Mannar Mathai Speaking
Encyclopedia
Mannar Mathai Speaking is a 1995 Malayalam
comedy film
made in India
, written by Siddique-Lal
, produced and directed by Mani. C. Kappan, and starring Mukesh
, Saikumar and Innocent. It is the sequel to Ramji Rao Speaking
(1989). Priyadarshan
adapted certain subplots of the film for his Hindi film, Bhagam Bhag
(2006). Writer Siddique later reused the story and tweaks it for his Tamil movie Sadhu Miranda
.
for helping him out in directing the movie, is shown. However, in the closing credits of the movie, Mani C. Kappan is credited as the director. Actually, the film was directed by Siddique
alone, as Lal was not interested in a sequel for their evergreen film. After completing the film, Siddique did not agree to credit his name alone as the director. He suggested producer Kappan to credit himself as the director.
After more than 15 years of release, a sequel for the film was announced. It was to be directed and produced by Mani C. Kappan himself, but neither Siddique nor Lal has agreed to write the script. The same cast was scheduled to re-appear in the film.
) and Balakrishnan (Saikumar), are always in a fight with each other for the lead role in the drama. During one of the stage shows, Gopalakrishnan was supposed to act like slapping the heroine, but he ends up slapping her for real, and hard. The hurt heroine leaves the stage show and goes in search of opportunities in movies.
Without a lead actress, the drama troupe is in trouble. Since Gopalakrishnan was the guy who created all the trouble, it was his responsibility to find an actress. Even after a long search, he did not find any actresses. One day while he was travelling in a taxi, a girl named "Meera" (Vani Viswanath
) jumps in front of the car to commit suicide. Gopalakrishnan rescues her and brings her back to the drama camp. When she regains consciousness, they make her the lead actress of the troupe. To get the role of the hero, Gopalakrishnan says that she is his cousin, and she will only act if they make him the hero. To check the truth, Balakrishnan brings Gopalakrishnan's mom (Sukumari
) to the camp. When the truth was about to come out, Gopalakrishnan tells his mom that he told everyone that she is his cousin because he is in love with her. His mom asks him to marry her.
After the marriage, Meera tries to commit suicide again by jumping into the well. Gopalakrishnan slaps her and she loses consciousness. They all takes her to the doctor where she gains consciousness. She then says that she does not remember anyone from the troupe and she is the wife of a wealthy businessman called Mahendra Varma (Biju Menon
). They inform this news to Mahendra Varma, and he comes and take her to his home. Later she calls Gopalakrishnan and says that she is going to commit suicide, and they all rush to their home. By that time she had lit herself, and they all could only watch her die.
After 6 months, when the troupe was in Mangalore
, Balakrishnan happens to see Meera on the roadside. She reappears in their home later and tells them the truth. She said that her real name is Stella, and Meera was the name of Mahendra Varma's real wife played by Geetha Vijayan
. It was his real wife who died that day. He had hired an actress to act as if she was Meera and to provide proof that she had suicidal tendencies. They try to take revenge against Mahendra Varma and put him behind the bars.
Mahendra Varma kidnaps Gopalakrishnan's mother and bargains with Gopalakrishnan to bring Stella to them. In the mean time, the villain of the first movie Ramji Rao Speaking
, Ramji Rao (Vijayaraghavan) also surfaces. He kidnaps Meera and bargains money. Now Gopalakrishnan is trapped in between two kidnapping attempts, and he has to rescue both his mom and his wife. In the hilarious situations that follow, using their clever tactics, Gopalakrishnan and his gang rescue them both. Mahendra Varma falls off from the top of a building and dies, while his dead body falls in the truck driven by Ramji Rao, and he drives off.
Malayalam language
Malayalam , is one of the four major Dravidian languages of southern India. It is one of the 22 scheduled languages of India with official language status in the state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry. It is spoken by 35.9 million people...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
made in India
Cinema of India
The cinema of India consists of films produced across India, which includes the cinematic culture of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. Indian films came to be followed throughout South Asia and...
, written by Siddique-Lal
Siddique-Lal
Siddique-Lal were a screenwriter and director duo, consisting of Siddique and Lal. They were active together in Malayalam cinema during 1989 - 1995...
, produced and directed by Mani. C. Kappan, and starring Mukesh
Mukesh (actor)
Mukesh , born Mukesh Babu, is an Indian film actor and producer known for his work in Malayalam cinema.- Personal Life :...
, Saikumar and Innocent. It is the sequel to Ramji Rao Speaking
Ramji Rao Speaking
Ramji Rav Speaking is a 1989 Indian Malayalam comedy film written and directed by the Siddique-Lal duo. It stars Saikumar, Mukesh, Innocent and Rekha in the lead roles. The film deals with social factors affecting Kerala such as poverty and unemployment during the 1980s.Fazil remade this film in...
