{"id":96,"date":"2021-05-26T12:40:41","date_gmt":"2021-05-26T16:40:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/totallyfilmi.toutes-directions.com\/totallyfilmi-wp\/?p=96"},"modified":"2023-08-08T15:07:36","modified_gmt":"2023-08-08T19:07:36","slug":"malayalam-movie-double-bills-mohanlals-birthday-edition-thenmavin-kombath-and-pingami","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/totallyfilmi.toutes-directions.com\/totallyfilmi-wp\/2021\/05\/26\/malayalam-movie-double-bills-mohanlals-birthday-edition-thenmavin-kombath-and-pingami\/","title":{"rendered":"Malayalam Movie Double Bills — Mohanlal’s Birthday Edition: Thenmavin Kombath and Pingami"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This post first appeared on Totally Filmi on May 21, 2020.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In honour of Mohanlal\u2019s 60th<\/sup> birthday, you\u2019ll no doubt be reading many tributes to the Malayalam actor, and poring over lists of his best films (or what each list compiler thinks are his best films, but we all know that \u201cbest\u201d is subjective and one person\u2019s \u201cbest\u201d can be another person\u2019s least favourite).  I know many, many die-hard Lalettan fans, and each of them has been eager to make sure my education in Malayalam cinema has included some of the films considered classics in his filmography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I wanted to do something different \u2013 rather than compile Yet Another List of films, I thought I\u2019d take a look at two very different films starring Mohanlal, that released within a couple of weeks of each other, and that had very different fates.  The first, Pingami<\/strong>, written by Raghunath Paleri (based on one of his own short stories), and directed by Sathyan Anthikad, is a dramatic thriller that was released on May 27th<\/sup>, 1994; the second is Thenmavin Kombath<\/strong>, a romantic-comedy written and directed by Priyadarshan, released on May 13th<\/sup> in the same year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Thenmavin Kombath<\/strong> ( (“On the branch of the) Honey Sweet Mango Tree”) Manikyan (Mohanlal) is a cattle farmer who works for Shreekrishnan  (Nedumudi Venu).  Shreekrishnan  (also called Krishnan) treats Manikyan like his own brother, taking on arranging Manikyan\u2019s sister\u2019s marriage, and Manikyan views Shreekrishnan\u2019s older sister, Yeshodhamma (Kaviyoor Ponnamma) like a mother.  Manikyan and Krishnan regularly go to fairs to buy and sell cattle; their usual routine involves Krishnan drinking a little too much toddy at the fair, and Manikyan looking after him and making sure he stays out of trouble \u2013 or, if he doesn\u2019t, Manikyan is at least there to protect him.  After one such trip, they come across a young woman, Karthumbi (Shobhana), with her drunken uncle, who are on their way to perform in a drama.  Krishnan (who has delayed his own marriage) becomes instantly smitten with Karthumbi (and who can blame him, because Shobhana is beautiful and delightful), and offers to give them a ride to where they need to go, since their cart is empty, much to Manikyan\u2019s dismay, since from they moment he met Karthumbi, the two are constantly bickering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Krishnan, wanting to see Karthumbi perform, insists that they stay at this new fair so that he can find a way to tell her how he feels, and ask her to marry him.  But a fight breaks out when he overhears a fair promoter behaving badly with Karthumbi, and Karthumbi and Manikyan escape in the cart (Manikyan not realizing that Krishnan isn\u2019t with them).  In the confusion, Manikyan goes the wrong way and they end up leaving Kerala and crossing into Karnataka, to a place where everyone speaks Tulu, which leads to more confusion as Manikyan tries to ask for directions and Karthumbi (who speaks the language), uses this as an advantage to tease and torment him, to get back at him for not wanting to give her a ride.  But this results in the two of them spending more time together, and the bickering turns to mutual attraction.  The plan is that the two will pretend to still be annoyed at each other, until Manikyan can gently arrange for them to be married.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What they soon realize when they return to Manikyan\u2019s village is that Krishnan has become obsessed with marrying Karthumbi, to the point that it sours his relationship with Manikyan.  Appakkala (Sreenivasan), another servant who works for Krishnan, is jealous of Manikyan,and takes advantage of this rift by manipulating Krishnan into seeking to destroy Manikyan.  In the end, Appakkala\u2019s deceits are revealed, Krishnan marries the long-suffering Karthu (KPAC Lalitha), and Manikyan is free to marry Karthumbi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I recently watched a Facebook live question and answer session with actress Shobhana, who described working on Thenmavin Kombath<\/strong> as a joyous experience, and I think that shows, especially in the film\u2019s first half, where there is cracking chemistry between the two leads as they gradually fall in love during their cart journey.  For me, the second half makes me sad, as Krishnan allows his bitterness at feeling betrayed by Manikyan to bring out the worst in his character, and I do think the ending feels a little tacked on, as it arrives so suddenly after we\u2019ve taken this long journey with the film\u2019s extended cast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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