15 March 2004 (2004-03-15) – 11 February 2005 (2005-02-11)
Kadamattathu Kathanar (Malayalam: കടമറ്റത്ത് കത്തനാർ) is an Indian Malayalam-language supernatural drama television series that originally aired on Asianet from 2004 to 2005. Asianet retelecast the series on Asianet Plus from March 2016.[1] Prakash Paul plays the title character.[2]
Synopsis
Kadamattathu Kathanar (an oriental Syriac priest of Kadamattom Church) also known as Kadamattathachan (Father Kadamattom) is a legendary priest from the 9th century AD who is believed to have possessed supernatural powers and whose legends are closely related to the beginning of the Kadamattom Church, one of the oldest church buildings that still exists in Kerala the land of Saint Thomas Christians.
Despite having learned sorcery from a mysterious and powerful source, Kathanar performed most of his feats by deriving power directly from God, through a direct prayer, invoking the Holy Spirit. This made him invulnerable to most sorcerers of the era.
The series depicts the myriad exorcisms of ghosts and other evil spirits he performed and the magical challenges he had to face along the way from other evil sorcerers. The most famous among them revolves around a traditional family in Kerala which was haunted by Kalliyankattu Neeli, a vampiric Yakshi. The family seeks the help of Kadamattathu Kathanar, a Christian priest who was believed to have supernatural powers to gage them out of the problems happening around the family.[3]
Plot
The Saga of Kalliyankattu Neeli (episodes 1–21)
This story revolves around a traditional family Vamanam Tharavadu in Kerala which is haunted by a Yakshi, a vampire, which sports multiple appearances and displays tremendous power compared to ordinary ghosts, terrorising the whole village.
A highly talented and powerful sorcerer Mepradan manages to subdue and absorb the Yakshi in an idol, but on his way to properly consecrate the same and conclude the ceremony, the Yakshi demonstrates her cunning by seducing and waylaying his proteges, thereby escaping the idol and subsequently killing Mepradan.
The death of such a highly powerful sorcerer as Mepradan shocks the whole countryside, and even Mepradan's guru, the aged and venerable Madavana Rakshasan Thirumeni recuses himself from the task. Finally, the family seeks the help of Reverend Kadamattom, a Christian priest who was believed to have supernatural powers to gauge them out of the problems happening around the family.
Kathanar arrives and subdues Neeli and makes her recite her story. As it happens, Neeli is the ghost of a young village damsel who fell in love with the scion Kannappan of a powerful warrior family and was murdered along with her lover and their unborn child in womb, by the cruel family patriarch Ittan Padanair.
Kathanar pities her and rather than annihilate her to liberation, decides to give her a chance in the earthly realm. Keeping her in control with a nail driven down into her head, he leaves her in service of a poor old woman along the way.
However, Neeli takes her chance and flees when the old lady spots the nail and drives it off. Kathanar is forced to pursue Neeli again and corners her from an island and subdues her again. This time he settles her then and there as a demi-goddess for the villages, giving her another chance at earthly salvation. (However, we haven't seen the last of Neeli yet; she will crop up again in a later part of the series.)
War With Chadayan (episodes 22–43)
A student of the talented Lata Guru, Chadayan turns evil under the influence of a petty sorceress Durgamma and acquires power by murdering the Guru, imprisoning his son Nathan and laying his hands on a treasure of 13 ancient grimoires that their family traditionally protected. The contents of the grimoires supposedly promise ultimately godlike powers to him on sacrificing young virgins born of each of the 27 nakshatras. When he sets his eyes on some of the young women in Kadamattom village, Kathanar is forced to lock horns with him and defeat him for good in a fierce and prolonged battle, at the end of which Chadayan is left blind and his castle crumbling down on him.
However, we are shown that his demi-god of worship reappears after Kathanar left and grants him his vision back (though no magical powers).
The Saga of Kumkumathu Kovilakam (episodes 44–50)
The historic Kumkumathu Kovilakam is haunted by a murderous evil spirit which plays upon the deep desires and fears of the members. When the powerful Keezhetu Thirumeni is killed while attempting to subdue the spirit, the family is forced to turn to any corner that offers help. The haughty Kulamana Potti refuses to help citing silly reasons intending to punish them for perceived disrespect, while Kadamattathu Kathanar offers to help. Kathanar arives at the scene and discovers that the evil spirit is the ghost of one Marthandan, an illegitimate son of the patriarch who was murdered brutally at the orders of the Thampuratti. Kathanar exorcises the ghost.
Bhanu & Kulamana Potti (episodes 51–66)
The story continues from Kumkumathu Kovilakam as the secretary Sankara Kuruppu is in financial trouble to conduct his daughter Parvathy's marriage. Meanwhile we are introduced to the courtesan Bhanu, the rich mistress of Ettukettu, who demands that anybody defeat her in a game of dice in order to sleep with her. She has been trapping numerous men that fall for her heavenly beauty into servitude using a pair of enchanted dice that do her bidding even after being cast. At the end of his wits, Sankara Kuruppu makes the mistake of playing dice with Bhanu in order to win enough money for his daughter's marriage. He inevitably loses and is imprisoned by Bhanu, and his family evacuated from their home. In her shock and fury, Parvathy too makes the mistake of playing dice with Bhanu and is inevitably imprisoned. The hapless family goes to Kathanar for help.
Meanwhile, we learn that Bhanu has been the exclusive mistress of Kulamana Potti for some time now, and he is the reason behind her recent glory. As it happens, Bhanu is actually Bhanumathi of a reputed Brahmin family, but was ousted from both family and community at the young age of 14 for having pre-marital sex with her lover. Ending up as a prostitute, she recounts how Kulamana Potti was the only one who ever showed her any genuine concern. We also learned that Bhanu's dice were enchanted by none other than Potti.
Soon, Kathanar arrives at the place to rescue the hapless people, and is forced into the game of dice. However, he makes Parvathy play on behalf of him, and quite easily arranges for a win, bypassing Potti's enchantments on the dice. A shocked Bhanu loses all her property and is ordered to leave town, while all her slaves are freed.
Watching all this unfold helplessly in front of his eyes, Kulamana Potti is furious and mad at Kathanar for hurting his ego, and swears to destroy him. He brings Bhanu to his own home and starts a tug of war with Kathanar, but all his tactics fail. After a series of magical cat-and-mouse games and a final face-off, Potti is humbled and he, along with Bhanu, make peace with Kathanar.
Odiyan (episodes 66–68)
Kathanar subdues the Odiyan who had been terrorising the village of Kuravanmedu. He happens to be Chanthoman, a servant who was tortured inhumanely by the Vadakkan family head Kunjikkelu Melan. Horribly deformed with boiled oil and left to die, he is initiated into being an Odiyan by Karikalan, and pledges to wreak revenge on those who tortured him. Kathanar informs him that his revenge is moot now because the exact people who tortured him are no more, and their descendants are innocent. Kathanar cures his deformities and sends him off to a distant place to have another chance at a fuller life.
This leads us to the story of Vadakkan Veedu.
Cast
Prakash Paul as Reverend Kadamattom/ Kadamattathachan
