Odayil Ninnu

Odayil Ninnu (lit. From the gutter) is a 1965 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan based on the novel of the same name written by P. Kesavadev. Dev himself penned the script for the film. The film deals with the life and struggles of a rickshaw puller. It stars Sathyan, Prem Nazir, K. R. Vijaya and Kaviyoor Ponnamma in the lead roles with Master Dasarath playing the younger version of the protagonist. Suresh Gopi made his screen debut, who was then six years old, appeared as the feudal lord’s timid son, who also becomes the root cause for the protagonist running away from home.

The film was a commercial success and also received critical acclaim for its raw energy and Sathyan’s performance in the lead role. It received a certificate of merit at the National Film Awards. It was remade in Tamil as Babu (1971) with Sivaji Ganesan playing the lead role, in Telugu as Marapurani Manishi (1973) and in Hindi as Babu (1985) with Rajesh Khanna in leading role.