The film was a fiction but based on real story. The story line was the bond between two friends, one who sacrificed his political life for family and the other who gave up family for politics. Nettoor Stephen, one of the lead characters played by Mohan Lal was inspired by my father T K Varghese Vaidyan, who was the first president of Kuttanad Karshakathozhilali Union, who later resigned from the party.
The other character, D K Antony played by Murali which was equally important as that of Nettooran, had shades of legendary Communist leader and minister in the first Kerala Cabinet T V Thomas. We had conceived it and made changes to suit the movie. Both of us (Venu Nagavally and I) sat for more than a year with the story. After I narrated the story we got materials for two films. Though it had an array of ‘punch’ dialogues, this one brought out the spirit of Nettooran. The dialogue was Nettooran’s reply to Minister Sethulakshmi who accuses him of misusing D K Antony’s name for developing the former’s business.
Though there was no such tit for tat in real life, this was one which I, as a son, wanted to tell. Though every one was aware that my father made his wealth after becoming a PWD contractor, there were allegations from some quarters against my father which he never bothered to reply. So out of all the dialogues in the film, this is the one that is close to my heart, which is a befitting reply to all his detractors.
Though my father was not alive to watch the movie, my mother liked it. Moreover, the audience, even after 25 years after its release on December 20, 1990, continues to like it.
— Cherian Kalpakavady,