Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja (കേരള വർമ്മ പഴശ്ശിരാജ)

Good morning, Colonel. - Good morning, Majors...

They've all come? - Yes sir. All of them have come.

They're the local chieftains. something like the lords in our country.

You know all the points? - Sure, Sir. - with regards

I know, Sir. I'll help him.

I am Office Clerk, 1st. grade. Kanara Menon

I speak 5 languages, read and write 3.

Wonderful! Gentlemen! Please...

Good morning, gentlemen. - Namaste!

Good morning, Sir! - Namaste!

You're Kannavath Nambiar? - Yes.

This is Colonel Bowls.

This is Major Murray.

This is Major Gordon.

Gentlemen please be seated..

Bhandari, tell them. - Yes, Sir.

Colonel Sahib has a letter sent by Duncan Sahib.

Among the important things it says... says...

Duncan Sahib knows all the details of the accounts here.

More than 4 lakhs are due as taxes.

To be precise, Rs. 4,40,000.

How can the farmers pay if taxes are continually hiked?

Sir he says, the farmers...

I understand...

The rulers, the tax collectors, all want their own shares.

What'll those who can't pay do?

What's his problem?

Sir, he says the Company increases the taxes.

The rulers add some more.

The tax collectors want a share.

Mr. Menon, tell them what happened to Chirakkal. - Sir

You know what happened at Chirakkal?

Chirakkal Raja didn't hand over the collected tax until the army arrived!

If the Company wants bribes to delay payments...

The bribery issue...

Tell them, Bhandari.

Yes Sir. That is...

Sir, I will tell them.

The Governor Sahib gives you 30 days.

Then interest, and interest on that interest the next 30 days.

If arrears are not paid, the Company will have the right to seize the lands.

It's the Governor's orders. I can't do anything.

Mr. Menon - Sir!

It's robbers and bandits who've been ruling here.

The Company wants to subdue them, allow people to live in peace.

The Company asks how to rule without money in the treasury.

Excuse me, Colonel.

When the Mysore army attacked, we faced them.

Your good-for-nothing kings...

...ran away with their families And their treasures...

...showing no concern for their country nor for its people.

Cowards!

Translate, Bhandari.

The Mysore army... - Don't!

I understand, Sahib. He needn't translate.

Not everyone ran away.

One prince stayed to fight with you against them.

Remember, that's why you've the right to live here now.

Explain, Bhandari, if they don't understand.

I understand. You mean Kerala Varma Pazhassi?

King Kerala Varma Pazhassi!

Yes, Sir.

The Company will never forget the help they received.

But who prevents the Company from collecting taxes now?

Who makes sure your assets are confiscated? The same man!

Enough! We'll talk later.

Let them speak, Nambiar.

We're not here to argue.

But don't you see, they're blaming King Pazhassi!

Good day, gentlemen. - Namaste.

Mr. Menon, - sir, Bhandari, - sir, let's go to my office to discuss this.

The Company knows the country's been miserable after Tippu's invasion.

Still, with due respect for the Company's orders...

Whatever remains from the previous and current year's...

The current year's...

Added to the tax for the current year...

We promise to hand over Rs. 75,000 at once.

I have come... Do sit down.

My Lord, if you make a promise like that...

Try! You're the Revenue Officer, Pazhayam Veedan.

You're responsible for collecting taxes!

Write to Superintendent Christopher Pele...

The Company's ever-reliable Kottayam ruler, Veera Varma...

My Lord!

To sign as the ruler of Kottayam before the conditions have been agreed upon...

A document that'll reach even the Governor Sahib...

...leaving no doubt who the Kottayam ruler is, I or Pazhassi!

Isn't Pazhayam Veedan Chandu said to be a very wily fellow?

You don't know a thing!

I'll tell you.

What?

Let the Colonel go with some people and ask...

...Pazhassi to come here to draft conditions for the contract.

Need a nephew be ashamed to come and meet his uncle. Kanaran?

Why? That's not shameful.

Let's put the facts before him.

Then imprison or try him, as the Colonel wishes.

Didn't he hide Narangoli Nambiar, the murderer...

...get mapillas out of jail, and then hang them?

There's no evidence for that.

Create evidence then!

Who attacks the tax collectors? And on whose orders?

Can the Company stop him?

That's what I ask them!

I wrote to say we'd pay 75,000 hoping to settle the matter.

Make sure you tell the white men this.

I'll explain it myself.

I can speak to the white men myself, if necessary.

Bring him here first. Then the trial. Can you do it?

He may be your nephew. But you don't really know him.

Think he'll come like a lamb with the Colonel's men?

Send a whole army if a small group's not enough.

What Kanara?

Come fast.

Syedalavi, take the boat to Govindan's place.

I'll take all of them. Let Kunkan know.

Makkam, don't hurry. Be careful.

Brother Ambu, what about Thampuran?

He'll come. Do as Thampuran has told.

Did you hurt yourself?

It's nothing, nothing.

Stop there.

Where's Pazhassi? Speak! Where's your master?

I don't know.

My God...

I won't allow you to enter.

Open the chest.

Gold.... real gold!

Go fast.

Good evening, ladies.

I think this must be his bedroom.

There's nothing much fancy about it.

How do I look?

The Raja's high seat!

Walk on!

Major, he said Pazhassi left 3 days back.

So you've come at last?

Lord!

I've been worried to death.

Where is he Colonel Sahib?

Have you got him?

300 soldiers went there.

And where's he?

He'd left earlier.

Didn't your wife, Unniyamma, say there'd be a big pooja there?

Yes.

But his wife, Makkam, wanted it elsewhere.

Unniyamma didn't know.

The man's gone. What about his wealth?

Don't know what the soldiers did with it.

The coffers, the gold, all the temple jewels: what about them?

Soldiers! They'd have taken some.

The Company must be making accounts for the rest.

It should have come here. It's I who should make accounts.

Do you realize who the ruler of Kottayam is?

I do, but the Company must realize it too.

Be grateful your nephew's escaped by God's grace.

What I tell...

Get out from my presence!

Subbarayan, turn off the outside light.

I don't want anything. I'm not hungry.

Subbarayan! Mani! Where's everyone gone?

You wanted to conduct a trial, Uncle.

We can have one now.

I asked them to bring you, but I didn't think they'd raid the palace.

Atrocities increase, robbers thrive!

And I encourage them?

The Company's found another camp: the Pazhassi palace!

The idea of entering it...

They got in, plundered it!

You know soldiers seized gold and jewels we'd stored for years.

Kerala Varma no longer has a place to live in.

I didn't come here to submit a petition for lost property.

I'll get it all back!

War doesn't mean entering and ransacking an unguarded palace.

The Company's yet to see how Pazhassi wages war!

We might not meet again.

The state of the country, not my losses, should be your concern.

What can I do about laws passed by the Company?

Aren't you responsible for convincing the Company?

You know taxes are being raised and people can't pay them.

The land's being ruined!

Farmers keep running away, committing suicide!

I've become the Company's foe. Let's not wage war, you and me.

It is my duty to tell you this and I have done so.

I bow you, lord.

It must have been the fall that caused it.

The baby died.

You must accept it as what you're destined to.

It was a boy. Only six months grown...

...but what a head of hair! and what a fair complexion!

Lord Narayana!

Ravi Varma, take Mother and Grandmother to Chirakkal.

Aren't the boatmen there?

My palace is gone.

The Company soldiers cook in the rooms that aren't burnt down.

If we tell children the story of our ancestor who built the palace...

...they'll laugh mockingly!

Go in. Makkam's weeping all the time, asking when you'll come.

Lord Narayana!