Akkara Kazhchakal
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| Akkara Kazhchakal | |
|---|---|
 Logo | |
| Created by | Abi Varghese Ajayan Venugopalan |
| Starring | Jose Valiyakallumkall Sajini Sachariah Jacob Gregory Litto Joseph Priya Joseph |
| Composer | Kedaar Kumar |
| Country of origin | India |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 50 |
| Production | |
| Production location | United States |
| Running time | 18 minutes (approx.) |
| Original release | |
| Network | Kairali TV |
| Release | 15 February 2008 – 2010 |
Akkara Kazhchakal (transl. Sights of a foreign land)[1] is an Indian Malayalam-language sitcom that aired on Kairali TV from 2008 to 2010. The series consisted of fifty episodes which chronicled the lives of a middle-class Malayali family settled in the United States of America.[2] The show was created by Abi Varghese and Ajayan Venugopalan and starred relative newcomers as the leads.
The show is regarded as the first true Malayalam sitcom with real-life situations and witty dialogues. The series was considered a refreshing break for the Malayali audience. It broke broadcasting conventions when it was uploaded to YouTube[3] in its entirety by the show's creators. Akkara Kazhchakal has enjoyed widespread popularity during its initial run as well as in the subsequent years. The series has been especially commended for its realistic portrayal of day-to-day Malayali life, social commentary and satirical humour. Josekutty Valiyakallumkal has been widely praised for his portrayal of George Thekkumoottil, the patriarch of the family.
The show's popularity lead to a film titled Akkarakazhchakal: The Movie.
Premise
[edit]
George Thekkinmootil is a Malayali from Aymanam. He moved to the U.S., after marrying Rincy who is a nurse working in New Jersey. Having grown up in Kerala, he is often nostalgic and emotional about his homeland. Rincy, by contrast has accustomed to the American life, and is not bothered much by it. A running gag throughout the show is the cultural divide between George and his children. Though he is critical of their embracement of the American culture, he is a loving father and often tells them how fortunate they are to enjoy such a great life in America. At the onset of the series, George is stuck in a job that he dislikes and tries launching various businesses, all of which backfire. He finally settles down as an insurance agent after clearing the Insurance License Exam, and starts his own Insurance firm.
Gregory is George's ever-stammering insurance assistant. Even though his actual name is Gregory, George calls him "Girigiri" because of his stammering. His constant need for snacks is often criticized by George. Rincy is very fond of Gregory and considers him like the younger brother she never had. Gregory walks out after being irritated by Appachan, and Candy is recruited to take his place. But soon Gregory joins back as Candy steals George's laptop & runs away and he got fired from his job.
Another plot line that runs parallel to George's is Mahesh (Mahi) and Babykuttan (Baby). They land in the U.S. from Kerala through George's friend, Jose, who is a placement agent in New Jersey. On their very first day, they almost ended up being arrested by a cop after the fire alarm went off because they burned an omelet. The police officer mistook their Puttu Kodam, used for making Puttu, for a marijuana (colloquially "pot") vaporizer. Their housemates Krish (Jayan Mathew) and Baiju (Geo Thomas) moved in with them after losing their jobs during the IT recession.
