Malayalam cinema: Why Balachandra Menon's 'Karyam Nissaram' needs to be re-discovered

Ask the average Malayalee about Basil Joseph and a smile lights up on that film viewer’s face. His or her thoughts would go back to the ‘fight scenes in ‘Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey’, or the comic timing Basil brought to the character he played in ‘Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil’. Basil knows the art of crafting those small and intimate moments with perfection.

Back in the 1980s, Mr. Balachandra Menon used to do that. His movie scripts were a series of episodes of middle-class family life in Kerala, made up of characters who looked as real as your neighbour. Menon would then add layers of humour, empathy and ego to each of those characters and made them real. That was the beauty of his scripts, of his films.  

If you - the reader - is of a generation from the 2000s, chances are you would not have stumbled across any of Menon’s movies. But if you have the time, have a look at “Karyam Nissaram’, Menon’s 1983 blockbuster that looked different to anything that was getting made and released in Kerala cinemas in those days.

Because ‘Karyam Nissaram’ brought on humour centred around everyday people. There was Prem Nazir’s Unnithan, hopelessly dancing to the whims of his wife – Lakshmi as Amminilkutty – until the last few reels of the film. This rates as one of the best performances ever by Prem Nazir from the more than 700 movies he played in during a storied career.

But the ‘star’ of ‘Karyam Nissaram’ was undoubtedly Balachandra Menon, as Shekhar, who comes in as the driving school instructor to one of Unnithan’s daughter. Menon brought all the elements that he is associated with – whether that’s with his stilted dialogue delivery, the wrap around his head, etc., etc.

Now, the criticism about Menon was that this wasn’t ‘natural’ acting, but heavily stylised. To that, my counter is – doesn’t everyday life show you people with idiosyncrasies, whether it’s in the way they talk, move or the way they use their hands? Just think of Balachandra Menon’s movie characters as a distillation of those quirky traits. Nothing more.

Because Balachandra Menon gave you believable movies – the weaknesses his characters exhibited was what made them look and feel so different in those days. He would wring out emotions from just a misplaced glance or a sigh.

The 1980s Malayalam cinema was about Mammotty and Mohanlal growing into eminence as era defining actors and stars. It was the decade of directors Padmarajan, Bharathan, Priyadarshan, Sibi Malayil, Sathyan Anthikad and, of course, Adoor Goplakrishnan and Aravindan.

But through this period, Balachandra Menon would churn out movies that would elicit laughs - and a wince of pain - from viewers. Because what he created were so relatable. And Menon made sure he took all credit for that – as director, writer, producer and actor. Even be the music director and sing a few songs. But above all, he made films that were endearing, with ‘Karyam Nissaram’ at the top.

In the present, Balachandra Menon has never been given his dues. He has publicly voiced his hurt at being ignored in recent events to marked Malayalam cinema’s history and evolution. And he’s right – today, he’s just a memory to many. That’s tragic.

Just watch ‘Karyam Nissaram’ to discover Menon at his best - and Laugh Out Loud...