Parikkutty: Karutamma must have come to ask for a journey? Until now we were together. Now I am alone
Karutamma: Don’t kill me like this, little boss
Parikkutty: Even if Karutamma goes, I will not go to this shore
Karutamma: My little boss… why did we meet?
Parikutty: God said. I will also sit here and cry out loud for the black mother.
Karutamma: I will sit in the river and cry remembering it
Parikutty: By singing like that, I will break my ankles.
Black Mother: Before that my life will fly away.
Parikkutty: And then on moonlit nights, he will walk on this beach holding two lives together.
A film grows beyond a literary work. Characters fade away forever. Karutamma and Parikkutty take the form of Sheela and Madhu… these rarely happen.
In the late seventies. In those days, the local school occasionally has a movie screening. The movie of that day was ‘Shrimp’. A six-year-old girl was also accompanied by Appachi as grandmother’s tail. She does not know who Takazi and Ramu are. You should watch the song “Manasa Maine Varoo…” that Dad always listens to on the radio. You have to see Parikutty singing it. Anna does not know that Mannaday sang it. The struggle of Appachi’s long sighs beating Sheela’s long sighs on the silver screen was beyond the understanding of a six-year-old girl. However, the black mother and the little boss remained in the child’s mind for some time.
It took years to get to know the great actor Madhu. At a time when Naseer and Sathyan were breaking the scene, the great actor established his own throne in the Malayalam film world with different appearances. It has been five and a half years since the Malayalee embraced that expressive style of moving up to the eyes and eyebrows.
It was a long time in his film career when the great actor, who captured the hearts of the audience with his angry youth and romantic lover, entered Navati.
About four hundred pictures in different roles
Madhavan Nair was born on September 23, 1933 as the son of Parameswaran Pillai, who was the mayor of Thiruvananthapuram, and Thangamma, and entered the Malayalam film world in 1962. Ramukaryat’s first film was ‘Mudupada’. But the first film that was released was ‘Ninamanija Kalpadal’. Produced by Shobhana Parameswaran Nair and directed by PN Pisharathi, Madhu grabbed the attention of the audience with her performance that rivaled Premnaseer’s lead role. Later, Bhargavee Nilayam, Adhyapika, Murakuenni, Olam and Thiram, Aswamedham, Tulabharam, Abhijathyam, Swayamvaram, Ummachu, Theekanal, Amammakaru Taraat,
Kayalum Kaikaum, Yagam, Kolillakkam, Padayottam, Pachavelicham, 1921, Naduvazhikal, Champakulam Tachan, Twenty Twenty… Madhu has become an integral part of Malayalam cinema.
In 1969, he made his debut in Hindi with the Hindi film Saath Hindustani by KA Abbas. Amitabh Bachchan made his film debut with Madhu in this film.
A garden of experiments
Madhu became a standout in the Malayalam film world when other lead actors were reluctant to play over-the-top and negative roles. In the 1980s, he moved into more age-appropriate and mature roles. He didn’t hesitate to do any role that was possible. While Parikutty’s romantic lover remains indelible in the audience’s mind, he is ready to act as a villain, a father, a grandfather and a reason. Madhu never wanted to be known as just a commercial actor. He was always willing to be a part of experimental films without commercial/art distinction. Examples include PN Menon’s ‘Olamum Thirvam’, John Abraham’s first film ‘Vidyarthiye Ithile Ithile… Adoor’s ‘Swayamvaram’.
Kochu Kunjhi in Moodupada, Sasikumar the literary man in Bhargavee Nilayam, Baputti without madhumanners who gave Malayalam Olam and Thiram, Raghavapanikar in Kutamba Sametham whom he claims gave him complete satisfaction in later life, Captain Nambiar in Spirit and so many different characters.
In 1977, IV Sasi and Padmarajan teamed up with ‘Itha Indya Paka’, the anti-hero, the duckling Paili. The fans, who had settled in their minds Madhuna’s lead actor through his romantic lover Parikutty, were not at all reluctant to accept Pillai. Any type of character is safe in those hands.
Like Sathyan-Sharada and Naseer-Sheela, Madhu-Srividya was a star pair that was loved by the audience. How many films have become hits just because of the chemistry of that combination. The Madhu-Srividya starrer duo has starred in more than 60 films such as Alley Cat MINDAPOOCHA MT Don’t Transgress Boundaries, Theekanal, Chenda, Erinpadi.
If asked which is his favorite film, Abhinaya Chakraborty says that it is not the shrimp that grew beyond time, but the crimson shell. However, he recalls that Malayalam cinema has not got a selfless lover even in Parikutty. When the new generation says that it was because of that selfless act that Parikkutty was beaten on his chest, his face is full of stupid laughter.
Madhuna Filmmaker
He said that after the success of Parikutty, Potakamugan, who came to him, thought of directing on his own when he got tired of playing roles. He added that the real filmmaker is the producer, not the actor or the director. Producer is the maker of the film. Madhu’s first directorial film was ‘Priya’ released in 1970. His own screenplay for C Radhakrishnan’s novel ‘Thevidissi’. Produced by NP Ali. Madhu chose Adoor Bhasi as the hero. A full-length role for Bhasi without comedy. It was also an experiment at that time. Sharada was intended as the heroine. Sarada could not act due to busy schedule. Lily Chakraborty, a theater artist from Calcutta, played the lead role. Madhu as a misogynistic anti-hero. Madhu said that many people advised him not to do that role that day. But Madhu always gave first priority to acting potential and not to maintaining star status.