There are a few episodes in which Appachan prepares grape pickles around the grape season, and Girigiri helps him sell them in the local Indian grocery store under the brand name Appachan's Achar.[4]
Cast
[edit]Main
[edit]- Josekutty Valiyakallumkal as George Thekkinmootil (Chettai/Kochu Kunju), an insurance agent[1]
- Sajini Sachariah as Rincy, George's wife, a nurse by profession[1]
- Febin Joseph as Matt (Mathaikunju), George's son[1]
- Felisha Joseph as Chakkimol, George's daughter[1]
- Jacob Gregory as Gregory John (Girigiri), George's assistant[1]
Recurring
[edit]| Character | Portrayed by | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appachan | Paulose Palatty | George's father | [5] |
| Mahesh (Mahi) | Hari Dev | Nurse | |
| Babykuttan | Sanjeev Nair | Nurse | |
| Baiju | Geo Thomas | Software engineer | |
| Krishankutty (Krish) | Jayan Joseph | Software engineer | |
| Sunny Singh | Amarpreet Nanda | Roommate of Mahi and Babykuttan | |
| Shiny | Shine Roy | Rincy's friend | |
| Jacob Embranthiri | Saji Sebastian | A wine-loving scientist and Shiny's husband. | |
| Achan | Joseph Mathew Kuttolamadom | Parish Priest | [6] |
| Prasava Gopi | Devassy Palatti | Insurance agent. George's main competitor in the field | |
| Candy | Cynthia Gianetti | George's Temporary assistant | |
| Manager | Gracey James | George's manager | |
| Ikkili Chacko | Sunny Kalloppara | Dispatcher at George's workplace | |
| Jose | Kurian Valiyakallumkal | Georgekutty's friend | |
| Philip | Rengit Peter Madaparambath | Video cassette loaner | |
| Richard | Bris Kocak | Nursing superintendent | |
| Policeman | Richard Lampone | Policeman who questions Mahi & Babykuttan | |
| Paul | Greg Vorob | Josekutty's neighbour | |
| Molly | Malini Krishna | Chackochan's wife | |
| Chackochan | Peter Neendoor | ||
| Soman | Soman | Malayali shop owner |
Episode list
[edit]| No. | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Church Going" | |
|
The George family prepares to go to church. | ||
| 2 | "Malayalam Culture" | |
|
George installs Malayalam channels to teach his children some "Malayalam Culture." | ||
| 3 | "New Nurses" | |
|
George picks up 2 nurses who immigrate to America from Kerala and places them in a guest house. | ||
| 4 | "George's New Business Idea" | |
|
George tries to start a business by selling imported ayurvedic fat burning products from Kerala. | ||
| 5 | "Christmas Invitation" | |
|
George is invited to a Christmas get-together at Chacko's house. | ||
| 6 | "Haunting" | |
|
George's house is haunted by a Madama Ghost. | ||
| 7 | "George's New Diet Plan" | |
|
Rincy forces George to go on a new diet plan. | ||
| 8 | "Insurance Agent Exam" | |
|
George studies to become an insurance agent. | ||
| 9 | "New Marketing Techniques" | |
|
George tries to grow Thekummootil Insurance Corp with new marketing techniques. | ||
| 10 | "Feng Shui" | |
|
George tries out Feng Shui after getting injured trying to keep his children active in their vacation | ||
| 11 | "Dating Scene" | |
|
Mahesh and Babykuttan try dating with their housemate Krishnakutty. | ||
| 12 | "The Poet" | |
|
Gregory finds his hidden talent of poetry. | ||
| 13 | "New Pet" | |
|
George buys pet goldfish as George's children wanted a pet. | ||
| 14 | "The Handyman" | |
|
George hires a handyman. | ||
| 15 | "India Trip" | |
|
Rincy plans a trip to India. | ||
| 16 | "Sameway" | |
|
Babykuttan joins Sameway (a multi-layer marketing company). | ||
| 17 | "The Millionaire" | |
|
Babykuttan tries to be a Sameway millionaire. | ||
| 18 | "The Small Party" | |
|
George has a "small party" while Rincy is away. | ||
| 19 | "Rincy's Return" | |
|
Rincy returns with Appachan. | ||
| 20 | "Matt Grows Up" | |
|
Matt grows up. | ||
| 21 | "The Party" | |
|
George and Family gets invited to a party. | ||
| 22 | "Gregory Resigns" | |
|
Gregory resigns. | ||
| 23 | "New Work" | |
|
Gregory's first day at Blimpie. | ||
| 24 | "New Assistant" | |
|
George's new assistant. | ||
| 25 | "Driving Lessons" | |
|
Babykuttan learns to drive. | ||
| 26 | "Generation Gap" | |
|
Mahi tries to change career. | ||
| 27 | "Midlife Crisis" | |
|
Mahi tries to change career. | ||
| 28 | "The Superstar" | |
|
George brings a superstar home. | ||
| 29 | "Candy Problem" | |
|
The candy problem | ||
| 30 | "Garbage Collection" | |
|
Appachan and GiriGiri's new hobby. | ||
| 31 | "Appachan's Krishi" | |
|
Appachan tries his hand at agriculture. | ||
| 32 | "Appachan's Achar" | |
|
Appachan makes achar. | ||
| 33 | "Omana Onam" | |
|
Omana Onam 2008 | ||
| 34 | "Job Search" | |
|
Job, car and wife search. | ||
| 35 | "Back to School" | |
