# Kalikkalam

Kalikkalam (transl. Playground) is a 1990 Indian Malayalam-language action thriller film, directed by Sathyan Anthikad, starring Mammootty, Shobana and Murali. the film was major commercial success.

## Plot

Mammootty plays a burglar who is known by different names (Shankar / Antony / Tony Louis / Gauthaman / Pappan / Vasudevan / Ramakrishnan) in different places. He is a kind person and uses the illegal money he has burgled to help the poor and orphans.
In the beginning, he fakes himself as an Income Tax officer Sankar and raids a jewellery with the help of a newly posted police officer Shekhar, and takes the illegal gold along with him. Later, on knowing that he has been cheated, Shekhar sets out to put the Sankar behind the bars. He use various methods to trap him, but all go in vain. In between, we could see the good deeds that the burglar does with the stolen money.
In the process, he (Pappan) befriends Jamal, who is a poor chap. Pappan helps Jamal financially too.
After giving a hint to the police about his next target, Gauthaman loots the finance institution (Gopuram) owned by Devassy, where minister Velayil Chandy had deposited his illegal money. Though there was police protection for the institution, Gauthaman cleverly executes his plan and escapes with the money.
Faking as Ramakrishnan, he busts out a drug group and sends over the drug to Shekhar's office. However, he takes the money involved in that deal himself.
Tracing the location of the phone calls made, Shekhar traced the residence of Sankar. However, Sankar escapes by a whisker.
S. I. Shekhar's indifference with one of the Abkari contractor cum newspaper publisher Ambalakkadan(Ambalakkadu Krishnan) creates problems, as false news regarding the SI and also his family gets published in the newspaper. Shekhar slaps Ambalakkadan for this, which ultimately leads to his suspension.
As Annie takes the romance seriously, Tony finally reveals his actual identity and moves away from her life.
Situations make Shekhar falsely accused as the murderer of Ambalakkadan, and Shekhar is sent to jail. At this stage, only Sankar can help Shekharan to prove his innocence. Sankar confesses his crimes.

## Cast

* Mammootty as (Shankar / Antony / Tony Louis / Gauthaman / Pappan / Vasudevan / Ramakrishnan) , A Burglar with several names
* Murali as CI Shekharan, sincere police officer
* Shobana as Annie
* Sreenivasan as Jamal
* Lalu Alex as Commissioner Mathews
* C. I. Paul as Ambalakkadu Krishnan
* Mamukkoya as Unni Nair, police constable
* Sukumari as Jamal's Mother
* Innocent as Velayil Chandy
* Chitra as Ramani
* Philomina as Janakiamma
* Oduvil Unnikrishnan as Devassy
* Sankaradi as Ammavan
* T. P. Madhavan as Thomas, Jewellery store owner
* Bheeman Raghu as Jose
* Santhakumari as Rosie, Devassy's wife
* Azeez as Annie's father
* Karamana Janardhanan Nair as Advocate Aravindan
* Thesni Khan as Suhra
* Shari as Meera Nair
* Paravoor Bharathan as Krishnettan
* P. C. George as Ravi
* James as George
* Kaladi Jayan as P. C. Bhaskar

## Production

Swamy developed the story with some subtexts from Kayamkulam Kochunni and Robin Hood. Sathyan Anthikad had liked Adikkurippu (1989) and its main character, Bhaskara Pillai and asked Swamy to develop a character like that of Adv. Bhaskara Pillai from Adikkurippu.

## Soundtrack

Music was composed by Johnson. Lyrics were written by Kaithapram.
| S.No | Song Title | Singers |
| 1 | "Poothaalam" (male)" | G. Venugopal |
| 2 | "Poothaalam" (female)" | K. S. Chithra |
| 3 | "Aakaashagopuram" | G. Venugopal |

## Reception

N.Krishnaswamy of The Indian Express, in a February 22, 1991 review, wrote that the film is "assured of theatrical outlets, and can afford to be what it is, and all that".