Remembering Kalabhavan Mani on his 5th death anniversary: 4 films that prove this multi-faceted talent was ready to take risks

It was late evening on March 6, 2016, when the news of Kalabhavan Mani’s demise broke out. Men, women, children, and even the elderly were glued to their television screens, unable to process what they just heard. Believers were chanting prayers for a miracle to happen and the atheists were trying to convince themselves that it was just another fake news circulating. Even five years after his demise, people are in disbelief and can’t digest that Kalabhavan Mani is no more. Kalabhavan Mani was a multi-faceted talent, and he was everything an entertainer was supposed to be. But it wasn’t the only factor that made him close to the laymen in Kerala. Kalabhavan Mani was one among them, a hero, who broke all the conventional notions of one. He was perhaps the only star, who was involved in plenty of charity work and had never missed an opportunity to lend a helping hand to the poor and suffering. The autorickshaw driver turned actor lived the life of a common man and he was able to reflect on it both on and off-screen.

It has been five long years since the demise of Kalabhavan Mani and on this occasion, let’s take a look at four extraordinary films in the actor’s career, which reassures that he was open to experiments and was willing to take risks.

(Pic courtesy: Facebook)

‘The Guard’ released in 2001 is apparently the least popular film of Kalabhavan Mani. The film is unique as the movie has only a star cast in it, Kalabhavan Mani. The late actor played a forest guard and his co-stars were the inhabitants of the forest, the birds and animals! The film was written and directed by debutante Hakim Rawther. ‘The Guard’ indeed was a bold move for Kalabhavan Mani and we must say the actor owned it with all its grace! Unfortunately, the film didn’t receive the attention it deserved and the time it was released is apparently to blame for!

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Ramu from ‘Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njanum’ is undeniably one of the most challenging roles in Kalabhavan Mani’s acting career. We have seen many actors playing the role of visually challenged individuals on screen, but Kalabhavan Mani’s character Ramu stands out. Be it the way he controlled his eye movements or his acting chops especially in the intense emotional scenes, Kalabhavan Mani made the audience fall for him. The actor managed to ace the role with sheer determination and perfection and he also won a special jury mention at the National Film Awards for his performance.

(Pic courtesy: Facebook)

Kalabhavan Mani was someone who knew the good, bad, and ugly of life. He was born and brought up in a family of laymen and hence he knew their heartbeat. The same has perhaps helped Kalabhavan Mani to excel in his role in ‘Karumadikkuttan’. Directed by Vinayan, Kalabhavan Mani played the role of Kuttan, a mentally challenged innocent man who works hard to win his bread. Mani poured his soul into the character and it must be stressed that one could find it impossible to hold the tears, when Kuttan gets thrashed in a particular scene in the film.

(Pic courtesy: Facebook)

Kalabhavan Mani got promoted from mimicry to acting, and hence during his salad days, the actor focused more on lively and humorous roles. Later he proved that he could handle intense characters and went on to prove that he could also ace villain characters. In the 2007 film ‘Chotta Mumbai’, Kalabhavan Mani played Nateshan, a cop. The actor was so impressive that the cinephiles hated even a sight of Nateshan in the film. And undoubtedly the late actor received a lot of praise for his performance in ‘Chotta Mumbai’.

(Pic courtesy: Facebook)