentless melodrama which very realistically portrayed the decline of the traditional Hindu joint family in Kerala. There were memorable performances all around. The legendary Prem Nazir as the protagonist Balan, who is caught in a vicious whirlpool of the feudal system, gave one of his best ever performances. PJ Anthony as his uncle, Kunhikrishna Menon, was equally brilliant. The supporting cast which included KP Ummer, Madhu & Sharada were all superb in their respective roles. The movie is also remembered for it's melodious songs composed by P Bhaskaran & Chidambaranath. It's a pity that this sixties classic has not been released on DVD, when several films of much lesser repute & quality have been done so.
