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When director Priyadarshan and actor Lissy got married in 1990, both were at the peak of their careers, having achieved as much fame as one could in the realm of Malayalam cinema in those days. Interestingly, some of their most cherished and successful films emerged from their collaborations, with the best examples being Chithram, Thalavattam, Boeing Boeing, Aram + Aram = Kinnaram and Odaruthammava Aalariyam. However, their relationship stirred significant controversy, with Lissy’s family strongly opposing their union. Despite this, the couple stood their ground, overcame obstacles to be together and tied the knot, remaining married for 26 years before eventually parting ways.
Recently, their friend and colleague, director-producer Alleppey Ashraf, revealed that the opposition to their union wasn’t limited to Lissy’s family. Even Priyadarshan’s friends in Thiruvananthapuram were against it. Nevertheless, Ashraf supported their relationship, as did late legendary actor-filmmaker Cochin Haneefa. Ashraf also shared an anecdote in which Haneefa almost turned into a real-life gangster to protect Lissy when her family sent a group of goons to kidnap her so she could stay away from Priyadarshan.
Drawing parallels to Haneefa’s iconic character of the thug Haidrose in director Sibi Malayil’s evergreen classic Kireedam and its sequel Chenkol, Ashraf recalled witnessing a real-life version of that character when Lissy was in danger. “At that time, Haneefa was shooting for the Tamil film Pagalil Pournami in Ernakulam. It featured actors Lissy, Rahman, Sivakumar and Radhika, among others. During the shoot, Lissy’s mother, Eliyamma, arrived on set with a group of goons, intending to threaten, assault and forcibly take Lissy away in an attempt to end her relationship with Priyadarshan,” he shared.
As tensions escalated, leaving Lissy terrified, Haneefa swiftly took charge of the situation, displaying his unwavering loyalty towards the people he loved. “If any of you dare to touch her, I will finish you off,” Haneefa reportedly said, sending the goons running. Ashraf added that Lissy later confided in him that had it not been for Haneefa’s intervention, her life would have taken a drastically different turn. She also expressed that she owed her deepest gratitude to only two people in life — actors Sukumari and Cochin Haneefa — who treated her like family and looked after her when she had no one else.
After 26 years of marriage, Lissy and Priyadarshan parted ways in 2016. They have two children, Kalyani and Siddharth, with whom both share close relationships.
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