Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea (titled Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham in Malayalam) is a 2021 Indian Malayalam-language epic historical action drama film directed by Priyadarshan. Set in the 16th century Kozhikode, the film is based on the fourth Kunjali Marakkar named Muhammad Ali, the admiral of the fleet of the Zamorin. Priyadarshan scripted the film with Ani I. V. Sasi. The film is produced by Antony Perumbavoor's Aashirvad Cinemas. Marakkar features Mohanlal as Marakkar and Pranav Mohanlal as young Marakkar in the titlular roles, with an ensemble cast consisting of Arjun Sarja, Suniel Shetty, Prabhu, Ashok Selvan, Nedumudi Venu (his posthumous film), Mukesh, Siddique, Manju Warrier, Keerthy Suresh, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Suhasini Maniratnam, Innocent, Mamukkoya, Hareesh Peradi, Santhosh Keezhattoor and K. B. Ganesh Kumar. In the film, upon being terrorised by an oppressive Portuguese regime, legendary naval chieftain Kunjali Marakkar IV wages an epic war against the Europeans and their allies. This film was Keerthy Suresh's comeback to Malayalam cinema after a gap of seven years and the Malayalam debut of Ashok Selvan.
The initial plan for a film based on the admirals Kunjali Marakkar started between Priyadarshan, Mohanlal, and screenwriter T. Damodaran in 1996. Damodaran pitched a plot idea in 1999. However, the film did not materialise in Damodaran's lifetime because of the high budget requirements, which was unaffordable for a Malayalam film at that time. Priyadarshan kept the project in mind for years, until in 2017 he proceeded with the research work. The final draft was completed by June 2018.
Principal photography took place from December 2018 to March 2019, filmed in sets created at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad. It lasted 104 days and post-production took 14 months. Four life-size ship replicas were constructed and were shot inside a water tank. The sea was completely created using visual effects. Sabu Cyril and Siddharth Priyadarshan oversaw the production design and visual effects supervision, respectively. Production began with a budget of ₹100 crore, making it the most expensive Malayalam film to date. The original score was composed by Rahul Raj, Ankit Suri and Lyell Evans Roeder; and songs by Ronnie Raphael.
The film, originally scheduled to release on 19 March 2020, was delayed by the outbreak of COVID-19. It was then rescheduled and postponed through three more dates in March, May, and August 2021 before settling on release date by the end of the year. Meanwhile, at the 67th National Film Awards, the film won three awards — Best Feature Film, Best Special Effects, and Best Costume Design. The film released theatrically worldwide on 2 December 2021. It received mixed to negative reviews and became a box office bomb.
Plot During the late 1500s, the empire of Portugal allies with the kingdom of Kochi in Malabar, Kerala, seeking to colonise the region by overthrowing the rival kingdom of Kozhikode. Portuguese commander Alfonso de Noronho trains Kochi soldiers in firearms and supplies cannons in exchange for crops and spices. The natives resent the Cartaz licence system, which restricts trade with Arabs. Merchant Kuttiyali Marakkar circumvents Portuguese customs, but his brother-in-law Moidu, an ally of Alfonso, betrays him.
Former Kozhikode naval commanders Kuttiyali and his sons, Kutti Poker Ali and Pattu Marakkar, had resisted the Portuguese before becoming merchants following Poker's death in battle. Years later, Poker's son Muhammad Ali marries his childhood sweetheart Aisha, but Alfonso kills Aisha, Muhammad's mother, and Kuttiyali in a raid that night. Kochi's king disguises the attack as a civil massacre and blames Muhammad and Pattu, who escape. They assassinate Moidu and flee by raft, eventually reaching Ponnani, where they meet Kozhikode commanders Achuthan and Anandan. After the corrupt nāduvāzhi Namathu Kurup hoards supplies intended for storm victims, Muhammad recruits bandit Thangudu and robs Kurup to distribute the goods. He subsequently leads raids against corrupt nobles, adopting the name Kunjali Marakkar and becoming both protector of the people and a fugitive.
Years later, Marakkar's gang wages guerrilla warfare against Portuguese vessels. During one raid, they encounter Chiang, a Chinese slave. When gang member Aimutty threatens Chiang's mother, Marakkar saves her but accidentally kills Aimutty. Chiang and his mother are rescued, and Chiang becomes Marakkar's friend, earning the name "Chinnali". Aimutty's brother Mayinkutty seeks revenge but is killed by Chinnali first.
Viceroy Francisco de Gama threatens war after the Samoothiri rejects a Portuguese trading proposal. When Achuthan claims the Portuguese cannot be defeated, Anandan proposes recruiting Marakkar. Recognised as Poker's son, Marakkar replaces Achuthan as naval commander after the Samoothiri condemns Achuthan's dishonourable conduct. Marakkar defeats the Portuguese using naval traps and kills Alfonso, earning the court's praise. The Samoothiri restores his family's fortress, which develops into a village, though diplomats of Kolathunadu remain allied with the Portuguese.
Chinnali falls in love with Aarcha, daughter of minister Dharmoth Panicker, who reciprocates despite Achuthan's feelings for her. Their parents arrange Aarcha's marriage to Achuthan, but she, pregnant with Chinnali's child, elopes with him. Achuthan falsely accuses Chinnali of abducting her. During a confrontation, Achuthan kills Chinnali and flees; Aarcha then commits suicide. Arriving too late, Marakkar mistakenly believes Anandan killed Chinnali and slashes his throat.
Achuthan further frames Marakkar for assaulting a court member. After a new monarch, Nambyathiri, submits Kozhikode to Portuguese rule, the Portuguese and Kozhikode forces besiege Marakkar's village, aided by Kolathunadu's betrayal. When Marakkar continues resisting, De Gama proposes executing his captured followers daily. Nambyathiri refuses and is beaten by De Gama; Pattu is among the first executed.
