LAUGHTER UNLIMITED!. Review on Five Best Malayalam Comedy Movies

Comedy is one genre in which Malayalam cinema is extremely rich. The comedy films in Malayalam range from mass-slapsticks to thought provoking satires. Priyadarshan is one who changed the concept of comedy in Malayalam cinema.

His earlier works were inspired by Hrishikesh Mukherji’s Hindi films and sometimes he directly lifted plots. (Odarutammaava aalariyaam and Chashm-E-Baddoor).  But he delivered amazing comedies like Poochakkoru Mookkutti, Boeing Boeing, Hello My Dear wrong Number and the slapstick feast “Mazhapeyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu” . KG George attempted  one named “Panchavadippaalam” which stands out as  an excellent satire on politics . Anyway, here is my list of the most popular comedies .

1. Ramji Rao Speaking ! *

If you are a Keralite…sorry no need to say about the movie. It is that famous! If you are a North Indian, then I just say that it is the original of Hera Pheri.  Neeraj Vora cleverly translated all those witty one-liners and puns into Hindi. If you know both the languages, it is really exciting to compare both. Stunning translation! The film is remade in Tamil by Fazil with some minor changes (Arangetra Velai).

For those wh haven’t watched any of these….. it is the story of Mannar Mathai( actor: Innocent) –a bankrupt drama agent and his two  job hunting paying guests Balakrishnan(Saikumar) and Gopalakrishnan (Mukesh). One day they get a wrong telephone call from a gangster Ramji Rao (Vijayaraghavan)  . It changes their lives forever!

Story, Direction: Siddiq –Lal

Costars: Rekha, Mamukkoya, Sukumari , Shankaradi etc

This film had a sequel named “Mannar Mathai Speaking” which is also a laugh riot.*

1. Nadodikkatt (The Wandering Wind)*

Two young men Ramdas (Mohanlal) and Vijayan(Sreenivasan), get thrown out of their job  (due to their own over smartness!) –And then cheated by a fraud Gafoor (Mamukkoya) they reach Madras instead of Dubai! The poor job hunters get mistaken as detectives by the notorious underworld group lead by Anantan Nambiar (Thilakan). Now the ''Shikari Shambu'' kind of things happen and finally they kill the notorious “Killer Pavnoy” (Captain Raju) and get Anantan Nambiar arrested. They get reward and a job offer from the Police Department!

The performances of Mohan Lal, Sreenivasan, Innocent , Thilakan and Mamukkoya were simply excellent. This film had two sequels named “Pattana Pravesham” (The City Entry) and “Akkare Akkare Akkare” (Far away overseas).                                  After becoming famous, both Ram and Vijayan are assigned to their new job to solve a murder mystery, in Kerala- their homeland. This is the synopsis of Pattana Pravesham. In the third, both successful policemen are sent to USA to bring back a stolen crown of the museum.

Writer: Sreenivasan. Directors:  Satyan Anthikkad and Priyadarshan

3. Praadesika Vaarttakal (The local news)

Director: Kamal

The movie is set in a lush green remote village in Kerala. The story starts dramatically. The whole village is chasing two thieves who tried to steal the golden cross of the village church and the Bhagavati’s idol of the Temple. The thieves take a plunge in to the river and disappear. They are Krishnan (Janarddanan) and Kochappy (Paul). Now after the titles are shown, the story restarts at a time after twelve years. It is the ''Onam''festival season! Then , one (and only) movie hall in the village is going to reopen. The new proprietor is Kesavanunni (Jayaram), the son of retired police constable Kunjambu Nair (Innocent). Kesavanunni is assisted in all his adventures by Thankachan (Jagati), a tody shop owner! The first show of the movie hall is “Kumarasambhavam” , a devotional film. But they get the wrong print…..an adult movie!!!!! Now begins the laugh riot. The film has real humour. All the characters are funny. The operator Jabbaar (Mamukkoya) , The oracle of the temple (Pappu) , the priest (Oduvil Unnikrishnan) , Kesavanunni’s lover girl(Parvati), the politicians  Viswambharan and AchanKunju (Mala Aravindan and Vijayaraghavan) etc. In the middle of the movie there come the two old thieves .They establish themselves as the new leaders through the two politicians. They grabs the movie hall from Kesavanunni.Both came back to take revenge on the villagers. by triggering a communal clash.But through a funny plan designed by Kesavanunni, Thankachan, the pastor and the oracle solves the whole problem and the real identity of the thieves gets revealed. One of the must see climaxes! The whole film is like a funny folk tale.

Here is a dialogue (translated):

Policeman to Innocent (after he calls him “monkey”): “You never ever call a police man monkey…do you understand?”

Innocent: “Okay….I won’t. But one doubt…may I call any monkey as ‘policeman’?

Policeman: “that you do if you wish, don’t waste my time”

Innocent: “then…may I go home… my dear Policeman?”

4.Kilukkam (Jingle)

Director : Priyadarshan

Joji(Mohan Lal)  is a poor tourist guide in the hill-station. He lives with his friend, the photographer Nischal (Jagati Sreekumar). One day he meets a rich girl (Revati) and he dreams to fly to Singapore with her. But after some time he realizes that she is mad. She becomes the big headache for both. Later they see on newspaper that there is a reward for those who finds her. Things go crazy after this! It is absolute fun an rib tickling comedy. The film is remade in Hindi as “Muskurahat”.

5.In ‘Harihar Nagar’

Written &Directed by Siddiq-Lal

This story is set in an urban colony where four jobless boys are freaking out. One day a beautiful girl and her family come to their neighborhood. Clearly, the chaps want to get close to her. They try many things… it is hilarious to watch. Especially when they frighten the grandmother of the girl or the tricks they play at the library. The girl is actually trying to solve the mystery behind the murder of her brother who once lived in the city. The film is a witty action comedy.

Cast: Mukesh , Jagadish, Siddiq , Asokan, Geeta Vijayan, Kaviyur Ponnamma, Sai Kumar , Suresh Gopi and Riza Baava.

6. Poochakkoru Mookkutti

Director : Priyadarshan

The film is so popular that it has made a history in number of remakes. It was originally made in Malayalam in the early 1980s. Then it was remade in Telugu and Tamil. Then the director remade it in Hindi recently (Hungama). Unknowingly, the Telugu film makers remade it from there. Now I read in a web site that its Kannada remake is released !  The story is very complex. There are a large number of characters who has equally important roles. It is amazing to see the director handling them without failing in the coherence of the script. The whole concept is based on mistaken identities.

There are many other good comedies. I let other writers to write about them!

Here is one more dialogue from a film(''Puli Varunney Puli''):

The Panchayat President (Bharat Gopi) inaugurates “the convention of atheists”:

“This atheist convention will be a great success …I promise... and I will pray for that!”