Manichitrathazhu (The Ornate Lock) is a 1993 Malayalam Indian film directed by Fazil and written by Madhu Muttam. The story is influenced by a tragedy that happened in the Alummoottil palace of a famous central Travancore Royal family in the 19th century. [1] The movie with its psycho-thriller plotline, was an unusual theme in Malayalam cinema but proceeded to become a big hit. Several other prominent directors such as Siddique-Lal, Priyadarshan and Sibi Malayilserved as second-unit directors on the movie. The film won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment in 1994. And Shobhana was awarded theNational Film Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of the central character Ganga.
After its runaway success in Kerala, it was remade after nearly 10 years in various languages, including Kannada (Apthamitra), Tamil (Chandramukhi), Telugu (Chandramukhi), Bengali(Rajmohol), and Hindi (Bhool Bhulaiyaa). All of them went on to become big commercial successes.