Unniyarcha (1961)

One of the most succesful of Kunchako’s early 60s films at Udaya Studio, the film features Ragini, one of the dancing Travancore sisters, as Unniyarcha, a warrior princess and part of North Kerala folklore. Born into the aristocracy, she is married to the kind-hearted Kunjiraman (Nazir) to whom she bears two sons. When her fearless brother is killed by the evil Chandu (Chellappan), she trains her sons in the martial arts so they can carry out her revenge mission. Shot in the Kerala backwaters, the film led to a major trend of adapting legends of folk heroes from the ballads of the Malabar region.