The year 1991 was not just another one for Mollywood. Two all-time blockbusters, more than a dozen super hits, some milestone films and a few notable departures, all happened in that year.
August 15 that year had three big releases and one of it is still fresh in our minds, courtesy evergreen dialogues and the bizarre camaraderie between two friends, Nischal and Joji in a misty Ootty.
Kilukkam had everything to make the cash registers ring. Love, friendship, music, nonstop laughter and a suspense with a clever twist. The film, that can be treated as the example for the best onscreen
chemistry between two lead characters shattered all previous box office records.
However, the film had an unsuspecting rival, Godfather. The third film of Siddique-Lal duo, released in November, was making a history when it crossed 400 days at Thiruvananthapuram with its relatively small star cast.
Not a word on Poland
Sandesham, a film made by a director and a writer from two red bastions of the state ripped off the some of the political attitudes. Though it was not a megahit by the standards of that time, the film enjoys the status of the best political entertainers even with the new generation.
Group comedies
Four young men, one or two women, a box or a place with suspense. At least one third of the films made in the year had a similar story line and the same ingredients, thanks to the influence of In Harihar Nagar released an year ago. Though most of them sank without a trace some like Mimics Parade, a low-budget film with small stars on the life of mimicry artists, went on to become one of the top grossers.
Much before the Drisyam and Premam controversy, the super hit film by Fazil, ‘Ente Sooryaputhrikku’ made headlines when some college girls (they must be in their 40ies now) went for a trip.
Departure of the masters
The first quarter of the year had the departures of two masters P Padmarajan and G Aravindan. Similary, it is 25 years after the release of the last Malayalam film by veteran K S Sethumadhavan. The year also marks the silver jubilee of a classic film ‘Peruthachan’.