Love tragedies leave a great impact on audience than love comedies. When it comes to Malayalam cinema, many of the classic love stories of Malayalam cinema end in tragedy. Some of them are hits, and some of them are flops. Yet those love stories are mainly discussed for why the lovers didn’t meet at end.
Padmarajan, Bharathan and Sibi Malayil have done numerous tragic love stories. But when it comes to actor Mohanlal and list his love tragedies, most of those films were directed by Priyadarshan.
Priyadarshan – Mohanlal love tragedies
Priyadarshan owns a good percentage of tragic love stories, with Mohanlal playing lead.
Yes, you heard it right. Most of the Priyadarshan classics, which we love for Mohanlal’s performance, great story and comedy sequences, are actually love tragedies. In most cases, Mohanlal’s character dies, and in some cases, his heroine. All of these films belong to the good era of Malayalam cinema, with movies having repeat value.
Maybe it is a co-incidence. But when we look back at Malayalam cinema for the past 40 or 45 years, right from the beginning of 1980s, Priyadarshan-Mohanlal combo films should top everyone’s list. But interesting part is, all these films are fondly loved by Malayalis across different generations, and they never get old. All these films always find space in discussion forums of social platforms. Timeless classics indeed! In fact, a few of them played a magnificent role in boosting the careers of both Priyadarshan and Mohanlal.
List of top 10 love tragedies of Priyadarshan starring Mohanlal
Kalaapani (1996) – Hero dies young & the heroine never realizes, even at her old age
Let me begin the list with the best movie of Priyadarshan’s career. The epic historical drama with a fictional story connected to Indian independence movement, released across multiple languages failed to collect its expenses, but left a big impact among audience and critics.
In the film, Sethu (played by Mohanlal) was arrested by British soon after his marriage with Parvathi (played by Tabu), and their marriage never consummated. He is deported to a cellular jail at Port Blair, where he goes through a lot of sufferings. After a few days, Mohanlal is proven non-guilty and Tabu gets a message that he returns. She keeps waiting and years pass by. Though it’s revealed to audience that his character was killed in the prison itself, Tabu never knows the truth and she keeps waiting even after old age conquers her. Is Sitaramam inspired from this plot? Read lyrics & English meaning of Chempoove Poove Song from the movie.
Chithram (1988) – Hero is taken to prison for execution
This rom-com played a magnificent role in establishing the careers of both Mohanlal and Priyadarshan. The highest grosser of the year starring Mohanlal, Renjini and Lissy, the movie’s anticlimax is not easy to forget. In misunderstandings, Mohanlal’s character Vishnu kills his wife, the character played by Lissy, for which he was sentenced to death. He escapes from prison, starts a new life with Kalyani, played by Ranjini, but got finally caught by the Jail warden, played by Soman.
The movie had a Hindi remake (not directed by Priyadarshan) – Pyar Hua Chori Chori starring Mithun Chakraborty, Gautami and Shikha Swaroop, with a positive climax and the film was a hit. Also read: When Priyadarshan Met Sreenivasan: 10 Films That Became Malayalam Classics.
Vandanam (1989) – Lovers never meet at climax
Lovers never meet at climax & they part without saying goodbye. The final scenes of Vandanam were woven in such a way that it created so much tense among audience. Scenes were more tense than those bomb diffusion scenes of the stadium featuring Nedumudi Venu and others. Years have gone, but its climax still haunts Malayalis. Mohanlal’s character shouldn’t have thrown the key; otherwise, he should have found it before phone ring stops. The lovers should have seen each other at the traffic junction.
Honestly, how many times I thought, Gadha could have tried calling Unni once more. If so, Unni would have definitely picked the call. I feel, this sequence is illogical. Desperate lovers will always keep trying, but Gadha never made a second call. But when it comes to Unni, he was not given any other option by Priyan, except to wait for the call. People even discuss, if it’s the era of mobile phones, Gaadha and Unni would have definitely met. I believe, this could be the reason why Priyadarshan never remade this timeless comedy to Hindi.
Sometimes I think, he can remake it rewriting it as a flashback story of 1980s or 1990s, and even make lovers meet after decades through Facebook or any other platform. If so, some lead pair of 1990s, now in their 50s can play those roles, and their own children, now in the 20s play their younger versions. Isn’t it interesting?
