The title of the film Nizhalkuthu (Shadow Kill) refers to a popular play Nizhalkuthu Attakatha, adapted from the Mahabharata, about the inherent unjustness of certain punishments. In the play, the Kauravas force a witch hunter to kill the Pandavas by stabbing their shadows. However, the witch hunter's wife finds this out and is enraged. To punish her husband by making him feel what, Kunti, the mother of Pandavas must feel, she kills their child in the same way. The film reflects that death penalty is probably in the same vein. We may---like the witch hunter's wife---be handing out punishments that are equally ridiculous under the false perception that we are doing justice, if not being directly criminal like the witch hunter. Adoor's usual cinematographer Mankada Ravi Varma filmed half of the project. But he was later replaced by Sunny Joseph, since the former fell ill and was later found to be suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Credits
Shadow Kill Cast
| Name |
Character |
|
Nedumudi Venu
He was 54, now 75 years old
|
as Jailer |
|
Vijayaraghavan
He was 50, now 72 years old
|
as Jailer |
|
Murali
He was 38, 46 years old when he died
|
as Vasu |
|
Jagathy Sreekumar
He was 51, now 73 years old
|
as Maharajah's Officer |
|
Narain
He was 25, now 47 years old
|
as Muthu |
|
Sukumari
She was 61, 72 years old when she died
|
as Marakatam |
|
Oduvil Unnikrishnan
He was 58, 62 years old when he died
|
as Kaliyappan the executioner |
Shadow Kill Crew
