Was Manjulika real? It’s a question that has been asked on the internet 10,000 times since Vidya Balan became Manjulika on screen for Bhool Bhulaiyaa in 2007. Vidya played a girl named Avni, who lived in London and returned to India with her husband. to its royal roots. But things take a radical turn when she discovers the story of a royal dancer, Manjulika!

Who was Manjulika?

Manjulika was a dancer in the court of a king who was in love with the dancer. But she was in love with her fellow dancer Shashidhar, and the king could not tolerate this rejection. He killed Shashidhar to conquer Manjulika, who in turn drank poison and took his life.

Was Manjulika Bengali?

No. Manjulika’s story in Bhool Bhulaiyaa is fictional and has been adapted to suit the sensibilities of the North Indian audience. However, the original tale or story of Bhool Bhulaiyaa is not entirely fictional and has its roots linked to Kerala!

The real Manjulika and the story of Kochu Kunju Channar

Bhool Bhuliayaa is a remake of a Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu which is based on a tragedy that occurred in a tharavad of Ezhava, the Alummoottil meda (an old traditional mansion), located in Muttom belonging to a central Travancore Channar family, in the 19th century.

The author of Manichitrathazhu was a member of the Channar family and took inspiration from the murder that occurred in the royal court of Travancore. The murder of Kochu Kunju Channar inspired the story of the film. However, the motive for the murder was purely financial and no one named Manjulika was involved. Some folklore mentions the involvement of a royal dancer who helped plot the murder.

But even if Manjulika was a dancer, at least she was not Bengali and did not want to kill the Dushto Raja in Durga Ashtami. If it was real, it belonged in a court in Kerala!

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