{{for|the 1994 Tamil remake|Vietnam Colony (1994 film)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}} {{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}} {{Infobox film | name = Vietnam Colony | image = Vietnam Colony.jpg | alt = | caption = | director = [[Siddique-Lal]] | producer = [[Swargachitra Appachan]]<br />Joy | writer = Siddique-Lal | based_on = ''[[Local Hero (1983 film)|Local Hero]]'' | starring = {{ubl|[[Mohanlal]]|[[Innocent (actor)|Innocent]]|[[Kanaka (actress)|Kanaka]]}} | music = [[S. Balakrishnan (composer)|S. Balakrishnan]] | cinematography = [[Venu (cinematographer)|Venu]] | editing = T. R. Shekhar | studio = {{ubl|Swargachitra|President Movies}} | distributor = Swargachitra Release | released = {{Film date|1992|12|22|df=yes}} | runtime = 146 minutes | country = India | language = Malayalam | budget = | gross = }}
'''''Vietnam Colony''''' is a 1992 Indian [[Malayalam]]-language [[comedy drama]] film written and directed by [[Siddique-Lal]]. It stars [[Mohanlal]], [[Innocent (actor)|Innocent]], [[Kanaka (actress)|Kanaka]], and [[K. P. A. C. Lalitha]]. The soundtrack of the film was composed by [[S. Balakrishnan (composer)|S. Balakrishnan]]. The film achieved considerable success following its theatrical release and became the second highest-grossing film of the year behind ''[[Pappayude Swantham Appoos]]'' .<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-07-05|title=Vietnam Colony 1992|url=https://www.moviebuff.com/vietnam-colony|website=Moviebuff|access-date=13 August 2021|archive-date=13 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813215826/https://www.moviebuff.com/vietnam-colony|url-status=live}}</ref> A Tamil remake of the film was released in 1994 with [[Vietnam Colony (1994 film)|the same title]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-07-05|title=மோகன்லாலும், பின்னே தமிழ் ரீமேக்கும்...|trans-title=Mohanlal films and their Tamil remakes|url=https://cinema.dinamalar.com/tamil-news/34110/cinema/Kollywood/Mohanlal-movies-and-their-remakes.htm|access-date=2021-01-09|website=[[Dinamalar]]|language=ta|archive-date=11 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111041614/https://cinema.dinamalar.com/tamil-news/34110/cinema/Kollywood/Mohanlal-movies-and-their-remakes.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The film is based on the 1983 British film ''[[Local Hero (film)|Local Hero]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/avatar-2-james-cameron-technology-8330805/lite/ | title=Avatar 2: James Cameron's genius is in deploying technology for storytelling | date=18 December 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/photo-features/10-mollywood-films-that-ran-for-the-longest-time/photostory/52523574.cms | title=10 Mollywood films that ran for the longest time | newspaper=The Times of India | date=June 2016 }}</ref>
==Plot== G. Krishnamoorthy, who hails from a respectable [[Tamil Brahmin]] family, gets a job with the Calcutta Construction Company as a [[Supervisor|construction supervisor]]. He is really excited about this until his new colleague, K. K. Joseph, persuades him not to take the job. He tells Krishnamoorthy that their job is to vacate the infamous Vietnam [[Colony houses|Colony]], a poor colony inhabited by day [[Laborer|labourers]], of its residents so that the building company can clear the land for construction. Joseph adds on the fact that the company has been trying to vacate the residents for years, but it has failed due to the efforts of three criminal leaders: Paravoor Ravuthar, Irumbu John and Kannappa Srank. Adding insult to injury, Joseph remarks that Krishnamoorthy is too weak to stay there and take on the criminals due to his sensitive Brahmin mannerisms. Krishnamoorthy decides that Joseph is right; the job is too dangerous for them.
Later that evening, Krishnamoorthy confronts his mother and tells her that he will be rejecting the job offer. However, his strong-willed mother won't let him free that easily. Moreover, Krishnamoorthy's relatives, whom his late father borrowed money from, demand their money back from Krishnamoorthy and threaten him if he doesn't take the job. His circumstances leave him no choice but to accept the offer.
Krishnamoorthy talks to his boss and the company lawyer, Advocate Thomas. They decide to utilize Krishnamoorthy's background in drama by making him and Joseph pose as harmless writers who want to document colony life so that they can destroy the colony from within. They also have made arrangements for the duo to stay at Pattalam Madhavi's house.
