Written by Madhu Mittam and directed by Fazil, Manichitrathazhu (Ornate Lock) (1993) is a psychological thriller meant for all audiences.
The story is of a newly married couple, Nakulan and Ganga, who move into their ancestral home, despite being warned by the elders of the dangers of the old house. Strange events start occuring, after which the entire family moves in to support the couple. They tell them the story of the head of the household (karnavar) of the house, who had a Tamilian court dancer named Nagavalli. Upon discovering that she loved the dancer next to his house, the karnavar had him killed and Nagavalli burnt alive. The elders believed it was her spirit causing this unrest. They claimed that she would only be satisfied if she killed the karnavur on Durgashtami day. A disbelieving Nakulan invites his friend, Dr. Sunny, a psychiatrist, to help him find an answer to these mysterious occurences. Although everyone suspects it to be the work of Nakulan’s rejected bride, Sreedevi, Sunny realizes it is Ganga, who has Multiple Personality Disorder due to traumas in her childhood. Sunny and Nakulan set up a dramatic scene to satisfy Nagavalli’s thirst for revenge and cure Ganga.

The story is said to have been inspired by a real tragedy that occured in the Alumoottil Tharavadu, which is the name of an old family in Central Travancore. In a country which tiptoes around the controversy of science and religion, this movie was perfect in its balanced handling of both. It catered to the rational audiences by explaining the psychiatric reason for the mysterious occurrences  while satisfying the religious ones by acknowledging the wisdom of the priests. It had famous second-unit directors, which is what created the perfect balance of this unique genre – a mix of slapstick comedy, subtle humour, horror, drama and romance.  The directors who helped in the making of this film were Sibi Malayil, known for his dramatic moments, Priyadarshan, a block buster director famous for slapstick comedies (and who also later made Bhool Bhulaiyaa), and Sidiq Lal, also known for comedy.

After the phenomenal success of Manichitrathazhu, these and other directors tried aping  this style of story telling. Movies like Aakasha Ganga, Devadoodan etc. were testimonials to this. However, none could reach the heights that Manichitrathazhu had claimed. The casting itself has a lot to do with the movie’s success. A half-mad doctor who initially makes a fool out of himself, but who can pull off the seriousness required of him during the climax scenes, could only have been portrayed with perfection by Mohanlal. And to act as an amateur dancer while having learnt classical dance for years was flawlessly done by Shobhana. Her subtle gestures and expressions which brought both the innocent Ganga and the demonic Nagavalli to life, also brought her the National Award for Best Actress for her role. The film also raked in the National Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, along with a number of State Awards.