Star-struck amidst a new wave of Malayalam cinema

Towards the fag end of the first day of December last year, theatres across Kerala and metro cities outside the State witnessed long winding queues of Mohanlal fans. The Malayalam film industry was just beginning to recover from a lull, induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the release of ‘Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea’ , one of the costliest movies ever in the industry, was expected to give it a push. The crowd, mostly men, were all there for the special midnight show exclusively for the superstar’s fans.For all the midnight frenzy, which was preceded by days of never-before-seen marketing blitz, the next day was marked by mostly silence and stray expressions of disappointment from the die-hard fans; the film was much below their expectations. For the fans of Mammootty too, the recent years have been marked by much pre-release hype, like in the case of ‘ One’ last year, only to be followed by disappointment. In the past two decades, the number of films of either superstar, which have either garnered critical acclaim or have scored high in the box office pale in comparison to the number of duds.

The good old days

This record is much in contrast to the box office records in the 1980s and 90s for both stars, who began their careers and ascendancy in Malayalam cinema around the same time, filling the void left by Prem Nazir, Sathyan and Jayan. It was a time during which both used to star in 15 to 20 films each year (In 1986, one of the best years for Malayalam cinema, Mohanlal starred in 34 films and Mammootty in 35, many of which turned out to be super hits), essaying a wide variety of author-backed roles.Those were the pre-image conscious days for both of them.

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Mohanlal, for instance, was not reluctant to play Haridas in ‘Amritham Gamaya’, a doctor who is living with the guilt of having ragged and caused the death of a junior student in college, or in the case of Mammootty, there were films like ‘ Vidheyan’, in which he played an oppressive landlord. At the same time, they endeared themselves to the audience with characters almost everyone could identify with. Their state of joblessness, general disenchantment or even the justified anger which comes from helplessness appealed to the youth of that period. Writers and filmmakers including K.G. George, Padmarajan and Bharathan, who all trod the path of middle cinema, between mainstream and parallel cinema, used their talents for their characters who were flawed and not always confined to conventional moral codes.

Compare this to the characters they played in the past two decades, a majority of which were unidimensional roles which did not require much of an effort from these two brilliant actors, other than twirl their moustaches, deliver long-winded monologues which end with punchlines, bash up goons, and also show self-confident and vocal women their place. Ironically, this was also the time when their respective fan clubs really became visible in the State’s public sphere.

The price of mass fandom

Though both their fan clubs have existed informally for long, it was only in the late 1990s that the fans’ associations of both stars were officially registered, under the names Mammooty Fans and Welfare Association International (MFWAI), and All Kerala Mohanlal Fans Association (AKMFA), with the stars also becoming a part of their activities.It might be a coincidence, but the timing of the formalisation of these associations is notable. This was around the time when both of them began to play larger-than-life roles, wearing their hypermasculinity on their sleeves. Films like ‘ Aaram Thampuran’, ‘Ustad’, ‘Narasimham’, ‘Ravanaprabhu’ and many others were written for Mohanlal, while Mammootty had ‘ Valiyettan’, ‘Rakshasarajavu’ and others. The stars began to be seen as bigger than their movies, and scripts began to be written to project the star instead of the character. The aberrations to this norm were few and far between post-millennium, the first decade of which would be marked as one of the lowest points of Malayalam cinema.

Mammootty has acted in 109 films and Mohanlal in 95 films since 2001 to the present. Out of these, both have only around 10 to 15 films, which could be called either a commercial success or critically acclaimed, like ‘ Thanmathra’ or ‘ Pranchiyettan and the Saint’ .The number of such memorable films in the past two decades for both actors is much lower compared to the ones they both had in that single year in 1986, or some of the years following that. It is not a surprise that many of the films from those years are still the most preferred reruns for a large section of the Malayali audience. Although the presence of some great screenwriters during that period did contribute a lot to the kind of roles and movies both of them got in the late 1980s and early 90s, the lack of requirement to pander to the needs of the fans’ associations back then, seems to have informed their choices too.This is evident in how both these actors rarely have been part of any of the exciting ventures by the new crop of screenwriters and filmmakers in the industry post-2010, which is why their films are mostly absent from the list of talked about films in the current phase of pan-Indian popularity of Malayalam films. In the changed Malayalam cinema, the hero is not the first among equals, but one of the many characters of almost equal importance. The social setting of these movies has also transformed from the 1990s, a time noted for its feudal nostalgia, to a more immediate and contemporary space, where ordinariness and differences are celebrated.

In Fahadh Faazil’s ‘ Maheshinte Prathikaram’ (Mahesh’s Revenge), directed by Dileesh Pothan, the protagonist in his introductory scene rises up from a pond humming the theme song of Mohanlal’s ‘ Narasimham’ , reminding us of the bloody revenge films of the recent past that have attained a cult status. But Mahesh’s revenge, which is served to us wrapped in humour and empathy, is of a gentler kind. Or, take the case of Madhu C. Narayanan’s ‘ Kumbalangi Nights’ , where the macho Shammi, who could have been a hero in the 1990s, is the villain, while three flawed men, including one who bawls onscreen, are treated in a positive manner. The women in these films are also not ones who need the help of “strong” men, rather they stand up on their own and even put the macho men in their place. Shows of masculinity are lampooned in these much-celebrated films.

The rise of the OTT era

In the OTT space too, there are not many takers for the old kind of films. Although there are young sets of fans for both, another large section of the young generation of viewers are ripping apart, on social media, the films that still go by the old formulae. All these have probably made the superstars tone down their one-man shows, and even include passing lines about the need to respect women. But they have been —except in a few movies —unable to recapture the magic of their heydays. It would seem that there is something holding them back from letting themselves go, exploring uncharted territories as they once used to do.

Despite the rather disappointing record in recent years, every superstar movie release is an event preceded by frenetic activity for their fans’ associations, who are at other times involved in welfare activities and charity work. The district and State committees meet and chalk out the plans for the film promotion. In an infamous video of a fans association meeting which surfaced some years back, a star was seen telling fans that their duty is to watch and make a success of all of his films, be it good or bad.

There cannot be a better comment about the true nature of fans associations and their influence on the quality of the films of the respective stars.The fans put up giant flexes of the star well in advance, arrange percussionists to pep up the opening days, ensure the seats are all filled up for the opening show, throw confetti and paper bits, whistle, clap, dance and give their last bit to ensure that the film gets a grand opening. In the social media era, they have to go back home, post positive reviews in all possible platforms, counter negative reviews and even launch organised troll attacks on those posting negative reviews. At times, they also appeal emotionally to not judge harshly on the first day of a film, which is the sweat and blood of many.

Yet, all the efforts of the fans’ associations cannot paper over the fact that most of the recent films of the stars pale in comparison to the pre-association era. They would still identify with a T.P. Balagopalan MA or gurkha Ram Singh, or Balan Mash or Perumal, more than any of the perfect, larger-than-life characters both of them essayed in recent years. It remains to be seen whether their upcoming films like ‘Puzhu’ or ‘Bro Daddy’ would be etched similarly in the minds of the audiences.