Obituary: The legacy of Malayalam director Siddique and his top 5 films

Malayalam director Siddique, 63, passed away on August 7, 2023.

If fate had been kind to them, Siddique-Lal would have created history in 1987. It is, of course, no secret that they had a significant contribution (credited with the story) to the iconic Nadodikattu, directed by Sathyan Anthikad, and written by Sreenivasan. But since they were relatively young and new back then, Siddique and Lal couldn’t really share the glory of the classic. But their calling came exactly two years later in Ramji Rao Speaking (1989), and then, they rewrote history. If Priyadarshan introduced screwball comedy, Sreenivasan mainstreamed satire, Siddique-Lal revolutionised situational comedy in Malayalam cinema. Their humour was clean, spontaneous and timeless and it came from a place of personal struggles and penury, which in turn sharpened their wit. Of course, the stories were familiar and ordinary — unemployment, friendships, family hardships. But Siddique-Lal slathered them with improv humour, dry humour and yet the underlying pathos hit you hard. You can witness unimaginable humour created from awkwardness in their films.

But, perhaps, their USP has to be the sheer originality and detailing they gave to comedy characters. In any other setting Mathaichan in Ramji Rao Speaking would be a product of deprivation — the one who used to run a successful theatre company and is now struggling to make ends meet. There isn’t anything sunny about his life, and you would think he would, perhaps, take to the bottle and live in self-loathing. But Siddique-Lal turns him into a hysterical comic (full props to Innocent’s golden comic timing), brushing him with loads of wit and affection and he ends up as one of the most memorable comic characters in the history of Malayalam cinema. They set the stage for the exodus of mimicry artists into Malayalam cinema. In the classic Manichithrathazhu (1993), it was Siddique and Lal who created those timeless comedy sequences that continue to have a fan following.

Priyadarshan’s Hera Pheri (2000), which is still considered one of the greatest comedies in Hindi cinema, is a straight remake of Siddique-Lal’s Ramji Rao Speaking. Priyan later remade quite a few of their films into Hindi (Hulchul, Dhol, Bhagam Bhag). This writer recalls Siddique maintaining that “he isn’t exactly pleased with this remake business altogether” during an interview with the director before the release of Body Guard (2010). “As a creator, I can never be happy with a remake of my film,” he said.

We bring you our top 5 films of Siddique-Lal:

Godfather (1991)

Two feuding families headed by a fiery patriarch, Anjooran and a devious old matriarch, Anappara Achamma and their obedient bunch of children form the crux of this comedy drama. A slyly staged romance by the matriarch to get even with her rival’s family turns counterproductive unsettling her best-laid plans. What seems like an archaic plotline gets a wry twist in the hands of the duo, who create some of the greatest comic moments in Malayalam cinema that continue to be celebrated as memes. There are some dramatic showdowns that accelerate between funny, solemn and incredibly poignant in the film and they are as entertaining even after several revisits. And, of course, the unique, spectacularly original characters who deserve their own spin-off films. From the goofy, clumsy Mayankutty (Jagadish) who is there at all the wrong places at the wrong time, the towering patriarch Anjooran (NN Pillai) who hides a marshmallow heart behind that stony exterior, the deceitful, and vengeful Achamma (Philomena) who debunks the stereotypes around celluloid grandmoms to Swaminathan (Innocent) who lives a dual life and his wife, Kochammini (KPAC Lalitha) who keeps her heart on her sleeve, they are such superb creations, played to perfection by the actors. This Godfather is part of history, too.

Ramji Rao Speaking (1989) 

Their brilliant debut pivots around a rundown theatre company owner, Mathaichan (Innocent) and his two boarders, Balakrishnan (Sai Kumar) and Gopalakrishnan (Mukesh) and how they end up in an unplanned abduction/ heist drama. Again, the situation is anything but funny. There are lives shrouded in unemployment, impoverishment, debts, and misery, desperate to survive. Every despair is cloaked in humour, without diluting the poignancy of it all. And, once again, characters who cast a spell on you with their idiosyncrasies and dry wit. Look out for Mathaichan’s grand introduction scene when Balakrishnan approaches him for a rented room and his priceless repartee. Or that iconic telephone scene in which Gopalakrishnan pretends not to hear the warden ask for blankets when he comes back from his non-existent job in Kolkata. Sheer gold.

In Harihar Nagar (1990) 

During the first half of the film, you have four aimless young men hang around and compete with each other to woo their new neighbour. It all goes well and is rollicking fun till their well-concealed lies start to play against them. Again superbly original characters are placed in an ordinary backdrop, where they thrive with a lot of impromptu humour and hilarious situations that at times turn murky. You aren’t prepared for the twist but that’s also well played, blending the fun with the no-so-fun events. From the clumsy, silly but well-meaning Appu Kuttan who is the life of the party, to the erratic grandmother to John Honai, the don with an attitude, there isn’t a single dull moment.

Vietnam Colony (1992) 

A colony swarming with odd, funny, temperamental residents of all sizes and shapes and an outsider who has been assigned by real estate sharks to vacate them from the premises. Predictably the outsider ends up as their benefactor leading to dramatic turnarounds. It is a herculean task to weave a screenplay bringing together so many characters and the duo achieves that effortlessly. This is Mohanlal’s first association with Siddique-Lal, and he is adorable as this naïve, Tamil Brahmin Krishnamurthy, who is unaware of the mess he has landed in. The highlight of the film has to be his superb jugalbandi with the Siddique Lal favourite Innocent who plays KK Joseph, Krishnamurthy’s assistant. There is a lineup of intriguingly sketched thugs, and they are often unintentionally hilarious and scary at the same time. One can’t say it is their best, but definitely an out-and-out entertainer.

Mannar Mathai Speaking (1995)

Though not on par but still a neat and hilarious sequel to Ramji Rao Speaking, what keeps us going has to be the irrepressible trio — Mathaichan, Gopalkrishnan and Balakrishnan. In the sequel, they are in a much better place financially, with the drama company running smoothly. The rivalry and the banter continue in the same vein and to this pandemonium enters a mysterious woman who is first hired to play their heroine. That’s when the momentum kicks in, leading to the usual revelry and suspense. Superb performances and excellent one-liners make this film directed by Mani C Kappan and written by Siddique Lal worthy of revisits.

It is also a reality that the Siddique-Lal glory sort of withered when they parted ways after Kabooliwala (1994). Though they started independently, it was never the same again. True, most of them were blockbusters (Hitler, Friends, In Harihar Nagar 2, Body Guard) but the earlier magic was missing in their independent films, apart from being regressive. And Siddique’s craft and writing had started to deteriorate alarmingly towards the last decade (Ladies and Gentlemen, Chronic Bachelor, Bhaskar the Rascal, Fukri, Big Brother).

But that will never take away from the fact that Siddique-Lal were the architect of some of the most popular films of all time. They may be fewer in numbers but the laughs will last a lifetime.