KOCHI: In the 1970s, when Malayalam cinema was undergoing an evolution with directors such as Adoor Gopalakrishnan and G Aravindan adopting a fresh approach to storytelling and style, a movie defied emerging trends and quietly etched its own success story. Released in 1975, ‘Picnic’ became a surprise box-office hit, running in theatres for over 50 days — the biggest commercial success in actor Prem Nazir’s career at the time.
Directed by J Sasikumar, ‘Picnic’ struck a chord with audiences at a time when cinema had not yet become a dominant medium in the state. As the film marks its 50th anniversary on April 11, only three key figures associated with it — lead actress Lakshmi, playback singer K J Yesudas, and lyricist Sreekumaran Thampi — remain to revel in the milestone.
“We never expected the film to be a huge success. The initial viewership was poor. Yet, audiences came to theatres, then known as talkies, and embraced the film,” said Joboy Alexander, son of V M Chandy, one of the producers. “In the 1970s, a 25-day run was enough to mark a film as a hit. ‘Picnic’ ran in 14 theatres, including 50 days at Shakti theatre in Thiruvananthapuram. The story line and music brought people to theatres,” he said.
Produced by Chandy and C C Baby, the film was released during the Vishu-Easter season — a favourable time for cinema releases. Costing Rs 7 lakh, it went on to collect Rs 16 lakh across Kerala, a notable return for the time. Half a century later, Picnic is available on the Amazon Prime streaming service.
One of the defining aspects of the flick’s appeal was its music. The soundtrack, composed by Arjunan Master, included seven songs. “We composed tunes for poems that had already been written. That was the practise then,” recalled Sreekumaran Thampi in a recent article. Four of the songs were rendered by Yesudas, while others featured the voices of P Jayachandran and Madhu. The song ‘Kasthoori Manakkunnallo,’ sung by Yesudas, continues to be popular even among younger listeners.
Another element that contributed to the film’s popularity was its release in colour. “Colour print was rare back then, becoming more common in the 1980s. Most films were in black and white. Choosing colour helped attract audiences,” said Joboy.
Fifty years on, ‘Picnic’ stands not just as a nostalgic film, but as the marker of a time when Mollywood was still finding its voice and shaping the legacy it cherishes today.
The Sound & Colour Effect
The soundtrack of the film was composed by Arjunan Master, with music created for poems that were already written, reflecting a common practice of the time
One of the standout tracks, ‘Kasthoori Manakkunnallo’, rendered by Yesudas, continues to be popular even among younger listeners. The lyrics were penned by Sreekumaran Thampi
Another eye-grabbing aspect was the film’s release in colour as such print was rare then and only became common in the 1980s. Choosing the colour print helped it bring audiences to theatres