It would have been an average film if the lovers meet at end. That’s what happened with Telugu remake of the same director – Nirnayam (1991), which was a box office hit too. But Malayalis can never get rid of Unni & Gaadha and their tragic love story, as long as Malayalam cinema exists. Many of its beautiful scenes come alive through shots. You can watch the contrasting endings of Vandanam and its Telugu remake here, if you are not aware of the fact that Priyadarshan himself made this film in another language, with a positive climax.
This rom-com is widely discussed even after 3.5 years of release only because of its climax. Irony is, this anti-climax was the only reason why this film flopped. The story was fresh with good music, film was fun throughout, made us laugh in almost every sequence, but the sudden twist at climax burned down all joy associated with it.
Still a question exists in every Malayali’s mind, just like the climax of the film, why Vandanam’s heroine Girija Shettar never returned to Malayalam cinema!
Thalavattam (1986) – Hero dies in the climax
This tragic film haunted me a lot during my childhood. Innocent kids can’t separate reality and fiction, and that’s what happened with me too. It’s not the case of me only, every 80s and 90s-kid have this dreadful situation seeing Mohanlal’s character helpless at climax and to see him die. It’s a mercy killing given by his own uncle, but as kids we couldn’t bear it. Thalavattam was my most favourite film of childhood and I have watched it so many times.
Just like the case of Vandanam (released three years later), film was fun throughout, made us laugh in almost every sequence and Mohanlal was in his high-octave form, but the sudden twist at climax burned down all joy associated with it. Maybe because Thalavattam and Chithram became hits because of the tragic climax, Priyadarshan assumed, ‘I will make a similar climax for Vandanam too. But the idea flopped. Chithram and Thalavattam has one more thing in common – Two failed love stories of the hero, where Mohanlal’s first lady loves dies. So – two love tragedies at the cost of one!
Thalavattam is a Malayali version of the film, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, an adaption of 1962 novel of the same name. Bollywood has already adapted that novel into a timeless classic, Khamoshi (1970) with Waheeda Rehman playing a nurse. In Thalavattam, Karthika plays a doctor. Priyadarshan remade the film into Hindi with slight changes. Kyon Ki (2005) starring Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor was a flop at box office. Also read: Hindi remakes of Malayalam hits.
Abhimanyu (1991) – Hero dies in the climax
This film is always in my favourite list, because of its making. It looks more like a Bollywood film than a Malayalam film, and most of its sequences were filmed in Mumbai too. This gangster drama with ‘Godfather’ vibes had Mohanlal playing the role of Harikrishnan, an immigrant in Mumbai who falls in love with a prostitute, the character played by Geetha.
He wants to leave Mumbai leaving behind his crime life, along with his lady love to start a new life. But due to misunderstandings, his best friend Mani (played by Jagadish) betrays Mohanlal’s character and reveals his whereabouts to Mumbai police. Police shots him down in the climax. I still wonder why Priyadarshan never remade this classic to Hindi.
Adhwaytham (1991) – Hero turns a saint and heroine dies in the climax
Comparing other Priyadarshan-Mohanlal combo films, Adhwaytham is a well-made serious film. The film begins with showing Mohanlal as Swami Amritananda and Revathy as Lakshmi IAS, who has been assigned the duty of Swami’s security. Through the flashbacks, it’s revealed, they were cousins and ex-lovers. So, their love died long back, and it completes with Revathy’s character’s death in the climax.
Minnaram (1994) – Heroine dies in the climax
Minnaram is not an original film. It’s an unofficial remake of Tamil old film, Penne Nee Vaazhga (1967), which has been remade in Telugu as Brahmachari (1968), in Hindi as Ek Nari Ek Brahmachari (1971) and in Malayalam as Brahmachari (1972). But the movie is not a pure remake, but only the central plot reused. Priyadarshan remade the film as Hungama 2 in Bollywood.
Minnaram’s climax is heart-breaking. Everything was going well, until Shobana’s terminal disease got revealed. While watching the film climax, every Malayali would have prayed – What if Mohanlal had reached with the medicine at the right time! Priyadarshan took inspiration from Bollywood classic, Do Badan, to write the climax of Minnaram it seems. Asha Parekh, who is terminally ill, keeps waiting for Manoj Kumar to reach. But he never reaches in time.
