The film is based on a legend about the Chekavar warriors.An alternative version of epic battle between two legendary Chekavar's through villain's perspective.The film is set in 16th-century northern Kerala. The plot unfolds at Puthooram, the house of great Kannappan Chekavar (Balan K. Nair). Kannappan Chekavar adopts the son of his estranged sister when the boy loses both his parents and brings him to Puthooram to live and learn with his cousins. The orphan boy, Chandu, a quick learner, earns the love and admiration of his uncle, while he is loathed by his cousin Aromal (Suresh Gopi).

A movie that literally rewrote history. The launch of this movie saw a much maligned character of Kerala's folklore turn into a magnificent hero. Whatever the veracity of the account, the movie saw a million hearts warm to the hapless fate of Chandu. A name that would otherwise have evoked images of treachery and deceit, tuned overnight into a legend in its own right. A movie that still after decades of its launch makes goosebumps crawl through your skin and makes your heart ache for the protagonist. The writer and the movie have successfully portrayed the character in a positive light without completely overturning the folklore. Not only did it portray an image of the protagonist as completely opposed to the folklore but it also managed to change the audience perceptions as well. The kudos goes to the excellent script written by M.T. If this movie were a propaganda effort of Chandu in his lifetime i am left in no doubt that he would have become a hero in his own lifetime. No word of praise would be enough for this legendary movie. It would not be an exaggeration to say that its a poetry written in celluloid.

I tried finding a DVD copy of this film but was unsuccessful. i highly suggest that the producers of this movie decide to remaster the video and audio for future generations. the copy of it that I saw was a very grainy print on VHS, which unfortunately is how most people watch the movie for the first time. its strange how fast the technical quality of movie prints in India have been improving in recent years. Malayalam cinema is always a few years behind obviously, but i wish that current technology were available in the late 1980s in Kerala. This is not the sort of movie that can be re-made. i am all but certain that the spirit would be ruined. The last thing i want to see is some scrawny lad doing hong kong kung fu in the kalari. there is no perfect movie, but this comes close. when a story manages to upturn legend, bond us with a silent hero, and entertain us along the way, it has done its job and then some. i wish there were more like this.

One of my all time favourites and a truly magnificent movie. Great casting,sets,costumes,cinematography,music & innovative direction by Hariharan. MT Vasudevan Nair has worked wonders with the script & dialogues. It can be said that he successfully re-wrote history by turning "chadiyan chandu" of kerala folklore into a modern day hero. The portayal of Chandu by Mammootty was so complete that its his face that comes to mind whenever one reads about this historical character in story books or academic texts. Captain Raju too, arguably played the role of his life as "Aringodar". The kalari payat scenes have been beautifully picturised and appear very realistic. And ofcourse the two songs by Yesudas have become perennial favourites. I don't think there's anything about this movie that can termed even remotely negative. The copyright holders should urgently think of releasing this film on DVD. It would be a great tribute to one of the best movies ever made in India.