Dharmendra never acted in a Malayalam movie, but a blockbuster comedy made his name unforgettable to Gen Z

For Malayalam film audiences, Dharmendra is a name that's extra special. Not just because it belongs to a beloved actor, but also since it's the name of one of the most iconic movie characters of the 21st century.

Bollywood acting legend Dharmendra in the 1969 movie Satyakam. (Express archive photo)

Although Indian cinema has witnessed several stars over the decades across various languages, not many have achieved a stardom as massive as that of Dharmendra at the peak of his career. A force to be reckoned with at the box office in the 1970s and ’80s, he garnered fans nationwide with his high-octane actioners, as well as his elegance and charm in real life.

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Despite his stardom fading in the ’90s, his hiatus in the early 2000s, and his only occasional film appearances after his comeback, the powerful performances Dharmendra delivered prior to all that remained etched in the minds of those who grew up watching him. Meanwhile, he also found fans among younger generations as they began discovering his films, thus touching the hearts of movie aficionados across age groups.

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In an illustrious career spanning 65 years, the ‘He-Man of Bollywood’ appeared in over 300 films, working in Punjabi and Bengali languages as well. Although he never appeared in South Indian films, Dharmendra was a name quite familiar to audiences there too, thanks to the many memorable performances he delivered.

Nonetheless, for Malayalam film audiences, Dharmendra is a name that’s extra special. Not just because it belongs to a beloved actor, but also since it’s the name of one of the most iconic Malayalam movie characters of the 21st century. In fact, it was this film and the character that prompted Malayali Gen Zs to look up who Dharmendra was.

Among the many memorable characters in Pulival Kalyanam was P Dharmendra, portrayed by legendary comedian Cochin Haneefa.

Cochin Haneefa as P Dharmendra in Pulival Kalyanam. (Screenshot: YouTube/apimalayalam)

Helmed by Shafi, the blockbuster Pulival Kalyanam (2003) can be dubbed one of the most iconic and celebrated comedies in Malayalam cinema. Apart from providing netizens with numerous meme templates and iconic dialogues that have become part of pop culture, Pulival Kalyanam also featured several characters — such as Manavalan (Salim Kumar), Paramanandam (Jagathy Sreekumar), and Theeppori Kuttappan (Harisree Ashokan) — who became iconic and are remembered to date by name alone.

Among these memorable characters was P Dharmendra, a Mumbai-based taxi driver hired by Manavalan for a ride to Kerala and gets stuck in the state after the rider reveals that he has no money. Portrayed by legendary comedian Cochin Haneefa, the Dharmendra-Manavalan duo is still regarded as one of the finest on-screen pairs in Malayalam cinema. Besides, who can forget Dharmendra’s iconic line, “Nee Dharavi Dharavi ennu kettittundo? (Have you heard about Dharavi)”, which he frequently used to pretend to have underworld connections?

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The success of Pulival Kalyanam and the character not only introduced the Bollywood legend to many — particularly the Malayali Gen Zs, who were just kids at the time and weren’t familiar with Dharmendra’s work — but it also imprinted his name in their minds forever. The hilarious part is that the name Dharmendra now evokes two images in their psyche, that of Mumbai’s crowned king and its uncrowned king. Who’s who? Well, you tell us.

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