Irupatham Noottandu (ഇരുപതാം നൂറ്റാണ്ട്)

Irupatham Noottandu (ഇരുപതാം നൂറ്റാണ്ട്, "Twentieth Century") is a 1987 Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller film directed by K. Madhu, written by S. N. Swamy, and produced by M. Mani under the Sunitha Productions banner, starring Mohanlal as the smuggler Sagar Alias Jacky.^{1 • 2} On release it broke box office records to become the highest-grossing Malayalam film until then, and its title character entered Malayalam popular cinema as a cult figure.^{2 • 3}

Production and crew

The film was produced by M. Mani for Sunitha Productions and distributed by Aaroma Release. S. N. Swamy handled story, screenplay, and dialogue; Vipin Das was the cinematographer, V. P. Krishnan the editor, and Thyagarajan staged the stunts.^{1 • 5} Shyam composed the music and Chunakkara Ramankutty wrote the lyrics.¹

The film's theme music was reused, with slight changes, in the 2009 follow-up Sagar Alias Jacky Reloaded, and its crane and jib camera movements, shifting perspective from high to low and back, were uncommon in the Malayalam film industry at the time.⁸

Sagar Alias Jacky and the film's standing

When K. Madhu and S. N. Swamy introduced Sagar Alias Jacky, they did so without fanfare: the character first appears at a car rally that is later revealed as a front for a smuggling operation. The underworld don with a code of conduct, who detests those who make money from drugs, evokes Vito Corleone from Mario Puzo's The Godfather, and the central conflict grows from opposing principles between Jacky and an ally. The character became one of Malayalam cinema's cult figures and one of the early roles that treated Mohanlal as a superstar rather than primarily an actor.^{3 • 5}

The film retains a cult following decades after release; it marked 33 years since its theatrical run in May 2020 and is remembered alongside Mohanlal's other films of the period.⁹ It is currently available for streaming in India on Eros Now (via the Eros Now Select Apple TV channel).⁴

Release date

Sources disagree on the exact day of release in May 1987. FMDb, FilmiBeat Malayalam, Digit, and Letterboxd list 6 May 1987;^{1 • 10 • 11 • 5} the Amrita Movies upload of the full film, the Webdunia anniversary piece, and the Thai-language film wiki give 14 May 1987;^{2 • 9} and Nowrunning lists 15 May 1987.⁶

Remakes and follow-ups

The film was remade in Kannada as Jackey (1989) and in Telugu as 20va Shatabdam (1990), with Devaraj portraying Shekarankutty in both versions.² In 2009, Amal Neerad directed Sagar Alias Jacky Reloaded, described as a spiritual sequel, with Mohanlal reprising his role.²

A separate 2019 Malayalam film, Irupathiyonnaam Noottaandu (ഇരുപത്തിയൊന്നാം നൂറ്റാണ്ട്, "Twenty-First Century"), directed by Arun Gopy and starring Pranav Mohanlal, shares a similar title but has no story connection to the 1987 film; its makers stated before release that it was not a continuation, and reviewers confirmed no connection to the classic.^{12 • 13}

References

1. ഇരുപതാം നൂറ്റാണ്ട് കഥ | Irupatham Noottandu Movie Story, FilmiBeat Malayalam
2. Irupatham Nootandu | ഇരുപതാം നൂറ്റാണ്ടു | Car Raid Scene, Amrita Movies (YouTube)
3. Brains and brawn, style and substance, The New Indian Express (Cinema Express)
4. Irupatham Noottandu streaming: where to watch online?, JustWatch
5. Irupatham Noottandu (1987), Letterboxd
6. Irupatham Noottandu Malayalam Movie, Nowrunning
7. Irupatham Noottandu (1987) - Plot, IMDb
8. Joseph, dissertation on cinematography in Malayalam cinema, Christ University archives
9. നാർക്കോട്ടിക്‍സ് ഇസ് എ ഡേർട്ടി ബിസിനസ് - ഇരുപതാം നൂറ്റാണ്ടിന് 33 വയസ്, Webdunia Malayalam
10. ഇരുപതാം നൂറ്റാണ്ട് (1987), FMDb
11. Irupatham Noottandu Movie (1987), Digit Binge
12. Irupathiyonnaam Noottaandu Review, Cinema Express
13. ഇരുപത്തിയൊന്നാം നൂറ്റാണ്ടിലെ ഗോവൻ കാഴ്ചകൾ - റിവ്യൂ, Madhyamam

Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026

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