(1989). Priyadarshan
Priyadarshan
Priyadarshan is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter. In a career spanning over two decades, Priyadarshan has directed over 80 films in several Indian languages including Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu...
adapted certain subplots of the film for his Hindi film, Bhagam Bhag
Bhagam Bhag
Bhagam Bhag is a 2006 Bollywood film starring Akshay Kumar and Govinda. It is the first time the two are in a film together. The movie also stars Paresh Rawal, Lara Dutta and Jackie Shroff. It is directed by Priyadarshan. Shooting took place in Oxford, United Kingdom in July–August 2006, filming...
(2006). Writer Siddique later reused the story and tweaks it for his Tamil movie Sadhu Miranda
Sadhu Miranda
Sadhu Miranda is a 2008 Tamil suspense comedy film directed by Siddique, starring Prasanna, Kavya Madhavan and Abbas in the lead roles. The story is about a normal man turned gangster. The film is loosely based on 1995 Malayalam film Mannar Mathai Speaking which was co-directed by Siddique...
.
Production notes
In the opening credits for the movie, nobody's name is shown as the director. Instead, a statement by producer Mani C. Kappan, saying thanks to Siddique-LalSiddique-Lal
Siddique-Lal were a screenwriter and director duo, consisting of Siddique and Lal. They were active together in Malayalam cinema during 1989 - 1995...
for helping him out in directing the movie, is shown. However, in the closing credits of the movie, Mani C. Kappan is credited as the director. Actually, the film was directed by Siddique
Siddique (director)
Siddique is an Indian film director and screenwriter who mainly works in Malayalam cinema.He started his career as an assistant director to Fazil. The duo of Siddique and Lal was spotted by Fazil when he saw them performing in the Cochin Kalabhavan troupe. Siddique later teamed up with Lal to...
alone, as Lal was not interested in a sequel for their evergreen film. After completing the film, Siddique did not agree to credit his name alone as the director. He suggested producer Kappan to credit himself as the director.
After more than 15 years of release, a sequel for the film was announced. It was to be directed and produced by Mani C. Kappan himself, but neither Siddique nor Lal has agreed to write the script. The same cast was scheduled to re-appear in the film.
Plot
Mannar Mathai (Innocent) is running a successful drama group. The lead actors in this troupe, Gopalakrishnan (MukeshMukesh (actor)
Mukesh , born Mukesh Babu, is an Indian film actor and producer known for his work in Malayalam cinema.- Personal Life :...
) and Balakrishnan (Saikumar), are always in a fight with each other for the lead role in the drama. During one of the stage shows, Gopalakrishnan was supposed to act like slapping the heroine, but he ends up slapping her for real, and hard. The hurt heroine leaves the stage show and goes in search of opportunities in movies.
Without a lead actress, the drama troupe is in trouble. Since Gopalakrishnan was the guy who created all the trouble, it was his responsibility to find an actress. Even after a long search, he did not find any actresses. One day while he was travelling in a taxi, a girl named "Meera" (Vani Viswanath
Vani Viswanath
Vani Viswanath , is a South Indian actress. She has acted in Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu movies. Vani has won the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress for her performance in Susanna directed by T. V. Chandran. She was termed as Mollywood's Action Queen.-Biography:Vani was born...
) jumps in front of the car to commit suicide. Gopalakrishnan rescues her and brings her back to the drama camp. When she regains consciousness, they make her the lead actress of the troupe. To get the role of the hero, Gopalakrishnan says that she is his cousin, and she will only act if they make him the hero. To check the truth, Balakrishnan brings Gopalakrishnan's mom (Sukumari
Sukumari
Sukumari is an Indian film actress who has primarily acted in Malayalam and Tamil films. She has been acting since she was 10 years old and has acted in various roles. The total number of her films is presumed to be about two-thousand. In 2003, she was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of...
) to the camp. When the truth was about to come out, Gopalakrishnan tells his mom that he told everyone that she is his cousin because he is in love with her. His mom asks him to marry her.
After the marriage, Meera tries to commit suicide again by jumping into the well. Gopalakrishnan slaps her and she loses consciousness. They all takes her to the doctor where she gains consciousness. She then says that she does not remember anyone from the troupe and she is the wife of a wealthy businessman called Mahendra Varma (Biju Menon
Biju Menon
Biju Menon is an Indian film actor who has mainly worked in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films. He appears mostly in supporting roles, but has also acted in antagonistic roles. He made his debut in 1995 in Mannar Mathai Speaking...
). They inform this news to Mahendra Varma, and he comes and take her to his home. Later she calls Gopalakrishnan and says that she is going to commit suicide, and they all rush to their home. By that time she had lit herself, and they all could only watch her die.
After 6 months, when the troupe was in Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
, Balakrishnan happens to see Meera on the roadside. She reappears in their home later and tells them the truth. She said that her real name is Stella, and Meera was the name of Mahendra Varma's real wife played by Geetha Vijayan
Geetha Vijayan
Geetha Vijayan is an Indian actress. Geetha made her debut in the Malayalam comedy In Harihar Nagar which turned out to be a blockbuster. She has since acted in more than 75 Malayalam movies and in some Tamil films and Hindi films. She is also a television actress...