Marakkar kidnaps De Gama, securing his people's release, but Achuthan and Aimutty's wife Subaida lure him into a trap. Subaida regrets her betrayal after Marakkar forgives her, but he is arrested. Taken to Velha, Goa, Marakkar is convicted and sentenced to death by guillotine after refusing to seek mercy. He is last seen joining his mother in the afterlife.
Cast
Mohanlal as Muhammad Ali / Kunjali Marakkar IV, an Indian Muslim warrior and the last Marakkar, who organizes armed rebellions against the nobles of Kozhikode and imperial Portuguese. Pranav Mohanlal as Young Kunjali (Mammali) Arjun Sarja as Anandan, the elder son of Mangattachan and commander of the Kozhikode military, known for being just and compassionate. Arun Kurian as Young Anandan Suniel Shetty as Chandroth Panicker, the monarch of Kolathunadu under the Samoothiri and Marakkar's ally, who's eventually betrayed by his own diplomats. Ashok Selvan as Achuthan Mangattachan, Mangattachan's second son and Anandan's brother who is jealous and arrogant of Anandan and Marakkar's popularity and plots to kill them Jitin Puthenchery as Young Achuthan Prabhu as Thangudu, a physically strong bandit troop leader and Kunjali's best friend Arjun krishnadas as Young Thangudu Manju Warrier as Subaida Keerthy Suresh as Aarcha Kalyani Priyadarshan as Aisha, Marakkar's wife Mukesh as Dharmoth Panicker, Samoothiri's minister and Aarcha's father Nedumudi Venu as Samoothiri Siddique as Pattu Marakkar, Kunjali's uncle Jay J. Jakkrit as Chiang Juvan (Chinnali), Kunjali's helper and fighter Innocent as Namath Kurup K. B. Ganesh Kumar as Verkottu Panicker, Chandroth Panicker's uncle Baburaj as Puthumana Panicker, Chandroth Panicker's father Hareesh Peradi as Mangattachan, Anandan and Achuthan's father and Chandroth Panicker's guru Mamukkoya as Aboobakkar Haji Nandu as Kuthiravattath Nair, Samoothiri's helper Santhosh Keezhattoor as Kokkattu Panicker, Chandroth Panicker's uncle Fazil as Kutti Ali Marakkar, Kunjali's father Suhasini Maniratnam as Khadeejumma, Kunjali's mother. Suresh Krishna as Moidu, Kutti Ali's brother Manikuttan as Mayinkutty, Aimutty's younger brother and Subaida's brother-in-law G. Suresh Kumar as Kochi Raja Srikant Murali as Kochi Raja's advisor Krishna Prasad as Translator Arjun Nandhakumar as Nambyathiri, Samoothiri's nephew Parvathi T. as Samoothiri's sister Komal Sharma as Puthumana Thampuratti, Anandan's wife Toby Sauberback as Viceroy Francisco Da Gama, Portuguese colonists's leader Max Cavenham as André Furtado de Mendonça Paul Huntley-Thomas as Alphonso De Noronha, Portuguese military officer Bineesh Kodiyeri as Thangudu's assistant Shiyas Kareem as Marakkar's assistant Kozhikode Narayanan Nair as Aboobakkar Haji Antony Perumbavoor as Street Vendor (cameo appearance) Vikraman Nair as Rajaguru
Production Development A film based on Kunjali Marakkar was originally planned by Priyadarshan with screenwriter T. Damodaran in 1996, with Mohanlal in the title role. The idea for the film originated and was discussed in length at the sets of Mohanlal-starring Kaalapani (1996) in Kozhikode. Due to budget constraints, it did not progress, "back then, our industry size was very limited and most producers weren't ready to invest hugely in such big ventures", said Priyadarshan. Damodaran pitched a plot idea in 1999, but "it was inconceivable back then to make a film that was extensively set at sea", said Priyadarshan. The project was still on their mind for years. Priyadarshan recalled that it was difficult to shoot with one ship in Kaalapani, let alone a film with multiple ships on turbulent waters of the Arabian Sea. Years later, with the advancement of visual effects and producers willing to fund the film, Priyadarshan revisited the idea. Meanwhile, during 2008 – 2009, director Jayaraj too planned a film on Kunjali Marakkar with Mohanlal in the title role and hired T. P. Rajeevan to write the screenplay. It was ready to begin production and when the screenplay was handed over to Mohanlal, he did not show interest. That screenplay was later bought by August Cinema from Rajeevan for making a separate project with different cast and crew.
In 2013, Priyadarshan revealed that in addition to a Hindi film, he was working on a Malayalam period film about a Kunjali Marakkar chieftain with Mohanlal in the title role for which the research work was ongoing. On 1 November 2017, Priyadarshan confirmed to The Times of India that he would start the project after completing a Hindi film first and the ongoing research would require at least 10 more months to complete. They wanted to look deeper into history since what was gathered until then was information already available to the public. It was undecided then on which Kunjali Marakkar would Mohanlal portray out of the four Marakkars. Priyadarshan said the story he would come up with would be a mix of fact and fiction, as the information about many of the incidents that happened during that era are unavailable. Priyadarshan zeroed in on Kunjali Marakkar IV as the protagonist as he "has the most interesting story". Mohanlal said that their idea was to make a patriotic film. Marakkar IV was at the forefront of resistance against the Portuguese invaders and is regarded as the first naval commander in India and was also an expert navigator. That is why they have dubbed him the "lion of the Arabian Sea".