From Nadodikkattu to Manichitrathazhu, and now Thudarum: Mohanlal, Shobana’s definitive guide to phenomenal on-screen chemistry

From Raj Kapoor-Nargis Dutt, Dilip Kumar-Vyjayanthimala, Prem Nazir-Sheela and MG Ramachandran (MGR)-Saroja Devi to Amitabh Bachchan-Rekha, Kamal Haasan-Sridevi, and Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol, Indian cinema has never had a dearth of iconic on-screen couples. In fact, these jodis continue to enthral even the younger generations of audiences, thanks to these actors’ extraordinary ability to create magic on screen, both individually and together.

What makes Mohanlal and Shobana’s collaborations equally brilliant and endearing is their ability to form strong connections with each other on a very subconscious and emotional level, irrespective of the kind of dynamic they share on screen. While they are a romantic couple in Nadodikkattu, the two are just close friends in Fazil’s classic psychological thriller Manichitrathazhu (1993) – to be precise, Ganga (Shobana) met Dr Sunny Joseph (Mohanlal) through her husband Nakulan (Suresh Gopi), as the two men have been friends for a long time. Nonetheless, they manage to establish a deep rapport almost immediately while staying true to the dynamic between their characters.

Watch and fall in love with Mohanlal and Shobana’s ‘Vaisakha Sandhye’:

In their first proper on-screen interaction, we see Ganga and Sunny casually discussing all the inexplicable incidents that have been happening in the Madampalli mansion, widely believed to be haunted, and the legends surrounding it. In a scene that holds significant importance in the narrative, although the reason is revealed only towards the end, we see the two masters at work, brilliantly portraying the friendship between them that’s in its adolescent stage. As the movie progresses, we see the two characters slowly becoming anchored in each other and tethered emotionally, despite there not being any romantic linkup between Ganga and Sunny, in contrast to the many other films featuring Mohanlal and Shobana in the lead roles.

When they shared the screen for the first time in director KS Sethumadhavan’s Avidathe Pole Ivideyum (1985), Mohanlal was 25 and Shobana was just 15. She had just transitioned from a child artiste to a leading actor and was delivering notable performances one after the other. Mohanlal, meanwhile, was slowly cementing his status as a star and had already done over 50 films. Yet, something about the two’s chemistry immediately clicked with the audience. Sukumaran (Mohanlal) and Sujatha’s (Shobana) initial meeting, slow descent into love, marriage, the problems they face in their marital life and their eventual reconciliation impressed people, particularly owing to their performances and the way they gelled well as performers almost instantaneously. Hence, they quickly grabbed the attention of “Hitmaker” J Sasikumar, who cast them in the lead roles in his family drama Azhiyatha Bandhangal (1985). As a couple in a cross-class romance, Mohanlal and Shobana won the hearts of audiences once again, slowly becoming a bankable duo.

Mohanlal and Shobana in Vellanakalude Nadu. (Credit: The Complete Actor)

Mohanlal and Shobana in Ulladakkam. (Credit: The Complete Actor)

From the emotionally mismatched couple in Anubandham (1985) and star-crossed lovers in Rangam (1985) to impactful collaborations in TP Balagopalan MA (1986), Kunjattakilikal (1986), Iniyum Kurukshetrum (1986), Abhayam Thedi (1986) and Padayani (1986), the couple impressed the masses whenever they appeared together on screen.

As the years progressed, filmmakers also started exploring mature romances with them, going beyond the typical “happily ever after” trope. While Priyadarshan’s Vellanakalude Nadu (1988) had Mohanlal and Shobana playing college sweethearts who went through an ugly breakup and crossed each other’s paths later in life, films like Aryan (1988), Kamal’s Ulladakkam (1991), TK Rajeev Kumar’s Pavithram (1994) and Pakshe (1994) featured them as tragic couples whose love wasn’t meant to last. They also appeared in Sibi Malayil’s Maya Mayuram (1993), which ended without showing their characters getting together (although they might have eventually). During this era, they also worked in movies such as Vasantha Sena (1985) and Vasthuhara (1991), albeit their characters never shared the screen.

Mohanlal and Shobana in Thenmavin Kombath. (Credit: The Complete Actor)

In 1994 itself, Priyadarshan explored both ends of the romantic spectrum with Mohanlal and Shobana in the central roles. While Thenmavin Kombathu brought back all the beloved vintage elements that audiences cherished about their collaboration, the filmmaker dealt a powerful emotional blow with the romantic tragedy Minnaram. Not just romantic and emotional moments, but the two actors complemented each other in comedic scenes too, elevating their performances in these movies. At the same time, Mohanlal and Shobana delivered exceptional performances and shared a matchless chemistry, making their journey and the union in Thenmavin Kombathu and separation in Minnaram truly unforgettable.

In spite of immense popularity and never missing the mark, their next film together, IV Sasi’s Sradha (2000), arrived only six years later. Despite it marking the on-screen reunion of Malayalam cinema’s most beloved couple, Sasi failed to capitalise on the hype, and the movie failed to impress the audience as it offered nothing more than the Mohanlal-Shobana charm.

Mohanlal and Shobana in Minnaram. (Credit: The Complete Actor)

The two joined forces yet again three years later for Joshiy’s Mampazhakkalam, where they played a middle-aged bachelor and a single mother, who were childhood sweethearts but separated by fate and finally find their way back to each other. Although a superhit, the movie was ruined by the overinclusion of commercial elements. If not for these gimmicks, Mampazhakkalam, at its core, had enough potential to be a timeless romance like Oru Cheru Punchiri (2000), considering its interesting premise and having two of the industry’s finest performers in the lead roles.

Interestingly, Shobana did only two more films in the 2000s decade, and the last one was also a Mohanlal-starrer, Sagar Alias Jacky Reloaded (2009). Much like Manichitrathazhu, this Amal Neerad directorial also had them playing just friends, but the two thespians once again proved why there isn’t another acting duo like them in Malayalam as they brought out another facet of their chemistry with finesse.

Film star Shobhana and Mohanlal in Sradha. (Express archive photo)

Just like “Vaisakha Sandhye”, the timelessness of tracks like “Sreeraagamo Thedunnu”, “Karutha Penne”, “Chinkara Kinnaram”, “Oru Vallam Ponnum Poovum” and “Anthiveyil Ponnuthirum” also needs to be attributed to the acting brilliance of the two thespians, who have bagged the National Film Awards for Best Actor twice, each. With Mohanlal and Shobana returning as an on-screen couple after 21 years in Thudarum, the Malayali audience can only wait restlessly to watch what would hit our hearts as visuals showing ‘Dasan and Radha in a parallel universe’.

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