. It was his real wife who died that day. He had hired an actress to act as if she was Meera and to provide proof that she had suicidal tendencies. They try to take revenge against Mahendra Varma and put him behind the bars.
Mahendra Varma kidnaps Gopalakrishnan's mother and bargains with Gopalakrishnan to bring Stella to them. In the mean time, the villain of the first movie Ramji Rao Speaking
Ramji Rao Speaking
Ramji Rav Speaking is a 1989 Indian Malayalam comedy film written and directed by the Siddique-Lal duo. It stars Saikumar, Mukesh, Innocent and Rekha in the lead roles. The film deals with social factors affecting Kerala such as poverty and unemployment during the 1980s.Fazil remade this film in...
, Ramji Rao (Vijayaraghavan) also surfaces. He kidnaps Meera and bargains money. Now Gopalakrishnan is trapped in between two kidnapping attempts, and he has to rescue both his mom and his wife. In the hilarious situations that follow, using their clever tactics, Gopalakrishnan and his gang rescue them both. Mahendra Varma falls off from the top of a building and dies, while his dead body falls in the truck driven by Ramji Rao, and he drives off.
Cast
- MukeshMukesh (actor)Mukesh , born Mukesh Babu, is an Indian film actor and producer known for his work in Malayalam cinema.- Personal Life :...
as Gopalakrishnan - Saikumar as Balakrishnan
- Innocent as Mannar Mathai
- Vani ViswanathVani ViswanathVani Viswanath , is a South Indian actress. She has acted in Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu movies. Vani has won the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actress for her performance in Susanna directed by T. V. Chandran. She was termed as Mollywood's Action Queen.-Biography:Vani was born...
as Meera / Stella Fernandez - Biju MenonBiju MenonBiju Menon is an Indian film actor who has mainly worked in Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu films. He appears mostly in supporting roles, but has also acted in antagonistic roles. He made his debut in 1995 in Mannar Mathai Speaking...
as Mahendra Varma - JanardhananJanardhanan (actor)Janardhanan is a Malayalam film actor. He is known for his peculiar style of handling humor and his quaint voice. He started his career playing brusque villains in the 1970s but later went on to establish himself as a highly sought-after comedian. The turning point of his career was the role of...
as Garvasees Aasaan - Cochin HaneefaCochin HaneefaMohammed Haneefa, better known by his stage name Cochin Haneefa was an Indian film actor, director, and screenwriter. He started his career in the 1970s mainly portraying villainous roles, before going on to become one of the most popular comedians of Malayalam cinema...
as Eldho - Vijayaraghavan as Ramjirao
- IndransIndransIndrans is a Malayalam film actor and costume designer. He acts mainly in comedy roles. He has acted in over 200 films.Indrans, a Tailor by profession, debuted in the film Choothattam as a costume designer. It was producer Charlie who offered him a chance to assist in costume designing...
as Ponnappan - Harisree AshokanHarisree AshokanHarisree Ashokan is a Malayalam film actor who is known for his comedy roles. He has acted in more than 75 Malayalam films.-Early life:...
as Sudhavu - PrathapachandranPrathapachandranPrathapachandran was a Malayalam film actor who left a vivid impression through his dramatic portrayal of villainous and character roles in over 300 movies. He was born in 1941 at Omallur in Pathanamthitta District, Kerala, India. He died on December 16, 2004. He was 63.-Biography:Prathapachandran...
as Doctor - SukumariSukumariSukumari is an Indian film actress who has primarily acted in Malayalam and Tamil films. She has been acting since she was 10 years old and has acted in various roles. The total number of her films is presumed to be about two-thousand. In 2003, she was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of...
as Gopalakrishnan's mother - Geetha VijayanGeetha VijayanGeetha Vijayan is an Indian actress. Geetha made her debut in the Malayalam comedy In Harihar Nagar which turned out to be a blockbuster. She has since acted in more than 75 Malayalam movies and in some Tamil films and Hindi films. She is also a television actress...
as Meera - Kaviyoor PonnammaKaviyoor PonnammaKaviyoor Ponnamma is a Malayalam film actress. She won the Kerala State Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1971, 1972, 1973, and 1994.Ponnamma was born in Kaviyoor village, near Tiruvalla to a conservative upper-class family...
as Meera's mother - K. P. UmmerK. P. UmmerK. P. Ummer was a Malayalam cinema actor from Thekkepuram quarter of Kozhikode, Kerala, India. He was active in cinema from early sixties until late nineties. He was the most successful villains of his time. He played opposite Prem Nazir, who was the hero in many films, which the audience liked to...
as Prathapa Varma - Machan VargheseMachan VargheseM. L. Varghese popularly known by stage name Machan Varghese was a Malayalam film actor and mimicry artist. He started his career as a mimicry artist and debuted as an actor through Kabooliwala. Thereafter he played many notable roles in Malayalam films, mainly as a comedian...
- Priyanka as Shakunthala
- Kaduvakkulam Anto as the booking agent