The next day, the duo arrives at the colony and finds the house. However, upon the advice of Erumely, the broker, Madhavi mistakes Krishnamoorthy as a marriage proposal for her daughter, Unni, who takes a liking to Krishnamoorthy immediately. Krishnamoorthy is not used to the new way of living, especially being so close with a girl, so everyone chides him and calls him Swami. Krishnamoorthy becomes annoyed at first, but he accepts his new nickname.
Over time, Krishnamoorthy befriends the colony members and tries to get an overview of the situation. He finds out that the proprietor is a man named Moosa Settu and that his mentally ill mother, Suhra Bai, lives in the colony. He wins Suhra Bai's trust with his kindness and compassion. Suhra Bai tells Krishnamoorthy that Moosa Settu took her money and drove her out due to his greed, and left the colony in shambles. Moreover, she knows that the criminal leaders demand monthly payments from the colony's residents so that they don't kill anyone. Krishnamoorthy realizes that the colony members aren't so bad after all, so he tries to help them a little bit by improving the infrastructure of the colony. He gains the trust of the colony residents and even the gangsters. Krishnamoorthy becomes confident that he can relocate the colony peacefully.
Krishnamoorthy begins his plan by striking a deal with his bosses to give the colony residents a large amount of land with houses to which they can relocate, and puts up a show of negotiation in front of the colony to make them agree to the plan. In a large pep talk, he convinces the colony that they can get whatever they want if they are united. In the least unexpected time, Suhra Bai becomes adamant, saying that she cannot leave the land that she inherited from her father. Ravuthar kicks her in a fit of rage, and she dies the next day. Swami sets out to find Moosa Settu to perform his mother's last rites. To Krishnamoorthy's surprise, he finds Advocate Thomas living in Moosa Settu's bungalow. Even more surprising, he finds the now homeless Moosa Settu at the local madrasa and makes him perform his mother's last rites.
Krishnamoorthy realizes that the company that he works for is trying to illegally demolish the land. However, his timing fell a little short; the colony finds out that Krishnamoorthy was on the company's side, and tries to oust him by attacking him until he picks up a knife and fends them off. Swami confesses and vows to fight for the colony's justice. Unni admires Krishnamoorthy's bravery and slowly falls in love with him. The goons are now on the company's side, as they have been asked to vacate the colony in exchange for a large sum of money. The goons attack Krishnamoorthy but he fights them back. The colony residents then come out and beat up the goons and Advocate Thomas. The films ends happy as the colony residents praise Krishnamoorthy for his heroism and he leaves for home and Unnimol sneaks away with him ending the movie.
==Cast== {{colbegin}} * [[Mohanlal]] as G. Krishnamurthy * [[Innocent (actor)|Innocent]] as K. K. Joseph * [[Kanaka (actress)|Kanaka]] as Unnimol * [[Devan (actor)|Devan]] as Advocate Thomas * Vijaya Rangaraju as Paravur Rowther (voice Dubbed By [[N. F. Varghese]] ) * [[Jagannatha Varma]] as Ajay Panicker, Company MD * [[K. P. A. C. Lalitha]] as Pattalam Madhavi Amma * [[Nedumudi Venu]] as Moosa Settu * [[Kuthiravattam Pappu]] as Erumeli * [[Vijayaraghavan (actor)|Vijayaraghavan]] as Vattappalli * [[Bheeman Raghu]] as Irumpu John * [[Philomina]] as Suhra Bai, Moosa Settu's elderly mother * [[Kaviyoor Ponnamma]] as Parvathiyammal, Krishnamurthy's mother * [[T. P. Madhavan]] as Sivaraman Krishnamurthy's maternal uncle * [[Kunchan (actor)|Kunchan]] as Pattabhiraman, Sivaraman's son and Krishnamurthy's cousin * [[Sankaradi]] as Insane Man * [[Santhakumari]] as Colony woman * [[T. R. Omana]] as Krishnamoorthy's aunt * Priyanka Anoop as Colony Girl * [[James (Malayalam actor)|James]] as Colony man * Manju Satheesh as Colony girl * [[Radhika (Malayalam actress)|Radhika]] as Krishnamoorthy's Niece {{colend}}
