Ratheesh KrishnaVadhyar (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} ratheesh) wrote,@ 2007-09-23 20:43:00 |
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Mukesh Kathakal
Following the immense success of Ramjirao Speaking (1989) and In Harihar Nagar (1990) (which Priyadarsan remade in Hindi as Hera Pheri and Dhol respectively), numerous films were made in Malayalam during the first half of the 1990s, which had a group of jobless youngsters as the main characters. These films often had a humorous first half narrating various incidents from the day-to-day life of these characters. There would be some twist or incident in the second half that would mark a turning point in the story, and the rest of the film would turn a bit "serious", with a series of dramatic happenings. Several films were made in this "formula", but I think most of them were not successful. When I look back at those films after 15 years, I feel that they were far more better than Today's successful comedy films. Even though they were formulaic, they were essentially harmless films with some good humor and an innocent charm in them.
Mukesh, Jagadeesh, Siddique, Ashokan, Sainuddeen and Raju often played the characters of youngsters in these films. Even though Mukesh had played main roles in many hilarious and popular films made by Priyadarsan earlier, I think these formula films of 1990s were the ones that created a "permanent image" for him. Films like Cheppu Kilukkana Changathi, Anantha Vruthantham, Kauthuka Varthakal, Thooval Sparsham, Cheppadi Vidya and many others fall into this category, and I remember they had several funny scenes in them.
When I started reading the book Mukesh Kathakal - Jeevithathile Nerum Narmavum, I wasn’t really expecting much more than a few readable memoirs from the film star. But after reading the first few stories in this book, my prejudice quickly vanished and I couldn’t put down the book until finishing it. It made me feel very sad that the book was so short. Through these stories, Mukesh remembers his days as a student at SN College, Kollam, and a few incidents during his acting career too. There are three things that make this book a memorable work in Malayalam literature. First of all, it is the honesty and sincerity with which Mukesh narrates his stories, in many of which he appears not much different from the poovalan characters that he has played in his films. He doesn't worry much about creating a "good image" for himself through these memoirs; He is humble, and there is not even a shade of hypocrisy in his humbleness. He writes about many of his adventures during college life and humorous incidents involving his friends; Many a time he writes about how he felt jealous of his friends and acted selfishly (in "matters of girls", in most of the cases). He writes everything openly, but there is no effort to make it look like a confession or to glorify the openness itself. The second thing is the myriad of characters and incidents we read in these stories, which are several times more funnier than the films Mukesh has ever acted. And last but not least, it is Mukesh's humorous language and narration style that makes this an unputdownable book. VK Sreeraman mentions in the book cover that Mukesh's narration style is reminiscent of that of Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer. I think there is no exaggeration in this statement, and I particularly remembered Basheer's Thara Specials while reading Mukesh's writings.
Communist leader MA Baby (who is now serving as Minister of General Education at Kerala state) writes that this book made him yearn for resuming his studies, which he had to discontinue during the times of Internal Emergency of 1975-77. I think any Malayalee reading Mukesh Kathakal would try to recollect his own college days, and would also wish to have spent a few days in the "fun gang" of Mukesh Babu and his friends at SN College in the late 1970s, being part of their various harmless adventures and practical jokes.
Following the immense success of Ramjirao Speaking (1989) and In Harihar Nagar (1990) (which Priyadarsan remade in Hindi as Hera Pheri and Dhol respectively), numerous films were made in Malayalam during the first half of the 1990s, which had a group of jobless youngsters as the main characters. These films often had a humorous first half narrating various incidents from the day-to-day life of these characters. There would be some twist or incident in the second half that would mark a turning point in the story, and the rest of the film would turn a bit "serious", with a series of dramatic happenings. Several films were made in this "formula", but I think most of them were not successful. When I look back at those films after 15 years, I feel that they were far more better than Today's successful comedy films. Even though they were formulaic, they were essentially harmless films with some good humor and an innocent charm in them.
Mukesh, Jagadeesh, Siddique, Ashokan, Sainuddeen and Raju often played the characters of youngsters in these films. Even though Mukesh had played main roles in many hilarious and popular films made by Priyadarsan earlier, I think these formula films of 1990s were the ones that created a "permanent image" for him. Films like Cheppu Kilukkana Changathi, Anantha Vruthantham, Kauthuka Varthakal, Thooval Sparsham, Cheppadi Vidya and many others fall into this category, and I remember they had several funny scenes in them.
When I started reading the book Mukesh Kathakal - Jeevithathile Nerum Narmavum, I wasn’t really expecting much more than a few readable memoirs from the film star. But after reading the first few stories in this book, my prejudice quickly vanished and I couldn’t put down the book until finishing it. It made me feel very sad that the book was so short. Through these stories, Mukesh remembers his days as a student at SN College, Kollam, and a few incidents during his acting career too. There are three things that make this book a memorable work in Malayalam literature. First of all, it is the honesty and sincerity with which Mukesh narrates his stories, in many of which he appears not much different from the poovalan characters that he has played in his films. He doesn't worry much about creating a "good image" for himself through these memoirs; He is humble, and there is not even a shade of hypocrisy in his humbleness. He writes about many of his adventures during college life and humorous incidents involving his friends; Many a time he writes about how he felt jealous of his friends and acted selfishly (in "matters of girls", in most of the cases). He writes everything openly, but there is no effort to make it look like a confession or to glorify the openness itself. The second thing is the myriad of characters and incidents we read in these stories, which are several times more funnier than the films Mukesh has ever acted. And last but not least, it is Mukesh's humorous language and narration style that makes this an unputdownable book. VK Sreeraman mentions in the book cover that Mukesh's narration style is reminiscent of that of Vaikkom Muhammad Basheer. I think there is no exaggeration in this statement, and I particularly remembered Basheer's Thara Specials while reading Mukesh's writings.
Communist leader MA Baby (who is now serving as Minister of General Education at Kerala state) writes that this book made him yearn for resuming his studies, which he had to discontinue during the times of Internal Emergency of 1975-77. I think any Malayalee reading Mukesh Kathakal would try to recollect his own college days, and would also wish to have spent a few days in the "fun gang" of Mukesh Babu and his friends at SN College in the late 1970s, being part of their various harmless adventures and practical jokes.
