The Terrorist (1998 film)

This article is about the 1998 Indian film. For other films with similar titles, see Terrorist (disambiguation).

1999 Indian film

The Terrorist

Movie poster

Directed by| Santosh Sivan
Written by| Santosh Sivan
Starring|

* Ayesha Dharker
* K. Krishna
* Sonu Sisupal
* Vishwas
* Anuradha

Cinematography| Santosh Sivan
Edited by| A. Sreekar Prasad
Music by|

* Rajamani
* Sonu Sisupal

Release date

* 12 January 1999 (1999-01-12)

Running time

| 95 minutes
Country| India
Language| Tamil

The Terrorist (Tamil: பயங்கரவாதி, romanized: Bayangaravaathi) is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language film directed by Santosh Sivan. The film portrays a period in the life of a 19-year-old woman, Malli (Ayesha Dharker), sent to assassinate a leader in South Asia through a suicide bombing. It stars Dharker, K. Krishna and Sonu Sisupal. Released in 1999, the film was shot in 15 days, with natural lighting, on a shoestring budget of ₹25 lakh (worth ₹2.2 crore in 2021 prices).

The film won a number of awards at international film festivals. Actor John Malkovich first saw the film at the 1998 Cairo International Film Festival and subsequently adopted the film as a kind of post-facto executive producer (the reissued film's titles read "John Malkovich Presents"). Critic Roger Ebert has included the film in his series of "Great Movies" reviews.[1] Ebert concludes his review with the following line: "Every time I see the film, I feel a great sadness, that a human imagination could be so limited that it sees its own extinction as a victory." The film that proved his mastery over the visual language was The Terrorist which has become a textbook of sorts for visual communication students, with scenes from the movie being used by Michael Chapman, Martin Scorsese’s cinematographer, to explain the tenets of cinematography during workshops. According to film critic Roger Ebert, it was a film ‘scripted by the camera’. Says Sivan: "One day I got a call from Samuel Lee Jackson who was interested to cast the heroine of The Terrorist, Ayesha, in a Hollywood film."[2]

## Plot

[edit]

The movie focuses on a 19-year-old woman named Malli (based on Kalaivani Rajaratnam), who joined a terrorist organisation at a very young age after her brother was killed in the cause. She volunteers herself to become a suicide bomber in an assassination mission. As the plot moves forward, she discovers the importance of human life, after realising she is pregnant. This causes Malli to question her determination to complete the mission.

## Cast

[edit]

* Ayesha Dharker as Malli
* Vishnu Vardhan as Thyagu
* Bhanu Prakash as Perumal
* K. Krishna as Lover
* Sonu Sisupal as Leader
* Anuradha

## Inspiration

[edit]

While campaigning in the 1991 Indian general election, former prime minister of India Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a female suicide bomber, Kalaivani Rajaratnam. Rajaratnam was affiliated with the Black Tigers, a cadre of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Film critic Roger Ebert noted that Santosh Sivan "was inspired by the assassination of the Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. But in the movie, no country is identified, no name is attached to her target, and no ideology or religion is attached to her movement."[3]

## Awards

[edit]

Won

* 1998 - National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil \- The Terrorist[4][5]
* 1998 - National Film Award for Best Editing \- The Terrorist[5]
* 1998 - Cairo International Film Festival\- Best Director - Santosh Sivan[6]
* 1998 - Cairo International Film Festival\- Golden Pyramid For Best film - The Terrorist[6]
* 1998 - Cairo International Film Festival\- Best Artistic Contribution by an Actress - Ayesha Dharker[6]
* 1998 - Sundance Film Festival \- Best Film - The Terrorist[4]
* 1998 - Toronto International Film Festival \- Emerging Master - Santosh Sivan[4]
* 1999 - Cinemanila International Film Festival \- Grand Jury Prize - Santosh Sivan
* 1999 - Cinemanila International Film Festival \- Lino Brocka Award for Best Film - Santosh Sivan
* 2000 - Ale Kino International Young Audience Film Festival \- Poznan Goat for Best Director - Santosh Sivan
* 2000 - Sarajevo Film Festival \- Panorama Jury Prize for Honorable Mention - Santosh Sivan

Nominated

* 1998 - National Film Award for Best Actress \- Best Actress - Ayesha Dharker
* 2001 - Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Foreign Language Film

## Further reading

[edit]

* Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism by Robert Pape, Random House (24 May 2005), ISBN 1-4000-6317-5
* https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0169302/plotsummary
* Thompson, Kristin, and David Bordwell. Film History, An Introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages, 2010. 624. Print. ISBN 978-0-07-338613-3

## See also

[edit]

* Rajiv Gandhi assassination in popular culture

## Footnotes

[edit]

