KOCHI: “Vijaya, eda namukkentha ee budhi nerathe thonnathathu?”
The conversation between Dasan and Vijayan, played by Mohanlal and Sreenivasan in Nadodikkattu, remains popular and deeply relatable among Malayalee youngsters even after more than three decades. The line is so familiar to Malayalees that it invariably brings a smile.
Through characters like Dasan and Vijayan, Mohanlal and Sreenivasan became the faces of a generation grappling with unemployment, migration dreams, and middle-class aspirations. The duo redefined male friendship on screen — not as idealised camaraderie, but as something imperfect, marked by arguments, mistakes, and affection, much like real life. Their films made people laugh and think at the same time, which is why their bond continues to live on in the hearts of Malayali audiences.
Off-screen too, Mohanlal and Sreenivasan shared a strong camaraderie. In the late 1980s and 1990s, they appeared together in several Malayalam films as friends, colleagues, and even employer and employee. Dasan and Vijayan of the Nadodikkattu trilogy—Nadodikkattu (1987), Pattanapravesham (1988), and Akkare, Akkare, Akkare (1990) — made audiences laugh while holding up a mirror to society.
However, the actor-screenwriter was also a firm critic of Mohanlal, which eventually led to friction in their relationship. Earlier, while speaking to TNIE, Sreenivasan had said, “Mohanlal is a complete actor.” When asked about how the 2012 film Padmasree Bharat Dr Saroj Kumar affected their friendship, he replied, “Even otherwise, our relationship was not that great.”
Recently, at a private event organised by the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), the duo reunited on stage when Mohanlal presented Sreenivasan with an Ultimate Entertainer Award. Mohanlal embraced his old friend and kissed him, a moment that moved many in the audience.
Sreenivasan’s son, Dhyan Sreenivasan, later acknowledged that there were issues in their friendship and that the split occurred after Saroj Kumar. He also said the differences intensified following the death of Prem Nazir when Sreenivasan planned to make a film with Mohanlal.
Paying tribute to Sreenivasan, Mohanlal wrote on Facebook that he could not put their bond into words. “Sreeni returned without saying goodbye. I don’t know how to explain our bond. It was far beyond the definition of working together in films. On screen and in life, we travelled forever — laughing, having fun, quarrelling, and reconciling — just like Dasan and Vijayan,” he wrote.
The duo later appeared together again as friends in Chandralekha (1997), playing Appukuttan (Mohanlal) and Nooruddeen (Sreenivasan). “Every Malayali shared the same bond with Sreeni. Every Malayali saw their own face in the characters he created. He portrayed pain, joy, and deprivation with rare honesty. Who else could express the dreams and broken dreams of the middle class like Sreeni? The characters we played together will live forever because of the magic of his writing. Dasan and Vijayan became real people for Malayalees because of Sreeni’s blessed talent. His creations reflected society — a beloved soul who captured pain through laughter,” Mohanlal wrote, remembering Sreenivasan’s immense contribution to Malayalam cinema.
Together, the duo worked in more than 20 films, including Chitram (1988), Varavelpu (1989), Mukunthetta Sumitra Vilikkunnu (1988), Mithunam (1993), Kilichundan Mambazham (2003), and Udayananu Tharam (2005).