Palani. Cast Sathyan as Palani Sheela as Karuthamma Madhu as Pareekutty Kottarakkara Sreedharan Nair as Chembankunju Adoor Bhavani as Chakki Latha Raju as Panchami Adoor Pankajam as Nalla Pennu S. P. Pillai as Achankunju Rajakumari Venu as Pappikkunju Philomina Paravoor Bharathan Nilambur Ayisha Jerrardh Josekutty as Shark Production Development Kariat bought the rights from Thakazhi for 8000, a comparatively large sum for a Malayalam novel then. With adapting the novel, Ramu Kariat was taking a big risk as everybody in the film circle was almost certain that the film would be no patch on the novel. The project was bankrolled by Babu Ismail Sait under the banner Kanmani Films.Once Ramu Kariat had decided to make a film based on the novel, he approached several people including the Kerala State Government for funds to produce the film. On one of these journeys, he met Babu Ismail Sait (Kanmani Babu). Then in his early twenties, Kanmani Babu agreed to finance the film. Filming Although the novel was set in the coastal area of Alappuzha, The film was shot from Nattika beach in Thrissur and Varkala Beach in Thiruvananthapuram. Ramu Kariat wanted to shoot the film in the exact locations mentioned in Thakazhi's novel. But some people at Purakkad demanded rent for their boats, forcing Kariat to shift the location to Nattika, a place he was familiar with. In the 40th anniversary of the release of the film, Madhu described how the fisherfolk of Nattika cooperated by offering their homes and clothing for the filming. He also described how Sathyan escaped being drowned in the sea during the shooting. After the outdoor shoot was done cinematographer Marcus Bartley had to leave as he had to complete a Dilip Kumar film and U. Rajagopal gave the finishing touches to the film. Soundtrack The music was composed by Salil Chowdhary and the lyrics were written by Vayalar Ramavarma. Chemmeen marked Salil Chowdhary's debut in South Indian music. Awards National Film Award for Best Feature Film Filmfare Award for Best Film - Malayalam won by Hasam Ismail (1966) Certificate of Merit at the Chicago International Film Festival Gold Medal at the Cannes Film Festival for Best Cinematography – Marcus Bartley Controversy In 2017, the fishermen community boycotted the Golden jubilee celebrations of the film, conducted by the State government. The Akhila Kerala Deevara Sabha, an association of fisherfolk, alleged that the movie is the origin for