Karuthamma is the daughter of an ambitious fisherman, Chembannkunju. She is in love with a young fish trader, Pareekutty. Chembankunju's only aim in life is to own a boat and net. Pareekutty finances Chembankunju to realise this dream. This is on a condition that the haul by the boat will be sold only to him. Karuthamma's mother Chakki learns of her daughter's affair with Pareekutty, and reminds her daughter about the life they lead within the boundaries of strict social tradition and warns her to keep away from such a relationship. The fisherfolks believe that a fisherwoman has to lead a life within the boundaries of strict social traditions.
Karuthamma sacrifices her love for Pareekutty and marries Palani, an orphan discovered by Chembankunju in the course of one of his fishing expeditions. Following the marriage, Karuthamma accompanies her husband to his village, despite her mother's sudden illness and her father's requests to stay. In his fury, Chembankunju disowns her. On acquiring a boat and a net and subsequently adding one more, Chembankunju becomes more greedy and heartless. With his dishonesty, he drives Pareekutty to bankruptcy. After the death of his wife, Chembankunju marries Pappikunju, the widow of the man from whom he had bought his first boat. Panchami, Chembankunju's younger daughter, hates her stepmother and her son and constantly taunts them. Pappikunju's son, unable to bear the constant humiliation by Panchami, decides to leave in search of a better life. Emotionally blackmailed by her son, Pappikunju steals money from Chembankunju's savings and gives it to her son. Panchami finds this out and informs Chembankunju. He ousts Pappikunju from their home, and turns mad due to the setbacks faced in his life. Alarmed by her father's madness, Panchami leaves home to join Karuthamma.
Cheemeen is a 1966 Indian Malayalam-language romance film, based on the novel of the same name by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai. Chemmeen tells the story of the relationship between Karuthamma (Sheela) , the daughter of a Hindu fisherman, and Pareekutti (Madhu), the son of a Muslim fish wholesaler. However, social prejudices seem to ruin their love life and invite the wrath of their communities. Family pressure persuades her to leave Pareekutti, but she marries the orphan boy, Palani (Sathyan).
Meanwhile, Karuthamma has endeavoured to be a good wife and mother, but scandal about her old love for Pareekutty spreads in the village. Palani's friends ostracise him and refuse to take him fishing with them. Supported by Karuthamma, Palani starts to go fishing in a single-man boat. They slowly prosper and become parents to a daughter. Palani initially trusts his wife, but due to the constant vile talk by the villagers, seeds of doubt start to get sown in his mind. One day, when he hears Karuthamma enquiring about Pareekkutty to Panchami, he confronts her, and accuses Karuthamma of cheating and leaves in the night to go on his fishing expedition. By a stroke of fate, Karuthamma and Pareekutty meet that night and their old love is awakened. Palani, at sea alone and baiting a shark, is caught in a huge whirlpool and is swallowed by the sea. Next morning, Karuthamma and Parekutty, are also found dead hand in hand, washed ashore. At a distance, there lies the body of the shark which was baited by Palani.
It remains an misunderstood film. Folklore tale would say that if a fisherman's wife would have extramarrital affair, her husband would die. Here the point the author wanted to drive home, was it was the society, who brainwashed the fisherman Palani, which made him to kill himself. The movie still remains an artistic work of human passion.
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