==Production== ''Vietnam Colony'' was produced and distributed by [[Swargachitra Appachan]] under the banner of Swargachitra, co-produced by Joy for President Movies. The film was shot in [[Alappuzha]], and Kalpathy in [[Kerala]]. In 2017, actor [[Jayasurya]] revealed that he came to the filming location in Alappuzha as a [[Extra (acting)|junior artist]], but was not recruited as the preference was for the local people in Alappuzha.<ref>{{cite news|author=സ്വന്തം ലേഖകൻ|title=അന്ന് ജൂനിയർ ആർടിസ്റ്റ് പോലുമായില്ല ഇന്ന് അതേ സംവിധായകന്റെ നായകൻ|url=http://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/i-me-myself/jayasurya-reveals-fukri-touching-story.html|access-date=11 February 2017|work=[[Malayala Manorama]]|date=2 February 2017|archive-date=11 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211234928/http://www.manoramaonline.com/movies/i-me-myself/jayasurya-reveals-fukri-touching-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Box office== The movie was a huge commercial success. It was the second highest-grossing film of the year 1992.<ref>{{Cite news |title=10 Mollywood films that ran for the longest time |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/photo-features/10-mollywood-films-that-ran-for-the-longest-time/photostory/52523509.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2023-08-26 |issn=0971-8257 |archive-date=26 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230826180220/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/malayalam/movies/photo-features/10-mollywood-films-that-ran-for-the-longest-time/photostory/52523509.cms?from=mdr |url-status=live }}</ref>
== Soundtrack ==
{{Infobox album | name = Vietnam Colony | type = soundtrack | artist = [[S. Balakrishnan (composer)|S. Balakrishnan]] | cover = | alt = | caption = | released = December 1992 | recorded = | venue = | studio = | genre = [[Film soundtrack|Feature film soundtrack]] | length = | language = [[Malayalam]] | label = Mudra Cassettes<br />Johny Sagariga<br />Wilson Audios | producer = | prev_title = [[Mr & Mrs (1992 film)|Mr & Mrs]] | prev_year = 1992 | next_title = [[Mazhavilkoodaram]] | next_year = 1995 }}
The film's soundtrack contains six songs, all composed by [[S. Balakrishnan (composer)|S. Balakrishnan]] and lyrics by [[Bichu Thirumala]]. {| class="wikitable" |- ! No. !! Title !! Singer(s) || Raga |- | 1 | "Pavanarachezhuthunnu" | [[K. J. Yesudas]]
| [[Mayamalavagowla]]
|- | 2 | "Thaala Melam" | [[M. G. Sreekumar]], [[Minmini]] |- | 3 | "Lallalam Chollunna" | K. J. Yesudas
| [[Abheri]] |- | 4 | "Paathiravayi Neram" | Minmini
| [[Sindhu Bhairavi (raga)|Sindhu Bhairavi]] |- | 5 | "Pavanarachezhuthunnu" | [[Kalyani Menon]], [[Sujatha Mohan]], Chorus
| Mayamalavagowla
|}
==Reception== The movie was extremely well received and became a critical and commercial success. The technical aspects of the movie were well appreciated. Dialogues such as "Ithalla, ithinapporum chaadi kadannavananee K.K Joseph!" and many others still find their way into the daily conversation of Malayalees.
==Awards==
; [[Kerala State Film Awards]] * [[Kerala State Film Award for Best Art Director|Best Art Director]] - Mani Suchitra
; Kerala Film Chamber Award * Best Supporting Actress - [[K. P. A. C. Lalitha]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kerala Film Chamber Award 1992 | date=26 October 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71-IMVz0diA&t=292s |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=29 January 2021 |archive-date=3 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230103093038/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71-IMVz0diA&t=292s |url-status=live }}</ref> * Best Female Playback Singer - [[Minmini]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kerala Film Chamber Award 1992 | date=26 October 2020 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71-IMVz0diA&t=748s |via=[[YouTube]] |access-date=29 January 2021 |archive-date=3 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230103093036/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71-IMVz0diA&t=748s |url-status=live }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title}}
{{Siddique (director)}} {{Lal Films}}
[[Category:1992 Malayalam-language films]] [[Category:1992 comedy-drama films]] [[Category:1992 films]] [[Category:1992 Indian films]] [[Category:Films about corruption in India]] [[Category:Films about poverty in India]] [[Category:Films about real estate holdout]] [[Category:Films about social class]] [[Category:Films about social issues in India]] [[Category:Films about the caste system in India]] [[Category:Films directed by Siddique–Lal]] [[Category:Films scored by S. Balakrishnan (composer)]] [[Category:Films set in apartment buildings]] [[Category:Films shot in Alappuzha]] [[Category:Films shot in Palakkad]] [[Category:Indian comedy-drama films]] [[Category:Malayalam films remade in other languages]] [[Category:Vietnam War films]]