and how to hold her power in her husband's family, and her main concern is to claim her share of the family property and income. She is portrayed as intransigent, protective of her children, and as self-centered as her brother. The youngest sister, Sridevi wears red, which Gopalakrishnan says is to symbolize revolt, youth and life. She is very pretty and highly concerned about her looks. She runs away from the family, presumably with a lover. Unni, according to Gopalkrishnan, is given a mixture of all three colours- white. He is stifled with losing the status he grew up with and incapable of negotiating the changing outer world. The feudal characteristics of the patriarchy is shown through the way Unni treats his servants, the various people who visit him and most importantly how he treats his sisters. Especially, Rajamma, who takes care of him. The music is throbbing, incomplete throughout the movie to show the sense of sustained urgency, that the crippling patriarchal structure results in (symbolized by the crippling mansion which is infested with rats). As the rats are caught and drowned; Unni is eventually destroyed by the decline of the feudal way of life. Cast Karamana Janardanan Nair as Unni Sharada as Rajamma Jalaja as Sreedevi Rajam K Nair as Janamma prakash Awards The film has won the following awards since its release: 1982 Kerala State Film Awards (India) Won - Kerala State Film Award for Best Film - Elippathayam - Adoor Gopalakrishnan 1982 London Film Festival (UK) Won - Sutherland Trophy - Elippathayam - Adoor Gopalakrishnan 1982 National Film Awards (India) Won - Silver Lotus Award - Best Audiography Won - Silver Lotus Award - Best Regional Film (Malayalam) - Elippathayam - Adoor Gopalakrishnan''' References External links Mathrubhumi article 1981 films 1981 drama films Films shot in Kollam Films directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan 1980s Malayalam-language films Films that won the Best Audiography National Film Award Best Malayalam Feature Film National Film Award winners 1982 drama films 1982 films