Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu (transl. It is raining and Maddalam is playing) is a 1986 Indian Malayalam-language comedy film directed by Priyadarshan and written by Sreenivasan from a story by Jagadish. It stars an ensemble cast led by Mohanlal, Mukesh, Sreenivasan, Jagathi Sreekumar, Maniyanpilla Raju, Kuthiravattam Pappu, and Lissy. Mammootty appears in a brief cameo role. The film was one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of the year. It is now considered one of the best comedy films in Malayalam cinema.[1][2][3] The film was remade in Telugu as Saradaga Kasepu (2010) and in Tamil as Manandhal Mahadevan (1989).
| Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Directed by | Priyadarshan |
| Screenplay by | Sreenivasan |
| Story by | Jagadish |
| Produced by | Edappazhanji Velappan |
| Starring | Mohanlal Mukesh Lissy Sreenivasan Jagathi Sreekumar Kuthiravattam Pappu Maniyanpilla Raju |
| Cinematography | S. Kumar |
| Edited by | N. Gopalakrishnan |
| Music by | K. J. Joy |
Production company | Chithradesham Productions |
| Distributed by | Saj Movies |
Release date |
|
Running time | 129 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
Plot
editMadhavan (Sreenivasan) is back in Kerala after completing his business studies in the United States and now addresses himself as M. A Dhavan. His schoolmate, Shambhu (Mohanlal), works as a chauffeur at his house, and the now vain and snobbish Madhavan treats him with disdain. Madhavan's parents want him to marry Shobha(Lissy) , the only daughter of Sardar Krishna Kurup (Jagathy Sreekumar), a wealthy and aristocratic businessman. Madhavan, who wants to observe his fiancée from a distance, decides to go to her house disguised as the driver and makes his driver act as Madhavan.
Just minutes after they set out from their house, his parents telephone Krishna Kurup about their son's scheme. Various mishaps on the way end up with Madhavan discarding his plan and deciding to visit as himself. Unaware of the change in plan, Sardar Krishna Kurup and his wife Thanakm (Lalithasree) have the driver Shambhu mistaken for the prospective groom and Madhavan as the driver. The prospective in-laws dote over Shambhu, ignoring Madhavan, who is unaware of the impression that Kurup and his wife are under. The situation gets tougher for Madhavan due to his innate eccentric behavior towards the Kurup family.
In the meantime, Shobha, who also mistakes Shambhu for the fiancé, falls in love with him. At the same time, Sardar Koma Kurup (Kuthiravattam Pappu), cousin to Sardar Krishna Kurup, has been in constant fight with Krishna Kurup for many years. Both are trying to capture the power at the Nethaji Club, a reputed social club, for personal reasons. Damodaran, a.k.a. Damu (Maniyanpilla Raju), impersonates a lawyer, enters Koma Kurup's house, and wins his trust. The real intention of Damu is to kill Koma Kurup with the help of a doctor, making it look like an accident, and marry his daughter, Aruna (Priya), so that he could grab the whole property. But one after another, Damu's attempts to kill Koma Kurup fail, with each time Damu getting himself nearly killed in the process. Shivan (Mukesh), a friend to both Damu and Shambhu, arrives at Koma Kurup's house, under the guise of Damu's imaginary brother who is a heart patient. He instantly succeeds in winning the heart of Aruna, destroying Damu's plans.
Thus the two love stories, one between Shambhu and Shobha and the other between Shivan and Aruna, bloom side by side. This chain of events pits Shambhu and Shivan against Madhavan and Damu, respectively. Unable to bear Shambhu's progress, Madhavan hires Kadathanatt Pappan Gurukkal (Cochin Haneefa) a known goon to beat up Shambhu, but instead, the goons themselves get beaten up by the adept Shambhu. This incident makes Shambhu go all out against Madhavan and force Krishna Kurup to conduct the marriage within three days. But, everything turns more messy as the parents of Madhavan make a surprise visit to Sardar Krishna Kurup's house. They find the foul play of Shambhu, and Krishna Kurup, who realizes the mistake decides to get his daughter married to Madhavan.
Shobha, who is in love with Shambhu, is adamant that she will not marry Madhavan. The marriage venue and date are fixed. At the same time, Sardar Koma Kurup also finds out that his daughter is in love with Shivan, who is rather an adamant sickly fellow, falls for Damu's words and drives Shivan out. At the marriage venue, both Shambhu and Shivan are denied entry. They call up the police by informing there is gold hidden by Krishna Kurup at the marriage hall. The Police enter the venue and then a long fight packed with several comic incidents occur. In the end, with the help of the police inspector, Shambhu marries Shobha and Shivan marries Aruna. Everything ends well and both couples start their married life with the blessings of all others, including the then dejected Madhavan and Damu.
Cast
edit- Mohanlal as Shambu[4]
- Mukesh as Shivan[4]
- Sreenivasan as Madhavan / M A Dhavan[1]
- Maniyanpilla Raju as Damu[4]
- Jagathy Sreekumar as Sardar Krishna Kurup[4]
- Kuthiravattam Pappu as Sardar Koma Kuruppu[5]
- Lissy as Shobha[4]
- Lalithasree as Thankam
- Priya as Aruna
- C. I. Paul as KT Nair[4]
- Sukumari as Devaki[4]
- Bahadoor as Jagannathan, Damu's uncle
- Poojappura Ravi as Chandrappan, a doctor
- Cochin Haneefa as Kadathanattu Pappan Gurukal[4]
- Jagadish in a cameo appearance as a sub-inspector of police[1]
- Mammootty as a comic guest who came for attending wedding[6]
Production
editSoundtrack
editThe music was composed by K. J. Joy and the lyrics were written by Panthalam Sudhakaran.
| No. | Song | Singers | Length (m:ss) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Dhanumaasakkulirala" | P. Jayachandran, K. S. Chithra, Chorus | |
| 2 | "Thumbi Manchaleri Vaa" | M. G. Sreekumar, Lathika |
Reception
editUpon release, this film was a huge hit at the box office.[4] It is a senseless comedy flick without a strong plot or any emotional scenes. It is usually categorized as one of the best comedy films to have ever made in Malayalam cinema. The repeated telecasts on TV channels have made it a cult film.
References
edit- ^ a b c Kurup, Aradhya (18 November 2017). "Want 'nariyal ka pani'? Films that define the Malayali brand of humour". The News Minute. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
- ^ Menon, Anindita (17 September 2017). "Throwback to the 80s: Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu". Fullpicture.in. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
- ^ Menon, Neelima (20 April 2019). "The Evolution Of Comedy In Malayalam Cinema: The Beginning, Adoor Bhasi And The Priyadarshan Years". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Rajan, Silpa (1 April 2022). "#FilmyFriday! Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu: The American Prince switch gone wrong". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ "20 years to the memory of Kuthiravattam Pappu; 10 characters of Pappu who made the Malayalees laugh". Dool News (in Malayalam). 25 February 2020. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
- ^ Abhijith (25 January 2017). "4 Times When Mammootty Joined Hands With Priyadarshan!". Oneindia. Archived from the original on 11 May 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
- ^ Nagarajan, Saraswathy (24 March 2010). "All for laughs". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 April 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.