When the film was completed, the Censor Board gave it an ‘A’ certificate. But the film was full of audience. Muktakanda was praised by both critics and audiences. ‘Priya’ also won the state government’s second best film award of the year.
He shared his experience of going directly to the Grant Theater in Kollam on the day of the film’s release: I had an idea of how the audience would react to the film. Only two girls among men. He still remembers the father who came to the theater with his daughters to protest the censor board’s A certificate.
Buoyed by the success of ‘Priya’, he went on to direct twelve films, including Sindoora Chepp, Neelakannals and Tekanal. Theekanal in it was a different experience from watching Malayalam movies till then. A stylish image in his language. The screenplay was written by Thopil Bhasi.
The film was literally a one-man show. Vishu released ‘Theekanal’ in 1976 and it was a huge success. And ‘Theekanal’ surpassed Naseer’s released films. He painfully recalls the deception behind losing the print of the film, even though it was a color film. who claimed to be the producer of the film (he said he was a benami of the original producer). Deliberate possession of print. Legally won, but by then the negative had been destroyed
He produced fifteen films including Sati, Manyashree Vishwamitran, Akaldama and Udayam Vishchim. The film was made not only for money, but also for artistic value along with financial success. He was careful to be different in directing and producing as he was in acting. Knowing that, even ‘Rathilayam’ made with Silk Smitha as the heroine was accepted with open arms by the family audience.
He has written and directed the movie Oru Yugasandhya. He has sung three songs in the movie Ramanan. Apart from films, he has also acted in twenty television serials.
I was not a star but an actor
Madhu always had the opportunity to give life to the characters in the literary works of famous writers such as Basheer, MT Vasudevan Nair, Paraput, SK Potekad, Toppil Bhasi, Urub, Kesavadev, Malayatur Ramakrishnan and others. Parikutty in Chemmeen, Sahityakaran in Bhargavinilayam, Mayan in Ummachu, Baputti in Olamum Thiram, Ikoran in Nadan Prema, Kesavapillai in Stairs, Atram Kann in Kallichellamma etc. When asked why this is, he says:
‘I was not a star, I was an actor. When making a story for a movie, it often glorifies the hero. The heroes of literary works are green men. Not glorified. It is not a star, but an actor who joins it.’
You don’t have to dance to hit songs
Madhu was correcting the way that the hero and heroine should dance and sing if the songs were to become hits. He was not ready to dance even in a song scene. Manikya Veena Thakanen…, Apara Sundara Neelakasam…, Vrishchika Ratti Than…, Anuragaganam Like…, Ezhilam Pala Phoothu… and so many songs immortalized by acting.
He said that cinema is an art form that should give importance to acting like kathakali. As I was writing this, I saw Dr. climbing the ladder. The character Ramesh (Image: Hridiya Oru Kshetam) comes to mind. “Mangalam Nerunu Thune Nu Naam…” is one of the all-time hit songs in Malayalam. The song scene immortalized by Madhu, the emperor of Bhavabhinayam. How many songs remain in the memory like this.
Here’s how to answer the question of which song is your favorite out of countless songs:
‘I have said in many interviews that ‘Shyama Sundara Pushpame…’ in Yuddhkanda. There is a more poetic song in that movie.
“You are a friend in Rituraja’s chariot
Why are you late to come…” The scene is me singing in the college courtyard. Jayabharati and her friends are listening.
Even though I didn’t get a chance to see the scene immortalized by the Madhu-Jayabharathi combination, “Nidrail Aam Chartum Chumbana”
Are there lovers’ hearts that have not hummed the lines of the seals…
Kallolini in the blue eyes, Kamam Khromham Moha, Dreaming in lust, girl, Palpojyum mozhi in the sunset, I saw Omalale in the crimson shell, Svarna Gopura dance sculpture in Divyadarshan… How many melodies Madhu – Jayabharati combination presented.
Everyone has some memories behind their favorite songs. Like a lamb caught in memory, it wanders in search of pasture. Somewhere in faded memories, a river bank. She and her father joined the grandmother who came to wash and bathe. They are not allowed to bathe in public. Can be washed. While doing the laundry, Dad is humming “Krishna bird chirping…”
Then the description.
“Madhu and Jayabharathi are in the scene. In a river like this, on a rock like that… Who said that a song can only be a hit if you dance? So many romantic songs in the Madhu — Jayabharati, Madhu — Srividya combination.”
Without seeing it, the scene was imprinted on her young mind through Appachi, who was a fan of Madhu. Decades later, watching that scene on YouTube today doesn’t feel fresh at all… That riverside, that rock… The memories bring back the smell of the morning glory in my grandmother’s wooden box.
Without fuss
He last acted in the movie ‘One’. That too according to Mammootty’s insistence. In a single scene, Mammootty plays the character’s guru. He does not hide his feeling that fathers and fathers have no place in the film. The name is not very interested in playing a role. However, if he gets a full-length character, he cannot rule out the possibility of reaching the silver screen again. There are talks of a film directed by Madhupal, written by K Jayakumar and directed by Panniyan Ravindran.
Madhu sir was staying in a self-proclaimed quarantine at his house in Kannammula to avoid the crowds. And there is Thangan Chetan, a constant companion. His wife Thangam, whom he wanted to be with when he died, left eight years ago. Pointing to the open room he says;
” That was the room where she was lying. Here I am not alone, my gold is with me…”
Madhavankutty Menon’s IPS is flashing on his face in the movie ‘I am alone’.
When asked that he had read somewhere that the door was still not closed, Bhavabhinayachakravarthy replied without acting:
“It’s not sentimentality behind it. Wind and light are for climbing. But my gold is still here…”