|
Back to school | ||
| 36 | "Halloween" | |
|
Halloween | ||
| 37 | "Mahi's Dilemma" | |
|
Mahi's dilemma | ||
| 38 | "The Rat Problem" | |
|
The rat problem | ||
| 39 | "Doctor's Visit" | |
|
George goes to the doctor. | ||
| 40 | "Black Friday" | |
|
Black Friday | ||
| 41 | "Brother Visits" | |
|
Rincy's brother visits. | ||
| 42 | "Infomercial" | |
|
Infomercial | ||
| 43 | "Christmas Again" | |
|
Christmas | ||
| 44 | "Baby Sitting" | |
|
Appachan babysits | ||
| 45 | "The Love Letter" | |
|
The love letter | ||
| 46 | "Surprise Birthday" | |
|
Appachan's birthday | ||
| 47 | "DJ.KJ" | |
|
DJ KJ | ||
| 48 | "Going Home" | |
|
Going back home | ||
| 49 | "English Tutor" | |
|
Babykuttan's English tutor | ||
| 50 | "New Car" | |
|
George buys a New Benz | ||
Production
[edit]"We used to sit around after shoots and just discuss things that are going around with our families. Whenever we hear interesting subjects or funny anecdotes, we would often think of making that part of an episode. It got so bad that we were constantly looking at family members, friends for stories that can inspire us"
— Abi Varghese on the origin of the sitcom's stories, 2020[1]
Abi Varghese was unable to get producers to finance a Malayalam film. He met Ajayan Venugopalan and decided to make a television series based on their own lives. Varghese and Venugopalan discussed the scripts during lunch breaks since they both had corporate jobs. Many incidents from Varghese's real life were used in the television series. A group of local artists dubbed the "Infamous Coconuts" acted in the film for fun and were not paid. Varghese edited the episodes during the nights.[7]
Filming locations
[edit]- The house of George Thekkinmootil's family is located in Englewood which is Abi Varghese's real home.[citation needed]
- Mahi and Babykuttan stay in a house that is located in North Brunswick, Ajayan Venugopalan's real home.[citation needed]
Soundtrack
[edit]All music is composed by Kedaar Kumar.[8]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "AK Theme" | 1:07 |
| 2. | "AK Theme" | 1:02 |
| 3. | "Slow (Bass & Flute)" | 0:40 |
| 4. | "Slow (Bass & Horns)" | 0:42 |
| 5. | "AK Theme (Horns)" | 1:08 |
| Total length: | 4:39 | |
Akkara Kazchakal - The Movie
[edit]Following the success of Akkara Kazhchakal, the team planned to release a movie calling it Akkara Kazhchakal - The Movie. The movie was released in the United States on 29 April 2011, and produced by Infamous Coconuts & BOM TV.[5]
In the film, Thekkinmootil Family decides to move Appachan and Ammachi to an old age home in Kerala. Meanwhile, between the jobs and a new insurance office, George and Rincy finds it hard to spend time with the family. With Rincy, kids and Appachan complaining about a much needed break, George finally decides to take the family on a vacation to Niagara Falls.[5]
Critical reception
[edit]Nita Sathyendran of The Hindu reviewed, "It looks like George has not only delivered on his promise but has also managed to endear himself to his viewers."[9] Jacob A. C. of Mathrubhumi said, "The victory of Akkara Kazhchakal lies in the fact that it was able to introduce the day to day life of an Malayali-American a lighter mood."[10]
Show timings
[edit]| Country | Showtime | Re-run |
|---|---|---|
| India | 10:00pm IST - 10:30pm IST (Mon) | |
| United States | 15:00 EST - 15:30 EST (Sat) | 22:30 EST - 23:00 EST (Fri) |
Viewership
[edit]This sitcom had an estimated 80,000 weekly viewers.[citation needed]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g Kris (25 November 2020). "Why 'Akkarakazhchakal' continues to charm American Malayalis". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ Sathyendran, Nita (23 May 2013). "Being Malayali". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ "Akkara Kazhchakal Channel". YouTube. Archived from the original on 10 May 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ "Akkarakazhchakal - The Movie, Malayalam Comedy, BoMTV". Akthemovie.com. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- ^ a b c Nita Sathyendran (14 October 2010). "Arts / Cinema : Far-sighted humour". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 18 October 2010. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
- ^ "BREAKING: 'Akkara Kazhchakal' Actor Joseph Mathew Dies of Cardiac Arrest". International Business Times. 18 March 2015. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- ^ "Infamous Coconuts" Abi Varghese shares his inspiration for Akkara Kazhchakal
- ^ "Akkara Kazhchakal - Soundtrack". YouTube. 13 April 2022.
- ^ The Hindu Online review
- ^ Mathrubhumi review