Kannaki (film)

Kannaki
Directed by	Jayaraj
Written by	Sajeev Kilikulam
Produced by	Mahesh Raj
Starring	Lal, Nandita Das, Siddique, Kalpana, Geetu Mohandas, Manoj K. Jayan, Cochin Hanifa
Cinematography	M. J. Radhakrishnan
Edited by	N.P. Sathish
Music by	Kaithapram Vishwanathan Nambudiri
Release date	2001
Country	India
Language	Malayalam

Kannaki is a Malayalam language film. It was released in 2001. It is directed by Jayaraj. It is loosely based on Shakespeare story of Antony & Cleopatra

Cast

• Nandita Das as Kannaki (Voice By Bhagyalekshmi)
• Lal as Manickam
• Geetu Mohandas as Kumudam
• Siddique as Choman
• Cochin Haneefa as Ravunni
• Manoj K. Jayan as Gounder
• Kalpana as Kanakamma
• Sajan as manickam's friend

Plot

Kannaki revolves around Manickam (Lal) and Choman (Siddique) who are best friends in a local village. Manickam excels in the local game of ‘Cockfight’ and has acquired the mastery of the game and of the bird. Manickam is actually fighting for Choman in his regular cockfights with the Gounder (Manoj K.Jayan).

Kannaki like Manickam and Choman’s sister Kumudam (Geetu Mohandas) admires him. Kannaki and Manickam become very close and he takes a decision to marry her. When Choman comes to know of this, he is furious. He wants Manickam to marry his sister and goes to the extent of announcing their wedding at a public function. Manickam meets Kumudam and explains to her that he has a sisterly affection to her and not of that of a lover. Kumudam is heart broken, but still maintains a level of loyalty in hope that, Manickam will realize her love. Choman is angered by all this and develops a hurt feeling towards his best friend. Choman and the Gounder had fallen out with Kannaki.

Kannaki meanwhile, out of love, tries to get Manickam out of the local game and enviously out of the clutches of Kumudam. A local fortune teller Kanakamma (Kalpana) keeps feeding ideas and false news into Kannaki's ears about Manickam. On her idea, Kannaki gives an untrained cock on the pretense that she had trained the cock to fight, to Manickam. Manickam takes the cock to fight, against Choman's cock. Manickam loses the fight and comes home to tell Kannaki has cheated him. There she tells him she did this to have Manickam all to herself and away from Choman and the Gounder.

Choman and Gounder pair up to defeat Manickam at a local festival. They know that Manickam will come to the cock fight to take part. As Choman and Gounder plan, Kumudam pleads to her brother that it is wrong fighting against Manickam, to which the Gounder says if she wants Manickam, they have to separate Kannaki from him. And their separation is only possible if this fight takes place.

Later, Kanakamma comes to Manickam and says Kumudam wants to meet him in private. After he goes to speak to Kumudam, Kanakamma goes inside and tell Kannaki that Manickam is cheating on her, and as proof she can go outside and see Manickam and Kumudam speaking. Meanwhile, at a distance Manickam is telling Kumudam that he still sees her as a sister, and nothing else. Kumudam says she still loves him, and they depart. Kannaki then approaches Kumudam and says, Kumudam shouldn't meet Manickam again. Kumudam lies to her that she cannot stop herself from seeing her child's father who is Manickam, and that they have met like this many times before. Kannaki is shocked and asks Kumudam what she should do, to which Kumudam says she should let Manickam come back to her.

Kannaki then sees a local snake seller, and gets the most poisonous snake from him. Later Manickam is seen gifting Kannaki with a wedding saree to wear for their wedding. He says they will marry right after the game, which he is sure he will win. Kannaki dresses up as a bride, and wishes Manickam the best for the game. As soon as he leaves, she tells Ravunni to tell Manickam after the game that she left from that place, and that Manickam should forget her and marry Kumudam. He also tells Ravunni that she will be in the inside the Sarpa Kavu, waiting for Ravunni's skill in convincing Manickam, and until he tells her that Manickam left to stay with Kumudam, she will not come out.

Manickam wins the game, seriously injuring Choman's cock, and a fight disrupts. Gounder runs away, and at the end of the fight, Manickam and Choman finds their friendship more stronger. Manickam returns home with the winning cock announcing his victory, but Ravunni's bad news throes him with full of grief and shock on why Kannaki did this to him. He locks the house, and attempts to fight with the cock. He lets the cock wound and scratch him, and continues till the cock pecks at his jugular vein on the neck. In the meanwhile Ravunni tries to stop this from outside the house, unsuccessful he goes and calls Kannaki. Initially, she does not come, but when Ravunni tells her what Manickam did to himself, she comes out and goes to stop him from going crazy. Manickam dies before Kannaki reaches. When she finds him dead, she lets out a deep wail and cry. She then takes out the snake she bought earlier, and lets the snake bite her. She also dies besides Manickam's body.

Songs

Film had notable songs composed by Kaithapram Vishwanathan Nambudiri and Lyrics penned by Kaithapram.

SONG	LYRICS	ARTIST	Raga(s)
Angu vadakku	Kaithapram	Kuttappan, Chorus
Ennu varum nee	Kaithapram	KJ Yesudas	Sankarabharanam
Ennum varuum	Kaithapram	KS Chithra	Harikambhoji
Iniyoru Janmamundengil	Kaithapram	KJ Yesudas	Harikambhoji
Karineelakkannazhaki	Kaithapram	MG Sreekumar	Shuddha Dhanyasi
Kodungalooramme	Kaithapram	MG Sreekumar
Pooparikkaan	Kaithapram	KJ Yesudas	Kapi