What made Malayalam film-maker Vinayan take a chance with late Kalabhavan Mani in the 1998 film, Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Nyanum (VLPN)?
Until then, Mani, who had been in the industry for three years was mostly doing small roles.
Vinayan who has an eye for spotting talent says, “Mani was only a second-level comedian then, but I had a strong conviction about Mani’s acting prowess. After discussing the script, he enacted a few scenes for me.”
But others did not share Vinayan’s vision.
Finding a producer was the first challenge.
The second hurdle came when an actress who had initially agreed to do the film returned the advance on being told that Mani would be playing the lead.
“VLPN was an experiment on which I took a risk,” says the director of the historic film, Albuthadweep.
“It was only because of Mani.”
The method actor
Mani played an impoverished, blind singer in VLPN.
“It is not easy squinting and contorting the eyes for that blind man’s look,” explains Vinayan.
The eyes hurt and Mani suffered from watering eyes. After a ten-minute shoot, Mani would rest his eyes for fifteen minutes.
“Have you noticed that when a visually challenged person speaks, there is a stress on their faces,” asks Vinayan.
“Mani drew that effect into his expressions. His talent matched the likes of Kodiyettam Gopi.”
While the Bharat Gopi Foundation award came much later, Mani won the national and state awards for VLPN.
Born in 1971, Mani grew up in Chalakudy. His poor family background did not deter him from dreaming big.
Vinayan remembers Mani telling him that he got his first set of new clothes only when he was in class eight. Until then he was wearing hand me downs that were passed on to his mother who worked in households.
In order to supplement the family income Mani did several kinds of jobs including carrying sack-loads while in school, climbing up coconut trees as a coconut picker to driving an autorickshaw.
Mani found his true calling after winning the first prize at the State School Arts Festival held in 1982 in Kollam. Joining Kalabhavan centre for performing arts in Kochi and doing stage shows, Mani entered the film industry with Aksharam. Mani was also a good singer and brought out several albums.
The last years
Actor Jayaram who was Mani’s senior at Kalabhavan (a performing arts centre in Kochi, Kerala) remembers meeting the late actor for the first time during the 25th anniversary celebrations of Kalabhavan.
“Father Abel, [Kalabhavan’s founder] spoke about Mani as a talent to watch soon in films. Watching Mani perform on stage I understood his potential.”
Jayaram worked with Mani on more than thirty films and calls him a versatile actor who could take on any role, be it a comedian, a character actor or a villain.
“Since both of us were passionate about mimicry, it was great fun to be with him,” he adds.
Jayaram had suggested Mani’s name for a cameo in his upcoming film, Aadupuliyattum, but by then Mani was ill.
After proving his calibre in Malayalam, Mani worked in Tamil and Telugu cinema too. Remember the animal grunts of Teja, the villain of Gemini.
Mani’s last Tamil film was Papanasam, (Drishyam’s remake). He reprised the role of Kalabhavan Shajon from the original.
Director Jeethu Joseph remembers, “Mani told me, ‘I shall take my role a step further, however do correct me if I get too loud.”
While filming, Mani fell ill but he refused to take rest and continued working.
Joseph says, “He never shied away from any character, be it playing a father or a grandfather or villain, Mani accepted a role and the output he delivered was beyond the director’s vision.”
“More than a good actor, he was a nice human being,” adds Joseph.
“He helped the less privileged in Chalakudy, his hometown, never forgetting his roots. Mani spoke openly about his impoverished growing years.”
