Mohanlal rose to superstardom with a film that was rejected by Mammootty; it was shot in 32 days on a Rs 40 lakh budget

Interestingly, both Mohanlal and Mammootty achieved superstardom through movies penned by the same screenwriter, Dennis Joseph. Widely regarded as one of the finest commercial screenwriters in Malayalam cinema, Dennis shared a warm bond with both actors and, in fact, wrote several of their blockbuster movies. However, Dennis first forged a bond with Mammootty, as he headlined the writer’s debut movie, Eeran Sandhya. After that, Dennis became a recurring presence in Mammootty’s films and penned several notable scripts for the actor, including Nirakkoottu, Sayam Sandhya, Shyama, Nyayavidhi, and Pranamam.

Must Read | She worked for only two years, delivered only classics and blockbusters; Mohanlal once ‘saved her life’ at Kodaikanal’s Suicide Point

Why Mammootty rejected Rajavinte Makan

Yet, when Dennis Joseph decided to join forces with director Thambi Kannanthanam for a movie, Mammootty opted out, despite previously sharing a strong bond with the latter. During an episode of Safari’s “Charithram Enniloode” talk show, Dennis revealed that it was director Joshiy, with whom the writer had already worked on several movies, who asked him to write a script for Thambi. Following the failure of his Mammootty-starrer Aa Neram Alppa Dooram (1985), the director was in crisis, with no producer willing to work with him anymore. Thus, once Dennis agreed to write for him, Thambi decided to produce the movie himself, in addition to directing it.

During discussions, Dennis pitched a gangster film centred on an antihero, and Thambi was instantly impressed. The writer also suggested that Mammootty would be the best fit for it. Having shared a close bond with the actor for many years, Thambi approached Mammootty as usual. However, the failure of Aa Neram Alppa Dooram had affected the actor, and he straightaway refused to work with Thambi. Dennis noted that Mammootty even made some remarks that hurt the director.

Mohanlal and Ambika in Rajavinte Makan. (Credit: thecompleteactor.com)

Mohanlal agreed to do Rajavinte Makan without hearing its story

Nonetheless, Thambi was determined to proceed with the project and approached Mohanlal instead. Despite not knowing Dennis beforehand or having worked with him, Mohanlal agreed to do the film without even hearing its story. That’s how Rajavinte Makan was born. Once the discussions were over, Dennis completed the full script in just five to six days. He mentioned that Thambi bankrolled the film by selling his car and pawning some ancestral properties.

While Mohanlal was cast as the antihero crime boss, Vincent Gomes in Rajavinte Makan, Ratheesh played the second antihero, Home Minister CK Krishnadas. Nonetheless, the character of the female lead, Advocate Ancy, was equally important in the movie and required a strong actor to play it. Thus, Thambi zeroed in on Ambika, with whom he shared a warm relationship.

ICYMI | Malayalam cinema’s most iconic father-son tale redefined on-screen masculinity, minted Rs 12.85 cr against Rs 75 lakh budget, won Mohanlal Best Actor award

Rs 1.25 lakh for Ambika, Rs 1 lakh for Mohanlal

However, this was the time when Ambika was a far bigger star than Mohanlal across the South, having played heroine to Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, too, in a couple of Tamil movies. She was also a highly sought-after actor in Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. Hence, her mother initially demanded that Ambika be paid Rs 1.25 lakh in remuneration, as per a Manorama report. However, a few days after filming began, Ambika informed Thambi that she needed only Rs 1 lakh, much to the director-producer’s relief, as he was struggling to finish the movie. Mohanlal, too, was paid the same remuneration as Ambika, Rs 1 lakh. The filming was completed in 32 days.

Although the entire industry was sceptical about the movie, considering that Thambi was a “flop director” and the notion that people wouldn’t like seeing Mohanlal in such an avatar, Rajavinte Makan opened to universally positive reviews after the first show itself, catapulting Mohanlal to superstardom instantly. Mounted on a budget of Rs 40 lakh, it reportedly collected Rs 80-85 lakh at the time, despite severely low ticket prices. While Rajavinte Makan was subsequently remade in various languages, Mohanlal hasn’t had to look back since and has been ruling Malayalam cinema for the past 40 years.