തമ്പു് (1978): Besetzung, Handlung & Streaming

Released in 1978, തമ്പു് is a drama film directed by Govindan Aravindan, running about 129 minutes.

What it’s about. Across a dirt road, the circus truck comes to a village. The tent goes up. Schoolboys run to the tent. Village women come and watch an acrobat roll a hoop across a tightrope. A lion leaps from the edge of one stool - across darkness - on to another stool. A gap-toothed old woman gazes at a goat on a tight rope; her eyes are wide with curiosity. For three days the circus makes small ripples in the life of this village. Municipal permits are required. At a toddy shop, a soldier befriends the circus strongman; a pump attendant sits on a rock each day watching a village girl bathe and dry her hair. The dwarf brings back to the circus a watermelon larger than his head. In the film's three days, we, the viewers, learn the geography of the village: the banyan treewith leaves like transparent film, the shining water, the light on the sand at sunset. When the circus leaves the village, it leaves us. The narrative says: The circus comes and leaves; life goes on.

Who’s in it. തമ്പു് stars Jalaja, Nedumudi Venu, V K Sreeraman and Gopi as Circus Manager, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.0/10, തമ്പു് has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch തമ്പു് page.

If you liked it. Fans of തമ്പു് tend to enjoy Die Verurteilten, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.