Chandralekha (1997) Online

This movie will mostly be remembered for one thing - rescuing the floundering career of one of the biggest star of Malayaleem cinema. With this movie, he was able to prove that he still had it in him to produce a great comedy movie. As far as I am concerned, this is one of my favourite movies despite it not being a "perfect" movie.

The story may sound a little ridiculous. Appukuttan(Mohanlal), a man struggling in life, is mistaken for another man Alphy who is the husband of the heir of a prominent business family. The woman Chandra(Sukanya) is involved in an accident and Appukuttan brings her to the hospital at which point he is mistaken for Alphy. He is persuaded by Iruvikutty(Innocent) to act as Alphy till the father recovers. But Appukuttan wants to continue the game till he gets a loan approved from a bank. This leads to various hilarious situations. Their problems are further complicated by the entry of Lekha(Pooja Batra), Iruvikutty's daughter who is suspicious of Appukuttan. The story moves into sillier and sillier situations but that's what makes the movie so special. The turnaround of Lekha towards the middle is also done well. Noor, Appukuttan's friend also provides some hilarious scenes. The scene where he rushes into the hospital and where he and Appukuttan both have to pretend as Alphy is comedy gold and is one of the best scenes in the movie. The memorable scenes are aplenty. The scene where Appukuttan needs to help the nurse in changing her dress is an example. Mohanlal's expressions and Innocent's performance in this scene is simply outstanding. Pappu as the accountant is also a great addition in this scene. Another classic scene is the scene where Appukuttan tells Iruvikutty that he wants to continue the game. The fast flowing lines are one of the highlights and credit should be given to the dialogue writer for writing such clever lines.

Mohanlal turns in an outstanding performance as the desperate man with a heart of gold. The scene where he tells Lekha not to cry is one of the best scenes and showcases the versatility of the actor. Innocent is hyper energetic in this movie but that's not a bad thing. He doesn't have his usual sarcastic demeanor. In this movie, his character seems like a man who is in panic most of the time. In the scenes towards the end, he is excellent and this shows that he is capable of doing any kind of role in the comedy genre. Sukanya has done a good job but doesn't have much role in this movie. Pooja Batra is the surprise package here. I didn't expect her to do well but she has given an energetic performance. Srinivasan as usual is good. There are many flaws. What about Mamukoya's character? How will his reaction be when he finds out the truth? Would the company employees be quiet if they heard that they were being tricked? The reaction of Chandra's father when he finds out the truth isn't believable either. The movie has several flaws and isn't really believable(noor as another Alphy!) but I didn't really care because it was so much fun! In the end, it all comes together perfectly so why complain? Overall a great movie(if you are willing to look past the flaws) and one of my favourites.

Overlong, and funny only in spurts (but when it is good, it is really good) - worth watching for Sreenivasen's antics as a buffoon/impostor who ends up having to play the part of a management executive. There is a particularly hilarious sequence in a hospital, where Mohanlal and Sreenivasen are both pretending to be the semi-conscious Chandra's husband.

This movie should be held as an example for implementation or direction of a good but difficult script. This movie stands out as it is a mix of unending comedy, attracting story and unbelievable acting. This is a must watch and one should appreciate the direction of priyadarshan. Coming to acting, each and every actor played their role to perfection. Amazing Lalettan(Mohan Lal), Srinivas, Innocent, Mamukkoya, etc. I have watched this more than 20 times and even now it feels so refreshing and peaceful to watch this movie. Its been almost 20 years that this movie was released and am giving a review now. This should explain the impact this movie leaves on one, compared to present generation unmatured direction and rarely to be seen good scripts. This movie stands out as a classic entertainer. Thank you for presenting this movie to the world.