Movies often portray the lives of dons as full of action, escapades from law enforcement agencies and the lifestyle of a Casanova. Dons in real life, do not lead any glamourous lifestyles. Most of them lead an anonymous life, cloistered, and away from the prying eyes of the law.
Yet, a few have managed to cultivate, an aura of romantic charm, in their lives of intrigue, treachery, informers and incarceration. One such don was Kasaragod’s K.S.
Abdullah. Reportedly, he was very handsome and charming, and enjoyed a reputation as a Ladies' man! His life inspired a Malayalam movie called “Athirathram”, meaning in the dead of the night, it also refers to one of the Somayajnas performed by Vedic scholars of Kerala. The film portrays loosely the life of smuggler KS Abdullah who ruled Kasaragod, enacted by Malayalam superstar Mammootty.
The car-chase and Mamooty’s introduction scene in the movie ‘Athirathram’ are real-life events that happened in the life of K.S Abdullah. He was born to K.
S. Abdul Khader and Aasiya Abdul Khader. Much is not known about his early life, but in later years, like many others in Kasaragod, he pursued smuggling as a profession, which enabled him to amass considerable wealth.
Along with wealth came sensual pleasures and other luxuries, but one day the long arm of the law caught up with him. An Order was issued by the State Government of Kerala, under Section 3 of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act 1974.