* http://apm.asianfilmmarket.org/eng/database/view_ppp_history.asp?order_year=2007&idx=256&no=4
* http://www.santoshsivan.com/html/eng_john.htm
* A.O., Scott. "The Terrorist (1998)" New York Times. (2011)
* The Terrorist full credits at IMDb,
* Thompson, Kristin, and David Bordwell. Film History, An Introduction. New York: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages, 2010. 624. Print. ISBN 978-0-07-338613-3

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Ebert, Roger (17 July 2005). "To kill and be killed". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
2. ^ "Global nod for Malayalam director Santosh Sivan". IBNLive. 4 June 2012. Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
3. ^ https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-terrorist-2000
4. ^ a b c "2007 Project". Asian Project Market. 28 May 2009. Archived from the original on 23 March 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
5. ^ a b "45th National Film Festival" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
6. ^ a b c "John Malkovich". Santosh Sivan. Archived from the original on 2 June 2007. Retrieved 23 March 2014.

## External links

[edit]

* Official Website
* The Terrorist at IMDb
* Santosh Sivan on low budget filmmaking
* How John Malkovich God-Fathered Sivan's The Terrorist
* Interim Report of the Jain Commission of Inquiry into the Assassination of Shri Rajiv Gandhi
* [1]

* v
* t
* e

Feature films directed by Santosh Sivan

* Halo (1996)
* The Terrorist (1998)
* Malli (1998)
* Asoka (2001)
* Navarasa (2005)
* Anandabhadram (2005)
* Before the Rains (2008)
* Tahaan (2008)
* Urumi (2011)
* Ceylon (2013)
* Jack N' Jill (2022)

* v
* t
* e

National Film Award for Best Tamil Feature Film

1954–1960|

* Malaikkallan (1954)
* - (1955)
* - (1956)
* - (1957)
* - (1958)
* Bhaaga Pirivinai (1959)
* Parthiban Kanavu (1960)

Certificate of Merit|

* Andha Naal and Edhir Paradhathu (1954)
* Mangaiyar Thilakam (1955)
* Kula Deivam (1956)
* Mudhalali (1957)
* Thanga Padhumai and Annaiyin Aanai (1958)
* Veerapandiya Kattabomman and Kalyana Parisu (1959)
* Paadhai Theriyudhu Paar and Kalathur Kannamma (1960)

1961–1980|

* Kappalottiya Thamizhan (1961)
* Nenjil Or Aalayam (1962)
* Naanum Oru Penn (1963)
* Kai Kodutha Deivam (1964)
* Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum (1965)
* Ramu (1966)
* Aalayam (1967)
* Thillana Mohanambal (1968)
* Iru Kodugal (1969)
* Raman Ethanai Ramanadi (1970)
* Veguli Penn (1971)
* Pattikada Pattanama (1972)
* Dikkatra Parvathi (1973)
* - (1974)
* Apoorva Raagangal (1975)
* - (1976)
* Agraharathil Kazhutai (1977)
* - (1978)
* Pasi (1979)
* Nenjathai Killathe (1980)

Certificate of Merit|

* Pasamalar and Kumudham (1961)
* Annai and Sarada (1962)
* Karpagam and Karnan (1963)
* Server Sundaram (1964)
* Thiruvilaiyadal (1965)
* Discontinued after 1965

1981–2000|

* Thanneer Thanneer (1981)
* Ezhavathu Manithan (1982)
* Oru Indhiya Kanavu (1983)
* Achamillai Achamillai (1984)
* Muthal Mariyathai (1985)
* Mouna Ragam (1986)
* Veedu (1987)
* - (1988)
* Pudhea Paadhai (1989)
* Anjali (1990)
* Vanna Vanna Pookkal (1991)
* Thevar Magan (1992)
* Mahanadhi (1993)
* Nammavar (1994)
* Anthimanthaarai (1995)
* Kadhal Kottai (1996)
* The Terrorist (1997)
* House Full (1998)
* Sethu (1999)
* Bharati (2000)

2001–2020|

* Ooruku Nooruper (2001)
* Kannathil Muthamittal (2002)
* Iyarkai (2003)
* Navarasa (2004)
* Aadum Koothu (2005)
* Veyil (2006)
* Periyar (2007)
* Vaaranam Aayiram (2008)
* Pasanga (2009)
* Thenmerku Paruvakaatru (2010)
* Vaagai Sooda Vaa (2011)
* Vazhakku Enn 18/9 (2012)
* Thanga Meenkal (2013)
* Kuttram Kadithal (2014)
* Visaranai (2015)
* Joker (2016)
* To Let (2017)
* Baaram (2018)
* Asuran (2019)
* Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum (2020)

2021–present|

* Kadaisi Vivasayi (2021)
* Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022)
* Parking (2023)

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