UAE-based Media Maps Cinevision is producing a film titled Marthanda Varma on the life and times of Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, who ruled Travancore from 1729 to 1758. Directed by K. Sreekumar, the film is being made in Malayalam and English.
According to legend, it was during Marthanda Varma’s regime that the last major renovation of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple commenced. The temple is now identified as the richest temple in the world with a treasure of more than Rs. one lakh crore kept in five of the six vaults that were opened recently.
According to records, Varma “surrendered” the kingdom of Travancore to Sree Padmanabhaswamy, the deity at the temple, in 1750 and pledged that he and his descendants would be vassals or agents of the deity who would serve the kingdom as Padmanabha Dasa. The screenplay of the film has been written by K. Jayakumar.