KOCHI: Just like the frames unfold in a film ‘reel’, the ‘real cinema too is changing. With the advent of digital cinema, the Gen-X crowd has a new outlook towards heroism.
However, they should remember there was a time when ‘superstars’ were created in Malayalam cinema by filmmakers who knew the audience pulse. And while they may no longer be active in flimmaking, they are admired by many as people who knew the ‘craft’.
Director-producer Thampi Kannanthanam, who passed away on Tuesday, was one such person. He will be remembered as the man who gave Malayalam cinema its ultimate star — Mohanlal.
“He was the first person to call me Rajavinte Makan. He was the first person who taught the basics of acting to my son Pranav, in front of the camera,,” Mohanlal recalled.
An assistant to hitmaker Sasikumar, Thampi forayed into Mollywood as an independent director through Thavalam (1983). However, it was the superhit movie Rajavinte Makan (1986) which imprinted his name in the list of hitmakers of Malayalam cinema.
The hit trio — Mohanlal-Thampi-Dennis Joseph — tasted hat-trick success through Rajavinte Makan, Vazhiyorakazhchakal (1987) and Bhoomiyile Rajakkanmar (1987). Rajavinte Makan and Vazhiyorakazhchakal were produced by Thampi’s home production Julia Pictures. After Bhoomiyile Rajakkanmar, which he directed for Jubilee, Thampi produced all the movies he directed.
The failure of Janmandharam (1988) with Balachandra Menon in the lead role and Puthiya Karukkal (1989) which followed Bhoomiyile Rajakkanmar, to perform prompted Thampi to reunite with his favourite actor Mohanlal.
The hit trio came up with the Onam release Indrajaalam (1990). Though it faced tough competition from Mohanlal’s Arhatha and Mamootty’s Iyyer the Great and Oliyampukal, Indrajaalam emerged as the winner of the season.
After another low budget outing Thudarkkatha (1991), Thampi produced Kadalorakkattu (1992), directed by C P Jomon with Suresh Gopi in the lead. The same year, he produced and directed the Mohanlal-starrer Naadody. Though released against Mohanlal’s Vietnam Colony, Naadody became a success, such was the trust the audience had on the hit duo of Thampi and Mohanlal.
In 1994, Suresh Gopi became a superstar in Malayalam and Thampi produced and directed the movie Chukkan. The movie which rode on Suresh Gopi’s new stardom was also a notable success. He came back with another Mohanlal movie Manthrikam (1995). Another Onam release, the movie emerged as the top grosser of the season.
In 1999, Thampi teamed up with Mammootty, as producer of the latter’s Thachiledathu Chundan. The movie came as a breather to Mammootty who was going through one of the rough patches if his career after the box office failures of Godman, Stalin Sivadas and Ezhupunna Tharakan.
Thampi’s last outing with Mohanlal was in Onnaman (2001), in which Paranav Mohanlal was launched as a child artist. The movie did not get noticed though. Thampi’s last Malayalam movie was Freedom (2004) with the late actor Jishnu in a major role.
Thampi had plans to make a sequel to Rajavinte Makan and had launched preliminary works in 2009.
However, it did not materialise. But whether the sequel is made or not, Vincent Gomes, the underworld don, and the star was shot to superstardom for his portrayal of the character still rule the box office. So, as long as Mollywood talks about superstar Mohanlal, Thampi Kannanthanam will be remembered as the man who created the superstar.