For a dark skinned, diminutive man with a “kalla lakshanam”, #Sreenivasan has straddled the Malayalam cinema scene for over 50 years. While most people know him for his versatile comic skills, he is also a story writer and director. Over the years, most Malayalais have a favourite Sreenivsan moment or dialogue. For most non-resident Keralites, a Sreenivasan comedy scene is often the conversation starter. Yes his pairing with #Mohanlal led to many successes but Das’s charm was accentuated only by the bumbling Vijayan! Sreenivasan went on to script and direct some movies with himself as the lead and the power of storytelling is what made a huge difference. I was casually browsing some of his old movies and stopped short when i came across this rarity with him opposite action star #SureshGopi in an action comedy. The movie also stars that thespian of comic timing #JagathySreekumar.
ASHOK’s FIVE reviews the 1991 #GSVijayan film #AanavalMothiram; you can watch it on #YouTube. #Sreenivasan plays James, a demure and reticent police officer. He and his subordinate Nandakumar (#SureshGopi) team up investigating a drug cartel. A mix-up at the hospital leads to blood samples being interchanged and James is told that he has only months to live. This sets in motion, a comic caper where James is suddenly all adrenaline as he tries to go after the bad guys with daredevilry in the hope that he is killed. His family would then stand to make significant money off the insurance. In the process, James becomes an unlikely hero and the situation throws up some really funny moments.
Sreenivasan is in his elements as he maintains a poker faced demeanour all through much to the speculation of his colleagues. There is a side track of him and his estranged wife ; their son lives at a boarding school and spends his weekends with the father.
#AanavalMothiram is poorly made and is 30 minutes too long but it is the perfect recipe for Sreenivasan to demonstrate how he can make even the ordinary situation incredibly funny. Incidentally, the movie is based on an American movie released in 1990 called #ShortTime and has a very similar premise. Quite incredible how he made that clumsy, ham-handed body language such an amazing rage for Malayalam cinema in the nineties!
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