Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea is a 2021 Indian epic period war film directed by Priyadarshan. Set in the 16th century Calicut, the film is based on the fourth Kunjali Marakkar named Muhammad Ali, the admiral of the fleet of the Zamorin. Priyadarshan scripted the film with Ani Sasi. The film is produced by Antony Perumbavoor’s Aashirvad Cinemas. Marakkar features Mohanlal in the title role and Pranav Mohanlal play Mohanlal’s young role, alongside Arjun Sarja, Suniel Shetty, Prabhu, Nedumudi Venu, Mukesh, Siddique, Manju Warrier, Keerthy Suresh and Kalyani Priyadarshan in supporting roles. The film was shot in Malayalam and partially reshot in Tamil.
During the late 1500s, the empire of Portugal allies with the kingdom of Kochi in Malabar, Kerala. This is in order to colonize the region by overthrowing the powerful kingdom of Kozhikode, a long time war rival of Kochi. Portuguese military commander Alfonso de Noronho trains Kochi soldiers to use firearms and offers them cannons in exchange for trading crops and spices. However, the Malabar natives are displeased with the new Cartaz license system they’ve established which impedes trade with the Arabs. Kuttiyali Marakkar, an influential merchant, finds a way to trade while bypassing Portuguese customs laws, but he’s sold out by his brother-in-law Moidu who is allied with Alfonso.
In the past, Kuttiyali and his sons, Kutti Poker Ali and Pattu Marakkar, were commanders of the Kozhikode navy and helped resist Portuguese rule, but they resigned and became merchants after Poker died in battle. In the present, Poker’s son Muhammad Ali is newly married to Aisha, his childhood sweetheart. However she, Muhammad’s mother, and Kuttiyali are all killed that night by Alfonso in a raid. Kochi’s king frames it as a civil massacre and blames Muhammad and Pattu, who had survived and escaped. In retaliation, the two assassinate Moidu and manage to flee by raft, but a storm causes them to land in Ponnani, Kozhikode. There they start a new life and meet the kingdom’s military commanders, the arrogant and spoiled Achuthan, and the compassionate Anandan. Muhammad speaks against Achuthan for disrespecting him, but Anandan stops them from fighting. The king’s associate and right-hand warrior Mangattachan distributes supplies to the storm’s victims, but the corrupt nāduvāzhi Namathu Kurup hoards them to sell in market, and his men assault Pattu for calling him out. In retaliation, Muhammad recruits a bandit named Thangudu and his crew to rob Kurup’s goods and distribute them to civilians. They perform many raids against corrupt noblemen and Muhammad takes up the mantle of Kunjali Marakkar, a protector of the people but fugitive to the kingdom.
Many years later, Marakkar’s gang engage in guerilla warfare against Portuguese vessels, and on one raid they meet Chiang, a Chinese slave. Chiang fights them in defense so gang member Aimutty takes Chiang’s mother hostage. Marakkar is against hurting women and children so he saves her but accidentally kills Aimutty. Aimutty’s brother Mayinkutty witnesses this. Chiang and his mother are rescued, leading to the former and Marakkar becoming friends, and he calls Chiang “Chinnali”. Since Marakkar is a fugitive of Kozhikode, Achuthan instructs Mayinkutty to kill him for revenge, but Chinnali kills him first.
Viceroy Francisco de Gama threatens war against Kozhikode when their monarch, the Samoothiri, declines a trading deal proposed by their king. Since Achuthan, their naval commander, states that defeating them is impossible, Anandan proposes a controversial decision to recruit Marakkar, who is brought to the kingdom and recognized as Poker’s son. The Samoothiri’s judgement of Achuthan using Mayinkutty being dishonorable causes him to replace Achuthan with Marakkar as naval commander, leading Achuthan to jealousy. Marakkar leads the troops to battle and they use traps to sink many Portuguese ships, eventually finding Alfonso and killing him. Marakkar is praised by the court, except by the diplomats of Kolathunadu who ally with the Portuguese. The Samoothiri thanks Marakkar by renovating his family’s fortress, and it grows into a village. In the meantime, Chinnali falls in love with Aarcha, the daughter of minister Dharmoth Panicker. She reciprocates, but Achuthan also has feelings for her. Their parents decide to get Aarcha married to Achuthan. Unbeknownst to them, Aarcha, who is now pregnant with Chinnali’s child, runs away with him. Achuthan, out of jealousy, frames Chinnali for abducting her, causing tension. Achuthan attempts to force Aarcha to return to the kingdom, causing a fight between him, Chinnali, and Anandan. Anandan pleads to Chinnali to calm down, but Achuthan kills Chinnali and runs. Aarcha commits suicide, while Marakkar assumes Anandan is the killer after arriving late and slashes his throat.
Achuthan also beats up one of the court members to frame Marakkar for it, further painting him as a traitor. A new monarch named Nambyathiri takes the Samoothiri’s place, and he decides to submit to the Portuguese rule. Thus, the Portuguese and Kozhikode work together and plot to kill Marakkar. The two armies lay siege to Marakkar’s village, and despite resistance, they lose due to Kolathunadu’s treachery. Marakkar continues to resist them, so De Gama proposes killing handfuls of his people (who were taken prisoner) each day. Nambyathiri is bludgeoned by De Gama for rejecting, and Pattu is one of the first to be executed. Marakkar manages to kidnap De Gama, forcing the release of his people, but he is drawn into a trap orchestrated by Achuthan and Subaida, Aimutty’s wife. She regrets it when Marakkar apologizes but it is too late, and De Gama’s men arrest him. Marakkar is brought to Velha, Goa, and is convicted and sentenced to death by guillotine after refusing to beg for mercy. He is seen joining his mother in the otherworld.
Directed by Priyadarshan
Screenplay by Priyadarshan & Ani Sasi
Story by Priyadarshan
Produced by Antony Perumbavoor
Starring Mohanlal, Pranav Mohanlal, Arjun Sarja, Suniel Shetty, Prabhu, Manju Warrier, Keerthy Suresh, Kalyani Priyadarshan
Cinematography Tirru
Edited by M. S. Aiyyappan Nair
Music by Rahul Raj, Ankit Suri & Lyell Evans Roeder
Production Aashirvad Cinemas & Confident Group
Distributed by Maxlab Cinemas and Entertainments (Kerala) V. Creations (Tamil Nadu) Phars Films (Overseas)
Release date 2 December 2021
Running time 181 minutes
Country India
Languages Tamil
