They created a comedy cult in Malayalam cinema in the early 90s. The foursome and their antics are still fresh in our memory. They created a laugh riot when they first hit theatres. As they get set to make a re-entry on the silver screen, expectations are skyrocketing like never before. As the most awaited film of the year To Harihar Nagar hit theatres on Wednesday, Lal, the director of the film, is excited about his independent debut.
“To Harihar Nagar is not like any other film. People expect a lot from it and they expect something better than the first part,” says Lal.
Lal, who has proved that he well knows the alchemy of making hit films, says he was not ready for an independent project until recently. “Film making demands total involvement. So I had kept procrastinating. But when I started working on it I knew it has to be something like In Harihar Nagar, a crowd-puller of all times.” But the director turned actor turned producer was not keen on directing the film himself. He approached some directors but nobody was ready to take the risk of making the second part of one of the most hilarious comic capers Malayalam cinema has ever seen. “I had the thread of the film long back and shared it with Sidhique. There is a gap of 18 years between the two films. That makes it all the more challenging.”
Have the famous four changed over the years to become perfect gentlemen? “No way! They are married but remain the masters of drollery.” Lal remembers a recent reunion he had with his schoolmates at an alumni meeting. “There were old friends who are now absolute professionals and family men based in the US and the UK. At first they were tight lipped with formal ‘hellos’ and ‘how do you dos’ but within an hour they were back to their original selves - the actual jokesters they used to be at school. Similarly, though their lifestyles have changed completely, the four heroes are the same as in the first part. Their basic instinct hasn’t changed at all.”
Mukesh (Mahadevan), Ashokan (Thomaskutty), Jagadeesh (Appukuttan) and Sidhique (Govindankutty) team up once again. This time they have a new heartthrob - Lakshmi Rai. “The heroine is a pop star and we wanted a girl with ultra modern looks. So we opted for Lakshmi,” Lal says. After a hiatus, Rohini is back in Mollywood as Mukesh’s engineer wife in the film. Lena plays the role of Sidhique’s wife and Jagadeesh is paired with Fabi. The film shows the four friends back in Harihar Nagar and what follows makes the plot of the film. Another highlight of the film is the remixed version of the songs from In Harihar Nagar. In the new version, you will find the old friends humming the super-hit song Unnam marannu thenni paranna ponnin kinakkalellam penned by Bichu Thirumala.
In addition to the ingredients to make it a commercial hit, To Harihar Nagar comes with the DI effect that amplifies the visual appeal of the film. “I have put all my effort into the making of this film. I am completely satisfied with what has come out. Though tense, I am optimistic and am hoping for the best,” says Lal.
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