Aryan (1988) – Heroine dies in the climax
This action thriller drama film had an anti-climax, but the movie was a commercial hit. This gangster tale also had a love story shared between Devan & Nimmi, played by Mohanlal and Ramya Krishnan respectively. When Ramya’s character dies in the climax, Aryan has the fate of many other Priyadarshan – Mohanlal films, made in the second half of 1980s.
Cheppu (1987) – Hero dies in the climax
Cheppu is not a love story but a campus drama, based on the 1982 Canadian film ‘Class of 1984’. When Mohanlal’s character who played a professor in the movie dies in the climax, it became an unsuccessful love story too. Lizy played the female lead.
Poochakkoru Mookkuthi (1984) – The heroine never loves the hero
You might be surprised why I added this movie to the list, when we are talking about ant-climaxes. For Shankar & Menaka, it’s a happy ending. But what about Mohanlal’s character who was never wrong at all, never did fraud things (except stealing from his own home), yet ended as a loser!
Poochakkoru Mookkuthi was the debut movie of Priyadarshan as a director, who was scripting movies those days. At the time of Priyadarshan’s debut film, Shankar was a top star, and hence he got the lead hero role. But still, Priyadarshan gave a memorable role to Mohanlal, who was doing villain and character roles, side by side, those days. Definitely, Mohanlal proved his versatility in handling comedy through this film; one of his best works of first half of 1980s in a positive role. Who predicted back then, the duo is going to create history in Malayalam cinema, working together!
No need to mention – Though all these films have a tragic end, all of them are Priyadarshan’s timeless classics. Except Vandanam, all of them were box office hits too. Irony is, when love tragedies of Malayalam cinema are discussed, Vandanam’s name is taken first. That’s the kind of impact this flop film made in the heart of Malayalis, irrespective of generations. Except Vandanam and Poochakkoru Mookkuthi , Priyadarshan kills either hero or heroine, and leaves the other one suffering. Isn’t it sadistic (Just kidding). He never kills both!
Ninnistham Ennishtam – A special mention
In this 1986 film directed by Alleppey Ashraf, Mohanlal’s character dies in the film climax, and its painful climax still torments Malayalis. We often wonder, was such a climax really required? The movie included evergreen song, Ilam Manjin Kulirumayoru, with the second version filmed in the climax. Ninnistham Ennishtam – Mohanlal’s 100th film was an Indian adaption of Charlie Chaplin’s movie City Lights. I mentioned this movie in the list because it was scripted by Priyadarshan, though not directed by him.
Before I conclude, a few mentions
Love tragedies of Mohanlal with other directors:
The list will be incomplete if I don’t include some of the best Mohanlal movies which have a tragic love story, but directed by other directors, other than Priyadarshan. I exclude Aham and Kamaladalam in the list, as the hero losses his heroine somewhere at the interval. In this sense, Mohanlal’s Kireedam and Ulladakkam can also be mentioned here.
Padmarajan’s all-time classic – Thoovanathumbil ranks first. Pavithram, Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare, Pakshe, Sukhamo Devi, Unnikale Oru Kadha Parayam and January Oru Orma are a few fondly loved Mohanlal films which strike my memory now.
The most celebrated Malayalam films with failed love stories of lead actors
Njan Gandharvan – A Malayalam classic by Padmarajan
- Chemmeen (1965)
- Kaliyattam (1997)
- Premam (2015)
- Ennu Ninte Moideen (2015)
- Njan Gandharvan (1991)
- Kshanakath (1990)
- Ennennum Kannettante (1986)
- Oru Muthassi Katha (1988)
- Anugraheethan Antony (2021)
- Mayanadi (2017)
- Luca (2019)
- Annayum Rasoolum (2013)
- Ramanan (1967)
- Kismat (2016)
- Nidra (1981 and 2012)
Priyadarshan – Mohanlal films with positive ending love stories
As I don’t want to end this post in an unhappy note, I shall mention a few Priyadarshan – Mohanlal films with happy ending, where hero gets his heroine. Kilukkam, Mukunthetta Sumitra Vilikkunnu, Kilichundan Maampazham, Thenmavin Kombath and Chandralekha – all these films were box office hits, except Kilichundan Maampazham. But it’s a fondly loved film too.
While I conclude this post, I came to know that Mohanlal’s mother Santhakumari passes away at 90, after a long-term illness. Mother has been the greatest inspiration of the megastar and he regularly writes about her in his social media posts. Condolences.
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