Eight

We stopped telling stories about Mammooka. ‘Hitler’ was the first film made with Mammooka as the lead after Lal and I started directing. I said in the last issue that many of our first experiences in cinema happened through Mammooka. Hitler also has such a curiosity.

The movie ‘Hitler’ has been announced. Mammooka was still not told the story. At that time Mammooka was living in Madras. We went to Madras to tell the story. Mammooka talked about all world affairs. But don’t listen to the story.

By the time we start saying ‘Mammooka, Katha…’ the answer comes:

‘Ah, let’s hear that later.’

Storytelling didn’t just happen. Lal and I went back home. Meanwhile, there was a small problem between us and Siddique-Lal parted company. After that we again went to Madras. Saw Mammooka.

‘Mammooka we broke up.’

‘I knew that.’

Lal is the producer. I direct. That is the decision’ I said to Mammooka.

‘What is that! Let him produce. Isn’t it the first picture? I will act myself.’

That’s another first experience I mentioned. Mammooka is the hero of the film, which was produced by Lal for the first time and directed by me for the first time alone. Moreover, Mammooka did not even take an advance to act in this film. Lal was not in a great financial position at that time. Mammooka said to Lal:

Don’t borrow money for interest. Don’t give me any of my money now. Let’s decide in the end.’

Not only Mammooka, Mukesh also did not take any advance for that film. Mukesh didn’t even say how much money he wanted. Except for the girls who acted in it, everyone compromised well in terms of money. Hitler’s was a very enjoyable movie shoot. After each scene was shot, everyone would come and look at the monitor. There is a dialogue by Balachandran when Hitler enters the house of Madhavankutty, Balachandran played by Mukesh to call back the estranged sisters.

‘I have to. That’s enough beyond that step. Not beyond this. I have to get out.’

Everyone clapped after taking that scene. We are also very happy. But I noticed a look of displeasure on Mammooka’s face.

‘What’s up Mammooka?’ I went and asked.

‘That’s not right. This is not… this is not how it should be done,’ Mammooka said.

‘Well done Mammooka. Just look at the monitor.’

‘Don’t look at anything on the monitor. Let me know what I have done.’

‘But let’s have one more, Mammooka,’ I said.

Even while saying that, I only had in my mind that the scene that has just been shot is enough, let’s take one more for Mammooka’s peace of mind.

Mammooka said ‘two minutes’ and sat down.

After that he came ready for the shot. It’s not the same as the first time he acted. The eyes of those who saw it were filled. No one clapped. Everyone was stunned. I ran and said to Mammooka:

‘Mammooka, Kalaki.’

‘Isn’t that what I said that the first take was not correct.’

That is the sincerity of Mammooka. He understands a character and gets into it and becomes him. No one needs to be told if the performance isn’t right. Mammooka himself knows. Mammooka doesn’t need to be told how to act on set. He understood the character while listening to the story. He delivers in front of the camera above and beyond what we have made.

There are some emotional moments just before the climax. Everyone will believe that it was Madhavankutty who tried to kill Balachandran. But, the moment he realizes that it is not, the scene where the sisters-in-law come to apologize to Etan. There Madhavankutty tells the girls and Murawenn Gauri:

‘Why did you come? Deport Hitler? Or stoned to death? What did I do wrong for everyone to punish me like this? Loved you so much? Or, did he misunderstand that he is mine and raised everyone by hugging him? By the time he gets there, his voice is stuttering. Then

‘Madhavetta…’ is called by Vani Vishwanath.

‘Don’t be silent. Don’t even say my name with that tongue. You asked me why I looked after you and brought you up even though your mother died and your father left you. You asked me if I could not have been strangled that day. You are afraid. You’re scared to even see this eight, aren’t you? Didn’t you all want me dead for a moment?’

After that he looks at Gauri’s face and asks:

‘You didn’t even want to?’

He has not shown closeness or affection towards Gauri for so long. But that one question is how much Gauri is dear to him. The moment he asks her that, he is devastated. Throughout, Mammooka has maintained the contrast and balance of the character’s emotionality in each sequence. Anger towards his father when he sees him, but love that he is his father. Approach to Mukesh.

It seems that ‘Hitler’ is a Mammootty character that has been embraced by women after a long time. Hitler Madhavankutty was a character that made us feel like we had such an eight.

I have always been amazed by Mammooka’s ability to bring out some of the subtlest expressions of the characters. Mammooka was also the hero in the film I directed called ‘Bhaskar the Rascal’. Sanusha’s brother Sanoop played the role of Mammooka’s son in that film. Nowhere in the film is there any mention of Sanoop’s mother or the woman Mammooka was previously married to. In one scene, when father and son arrive in a car, Sanoop says about Nayanthara:

‘What love Shivani’s mother has. My mother will be like this, won’t she?’

There Mammooka is silent for a while. All his pain is in that silence. A little later:

‘Um…’ he mumbled.

I was lucky enough to direct three films with Mammooka. Hitler, the chronic bachelor, and Bhaskar the rascal. All these three movies were big hits.

Mammooka’s character in ‘Chronic Bachelor’ is called SP. Very innovative. The character has a unique hair style. Mammooka came to the set with that hair style on the day of shooting. I like it very much. But everyone around is tense.

‘This is going to make people cry in the theatre,’ many said.

Mammooka panicked. Meanwhile, some directors came to see Mammooka. They also called me and said:

‘Oh… is this Mammooka’s hair style? Tell me to change. This is going to be a mess, you hear?’

I also got tensed with that. I went to Mammooka:

‘Mammooka, I really like the hair style. But everyone says to change.’

‘Did you like it?’ Mammooka asked me.

‘Yes. There is a good difference in the look.’

‘But I took whatever risk it took.’

That is his confidence. A similar experience has happened in ‘Hitler’. Mammooka was told to comb her hair back. In that movie Mammooka wears Edi Vettu colored shirts. Pulli is shocked at that. I was asked:

‘What color are these?’

‘This is what makes Mammooka different. If the picture is clicked, these shirts will also become a hit.’

‘It’s good if it hits.’

Getting ready for the first day of shooting. As usual, the hair is combed at an angle. Seeing that, Lal said to me:

‘Eto, tell me to comb my hair back.’

I said it before. But Mammooka has kept her regular style by saying that her forehead should not be shown too much. After that Lal also went and said. Mammooka looked at Lal and said:

‘Aren’t you the producer of this? You just have to look at the production.’

Lal was very upset. He stood aside without saying anything. Mammooka started rehearsals. Then it was time to go take.

I said ‘take’.

‘One minute. Did George come here?’ Mammooka called George. He took the comb from George’s hand and combed his hair back. Then he looked at Lal’s face and asked:

‘Aren’t you happy?’

Lal also laughed.

‘Okay, take it.’ This is Mammooka.

Mammooka is a regular in ‘Hitler’. Lal wanted to change it to pants. Because Lal is the producer. If it’s Pants, it’s easy to sell the film to other languages. But I couldn’t imagine my Madhavankutty in pants. He is a farmer from the village. When Lal went and told the matter, Mammooka’s reply was funny:

‘Don’t go to Tamil and catch something else.’

As you can see in ‘Hitler’, Mammooka uses his left hand in all the stunt scenes. It is his own suggestion. I enjoyed it too.

‘The audience will not understand that. But they will feel that there is a difference,’ said Mammooka.

Mammooka will gain strength in some matters. It’s because he feels the character needs it. Three more films of mine to add to Mammooka’s many great roles. That’s definitely my luck.