Sarvakalasala

The amazing campus film of that time and all the characters playing their roles extremely well. This is the film through which Mohanlal got the name of Lalettan. The film is directed by Venu Nagavally and is his second film. The film beings with director enquiring about the new script and it ends up with Sarvakalashala (Campus).The central character being introduced as Muttashan enquires whether the students have come and lal's voice anwers in reply. Like most of Venu Nagagavally films this film also deals with the interrelationship among people played by the central character. Mohanlal in this film plays the role of lalettan who is rich orphan who keeps on studing in college completing 3 MA's to gain new friends. In one scene he describes to Jeevan(srinath) who his father gave him property to his mother as rent for having him in his womb. The film has interesting characters like Srinath who plays the role of Jeevan who plays Mohanlal's friend who his childhood friend who joins him as his junior in college. Another one is Father Kuttanad who plays the warden often referred to as Father Amitabachan Kuttinad. Other characthers include PT coach played by Innocent who always questions the role of coach of PT Usha . Nedumundi Venu plays a drunkard who stays with Mohanlal named siddhan who reveals how he killed his wife in one instance to Jeevan and Lal and goes to distant island. Sukumaran and Seema play old lovers who meet in the Campus both unmarried. The characther of rebellious father played by Shankaradi who opposes any move by Principal or the students like Chakra played by Raju are some other interesting characters.

This movie is a story of a man (i.e, Mohanlal), who doesn't have anyone in his life, so he keeps on taking degrees so that he can extend his college life. His long lost love who used to be his college mate comes to the college as a teacher and she is a widow. The comical part is done by characters like Jagathi Sreekumar who is a Malayalam literature professor and a priest, and characters like Manian Pillai Raju, Ganesh, etc.Nedumudi Venu plays as a drunkard who stays with Mohanlal for sometime. Nedumudi Venu reveals his past to others in a situation and leaves that place and goes to a distant land. Sukumaran and Seema plays as lecturers who are in their middle ages and like each other and wants to get married but are afraid of what the students in the college might think. Lizy plays as a teenage sister of Mohanlals friend. Innocent as a comical Physical Director of the college. Adoor Bhasi plays as the Father Principal of the college. this movie is a story of college and college life. The movie has lots of comical situations that i liked very much.

Watched fully for the first time in the December month, 2020. What a selection of actors they have got? WOW. You won't see the campus around love, you won't see campus surrounded activities, still it can be regarded as the best campus film ever made in Malayalam cinema.

I just can't ignore how beautiful Lissy was. People could watch olden times Malayalam Films, twice or thrice still. Actors knew what they were doing, crew knew what they were doing. Unlike these days, it's not about selecting random people, or wasting 2 hours of our life miserable.

If you are watching it this day and age you might find the storyline dry and boring. The heroine seemed like a Wall flower with a depression inducing expression through out the movie. You couldn't fault Mohanlal in any way but the treatment of the movie should be.

The movie is more about creating an atmosphere of the campus life of 80s than revealing a solid plot. The plot is thin. Mohanlal dons the role of Lal, affectionately called Lalettan, is an eternal student at the college and the movie revolves around him, but rarely focusing on him alone. The various characters in the story are all done so non-stereotypically, it is still considered as one of the best campus movies ever made in Malayalam.

There is hardly any character whom we don't feel affection for, be it Chakkara, Father Kuttanadan, or Lal himself.

Alive with characters and moments of poignant emotions, the movie is a definite collectible.