Dasanum Vijayanum: Veendum Oru Varavelpu??

Picture Courtsey: www.indiamovieclub.com

When the names Mohanlal and Sreenivasan are spoken in unison, the first images that come to the mind of a Malayalam film lover are the scenes from the film “Nadodikattu”. In the genre of comedy films, no two characters have given us funnier moments than Ramdas and Vijayan.

Recently a few websites (like this one) claimed that Director Rosshan Andrews (of Udhayananu Tharam fame) had decided to direct the fourth part of this acclaimed series after initial rumors that the director duo Rafi-Mecartin had planned to do the same. But even in a recent interview by Rediff regarding his latest flick “Kadha Parayumbol”, scriptwriter Sreenivasan had denied any plans on making a fourth part.


“Nadodikattu”, the film released in 1987 was scripted by Sreenivasan and directed by Sathyan Anthikkad. It was succeeded by two sequels “Pattanapravesham” and “Akkare Akkare Akkare”. But it was Nadodikattu which gave life to the two characters and ensured a permanent place for them in the mind of the Malayalam film lovers.

Nadodikattu explored the trials and tribulations faced by two unemployed youths Ramdas and Vijayan and how fate finally reverses their fortunes through a series of humorous and bizarre incidents. The film has characters made memorable through actors like Thilakan (as Ananthan Nambiar) and Captain Raju (as the killer Pavanai). Though this film was a huge success, its sequels didn’t succeed commercially as much as the original. More than just highlighting the twist and turns in the life of two youths the film showcased the different shades of character in a Malayali living in Madras (now Chennai). The miserly business man Ananthan Nambiar, the taxi driver Balan (Innocent) struggling to meet his livelihood, the single woman living with her mother (Shobhana), the cunning politician (played by Janardhanan), the honest police officer are all testimony to this fact.

Of the two sequels, Pattanapravseham churned out better box office results compared to “Akkare..”. The reasons as to why the latter didn’t perform too well at the box office could be attributed to the following reasons:

• Released during the 2nd half of the golden era of Malayalam cinema (early 1990’s). Therefore was released during a period in which the quality of Malayalam films was so high that such films were hardly recognized.
• Removal of characters like Ananthan Nambiar and Gafoorka from the script, thus making the film devoid of some aspects critical to the success of its first two parts.
• Absence of the realistic factor by setting the story in a country like United States.

• The villain being an American instead of an Indian, thus limiting the comic situation with him, unlike the duels with the character “Prabhakaran” in Pattanapravesham.
  
• The very CID theme was made just to bring in the sequels, whereas, Nadodikattu was based on the difficulties faced by two unemployed graduates in managing their life. Therefore, the sympathy the viewers felt for the two characters in the first part was considerably reduced in the 2nd part and almost absent in the third part.
  
  
  So, that brings us to some interesting questions:
  
  · What story can we expect if Sreenivasan decides to pen the sequel?
  One has to take into consideration that both Mohanlal and Sreeni are in their 50’s.
  
  · Will we get any new characters like the ones played by Mukesh and Raju in the third part?
  · Will the setting of the story again be in a foreign country, with the current trend in all films being so? (In the Orkut community of Dasan and Vijayan one member suggested that the title of the film should be kept as “Ikkare Ikkare Ikkare”)

· Will a legendary comedian like Jagathy get a role in the film?

Many people have stated in various internet forums that a fourth part should not be made since it could spoil the “brand value” of the two characters. I am not sure whether that statement is true, since, the quality of average present day Malayalam films being the way we know it is, the film would do really well at the box-office if it at least matches up to the levels of “Akkare..” That would be the consensus, I suspect, even with Sreenivasan.

Comedy films need to have more of situation comedy rather than pure slap-stick comedy. Pattanapravesham was also a film which took a dig at politicians and even other detective films through a few dialogues. But it was very neatly done rather than scenes being introduced just for the sake of it. As to who was the target of the jokes in those scenes is anyone’s guess ;-).


I, personally, don’t prefer to see a fourth part. Lal and Sreeni would find it a real challenge to recreate the magic of the first two parts and I would rather see Sreeni script a story like ‘Kadha Parayumbol’, than a half-baked sequel of the CID series. What do all of you feel? Would love to hear your comments!

Before I wind up, I am leaving behind some memorable (and humorous) dialogues from the three films.

V – Vijayan
D- Dasan
AN- Ananthan Nambiar
I- Inspector
P - Pavanai
Pr – Prabhakaran (AN’s ‘partner in crime’ and friend)


Nadodikattu

V: Aishwaryathinte siren muzhangunnnathu pole ondu

V: Pre-Degree athrakku moshamaya degree alla



AN: A.N. Traders avihitha margathil onnum sambhadikunnilla
D : Sir..Saare..Nammal company-ile employees-a
AN : Thalkalam employees-inte roopathil ennu parayam
V : Bavathilum anagane thanneya saar


I: Arengilum Jamyam tharathe ningale release cheyyan pattilla
V: Saar thanne nammale Jamyathil irakkikude

P: I am Pavanai
V: Daasa..ithu etha ee alavalathi?

V: Sasi sir ippo evide kaanum
Seema: Sasiyettan ippo Bharaniyila
V: Bharaniyilo ! ?

AN: Angane pavanai shavamayi..enthokke bahulyamayirunnu..malappuram katthi, machine gun, olakkeda moodu..

Pattanapravesham

Pr: ee kallakadothokke kazhinjittu venam onnu guruvayoor vare pokan

D: Ivide dummy onnum ille.
I : saar..ithu oru kutthu kondulla kolayalle..mukalil ninnu veenathalla
D: Enthengilum akatte..Oru dummy enthayalaum venam

Guess all of you would have understood which politician and actor were made fun of :-)

AN: Prabahakara..Kallakadatthum kolapathakam okke engane pokunnu?

AN: Prabhakara..nee enganeyenkilum oru kalla passport oppichu tha..njan evideyengilum poyi samadhanamayi kallakadathu cheythu jeevicholam.

I: Sir..Kola cheytha alude shirt-ile button kittiyitundu..athoru thumballe
D: Thumbano thumbiyano ennu namakku pinne nokkam

V: nalla ugran biriyani..nalla vishappu
D: athu puthiya sambhavan allallo
V: Daasa..ippo nallapole kazhichillangil vayasu kalathu diabetes varumbo dukhikendi varum
D: Ingane kazhichal vaikathe dukhikendi varum


Pr: Kolapathakam cheythavare kandupidiccho?
D: Manyathayude mughammoodi aninjirikunna palarum ithil pinnilanennu namakku manasilayi sir..avare vaikathe akathakkum

It was really amusing to see a scared Karamana Janardhanan’s expression in this scene and the CID’s not realising that they were actually talking to the culprit.

Akkare Akkare Akkare

Mukesh..Da Gopi..ini gopi varachha mathi

American villains: Tell me the truth ..Aren’t u the CID’s from India?
Raju : No..I am gopi from Sasthamangalam

Drug Dealers: Give us the heroin
V : Hair oil-o?

D: Nammale Krishnan nair saar-a ivide ayachathu
Nedumudi: Aaah..athinte phalam-a ayal avide anubhavikkunathu
Soman is shown being beaten up by the villains.