45 years have passed. The world has changed. Kerala has changed. Seasons have changed. And, of course, Malayalam cinema has changed. Yet, amid all that, an old bloom still retains its unique, intoxicating fragrance — Manjil Virinja Pookkal.
Released in 1980 with no stars or fanfare, it was a film of young dreams. It, however, emerged as a milestone. In a way, a new-gen trendsetter of that era.
At the helm was a young postgraduate making his debut as a director: Fazil. The film also saw the launch of several fresh faces Mohanlal, Shankar (in lead role), Poornima Jayaram, Sibi Malayil (as assistant director). Even the evergreen music, top on playlists even after nearly five decades, came from a debutant — Jerry Amaldev. The only seasoned name involved was Navodaya Appachan, who produced the film.
The rest, as the cliche goes, is history.
“Manjil Virinja Pookkal stood out because of the freshness it brought not just in theme, but in treatment, recalls veteran film critic C S Venkiteswaran.
“At the time, subjects like love, adolescent longing, triangular relationships, and marital dynamics were being explored by directors like Bharathan, Padmarajan, and Mohan. However, this film felt fresh primarily because it came from a young team and the visual innovation they brought in.”
Venkiteswaran also notes how the female protagonist was portrayed with rare depth. “Usually, the focus in Malayalam cinema at that time was on male desires, male dilemmas, and the male gaze was there. But in this film, the inner world of the heroine, her emotional and psychological state, her desires was given equal importance,” he says.
For those who haven’t watched the film, here is a gist: the story revolves around three central characters with entirely different emotional orientations. Prem Krishnan (played by Shankar), a young construction engineer, arrives in Kodaikanal for work and meets Prabha (Poornima), the daughter of a bedridden factory owner.
As they grow close, Prem expresses his love, and Prabha slowly opens up to him. Just as their relationship deepens, a man named Narendran (Mohanlal) appears, revealing himself as Prabha’s abusive husband. The story then unravels a dark past leading to a gripping tale of love, trauma, and revenge.
“Mohanlal’s character was a macho, sadistic lover, while Shankar played the romantic idealist. The tension between these two contrasting masculine figures made the narrative more compelling. It was a great mix — love, family relations, and sexuality that was dealt with nuance. As I mentioned, the themes were not entirely new, but the perspective was,” says Venkiteswaran.
Film buff Girija Surendran, who was a teenager when Manjil Virinja Pookkal was released, recalls, “I was in the age when one first starts to feel what love is. The bond between Prem and Prabha hit me. It was haunting in a beautiful way.”
Film critic A Chandrasekhar remembers watching the film in Thiruvananthapuram. “The poster designed by P N Menon stood out in its caricature style,” he says. “It showed a jeep parked on a hilltop with its headlights on, a side profile of a woman, and a flower. The posters didn’t feature the actors initially. That happened in the second week, once the film began to take off.”
On the first day, he recalls, the theatre was nearly empty. “But within a week, word-of-mouth publicity drew more viewers. Meanwhile, the songs became an instant hit through radio. We had not heard that kind of Western orchestration in Malayalam music before. The film was expected to be pulled out within a week, but turned into a success story.”
Manjil Virinja Pookkal ran for over 150 days. “I remember the 50th or 100th day celebration being held in Thiruvananthapuram. Actors Madhu and Prem Nazir were the chief guests, and the cast too were present. Around that time, magazines began publishing articles about the film and the fresh faces, especially about Mohanlal asking, ‘Who is this new guy?’”
Chandrasekhar recalls that the hero eating candies and making dolls out of the wrappers became a trend in classrooms. “Some of Shankar’s mannerisms and even his muffler turned into a fashion statement,” he smiles.
The Manjil Virinja Pookkal experiment’s biggest outcome came when Narendran entered with the legendary line: “Good evening, Mrs Prabha Narendran.” It announced the arrival of a performer who would go on to become an icon of Malayalam cinema.
Now, decades have passed. Yet, Manjil Virinja Pookkal remains fragrant like a blood-red rose, whose frosty thorns may prick one’s heart.