THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: More than three-and-a-half decades on, Malayalis the world over continue to be charmed by a petty trickster who was quick to make every viewer ‘Gafoor ka dost!’ Armed with a Kozhikodan slang that was topped by a charmingly toothy smile, this unassuming actor from Malabar kept enchanting viewers, irrespective of whom he shared screen space with.
On Wednesday, the 76-year-old bid adieu, leaving Malayalam movie screens a shade duller.
Over the years, Mamukkoya came to symbolise the entire gamut of Kozhikodan culture, playing a host of fringe characters. An ordinary man in the midst of extraordinary people, as he himself once stated, is what made him stand out.
There is probably no other actor in Malayalam who, despite featuring in more than 450 movies, rarely played the protagonist. Yet each character that he portrayed left a lasting impression on the viewer’s mind. Known for his quick wit and trademark Malabar dialect, he was a man of deep convictions, someone who nurtured a genuine love for theatre and literature. The actor made his entry into the silver screen in 1979 through Anyarude Bhoomi, after a long spell in theatre.
In a cinema career spanning over four decades, Mamukkoya breathed life into more than 450 characters, mostly comic or character roles, and occasionally the protagonist in movies like Korappan the Great. He was last seen in Sulekha Manzil which hit the screens just last week.
He nurtured a special affection for the stage. “In its original sense, at times, life, per se, appears more dramatic than theatre. Theatre, more or less, encompasses an art form that thrives in times of impoverishment,” was how Mamukkoya once chose to encapsulate his theatre life.
He was not one to shy away from expressing his socio-political views publicly. His harsh critique of political hartals, advocacy of the cause of endosulfan victims and open rebuke of the mullahs who sought an inexplicable ban on blaring of music bear witness to his firm convictions. He was highly criticial of political killings, too. Malayalis have turned into ‘horrible Malayalis’ was how he once assessed the murderous transformation of Kerala’s socio-political sphere.
A native of Kallayi, his love for literature saw him maintain close ties with a slew of writers right from the Beypore Sulthan to Thikkodiyan, Uroob and MT.
Even his minor roles left lasting impression
To a great extent, Malayali viewers are indebted to filmmaker Sathyan Anthikad for simple-yet-meaningful portrayals of everyday life, wherein he introduced a set of seemingly innocuous characters who were actually integral to setting the tone of a neighbourhood, mostly rural, thereby carving out a fitting backdrop for the evolution of the storyline.
Holding the Malayali audience enthralled in the 80s and 90s were an array of supporting roles played by a set of exceptional actors like Mamukkoya, Sankaraadi, Kuthiravattom Pappu, Nedumudi Venu, Innocent, Jagathy, Sukumari, KPAC Lalitha, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Kalpana. They brought to life a rich range of characters who effortlessly took the story forward, while simultaneously enriching the life-force of the storyline.
The relatively minor roles that Mamukkoya portrayed, hovering on the fringes of a storyline, always left an indelible impression on the audience, be it Koya, the Arabic master in ‘Doore Doore Oru Koodu Koottam’, P C Peruvannapuram in ‘Peruvannapurathe Visheshangal’, Hamsakoya in ‘Ramji Rao Speaking’, Velayudhankutty in ‘Dr Pasupathy’, Beeraan in ‘Chandralekha’, Jamaal in ‘His Highness Abdulla’ or Cheriya Raman Nair in ‘Nagarangalil Chennu Raparkam’.
Numerous are the occasions where the actor mesmerised Malayalis with his ineluctable screen presence, with mere delivery of seemingly off-the-cuff remarks or gestures, thereby making characters like Keeleri Achu in ‘Kankettu’ or Gafoor in Nadodikkattu, cult figures in Malayali cinedom. Little wonder that even after 35 years, ‘Gafoor ka Dost’ continues to tickle our ribs with his thuggish dialogues on social media even now. A quick-witted person, Mamukkoya had perfected the art of mouthing socially relevant dialogues, delivered in an almost deviously simplistic fashion.
Adieu, Gafoor!