15 MALAYALAM MOVIE CHARACTERS BASED ON REAL PEOPLE

Art imitating life and fact inspiring fiction is no new drill. In fact the earliest artistic creations have to have originated from life. So obviously they’ve been doing this for longer than you think. Biopics and movies based on true events even form a sizable genre, although the allusions to real life are way too direct there, and shall be discussed in a different list altogether. But then there are cases where real people inspire fictitious characters that may not always be exact replicas, and may occasionally even be used with artistic license to tell a different story. Following is a list of such movie characters from the Malayalam cinema based on real people.

15. Sister Amala from Crime File (1999)

played by Sangita

based on Sister Abhaya of the long standing and sensational Abhaya Murder Case where a Catholic nun was found dead in a convent well, back in 1992.

14. K.P. MADHAVAN NAIR from Ivan Megharoopan (2012)

played by Prakash Bare

based on the bohemian poet P. Kunhiraman Nair whose rootless existence inspired his acclaimed oeuvre that ceaselessly praised natural beauty.

13. Lekha from Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback (1983)

played by Nalini

based on the National Award winning film actress Shobha whose life and scandalous suicide at the age of 17 forms the main plotline of this controversial K.G. George film.

12. JOSEPH from Thalappavu (2008)

played by Prithviraj Sukumaran

based on Arikkad Varghese, a Naxalite whose alleged killing in 1970 while in police captivity was falsely recorded as encounter death, up until its eventual expose in 1998 by the constable involved in the shooting.

11. Gopalakrishna Panicker from Sanmanasullavarku Samadhanam (1986)

played by Mohanlal

based on the film’s scriptwriter and actor Sreenivasan’s father, who apparently squandered all his wealth in random litigations.

10. MADHAVAN KUTTY from Vartha (1986)

played by Mammootty

based on Madhav Das Nalappad, son of writer Kamala Das whose tempestuous stint as the editor of Mathrubhoomi newspaper is the subject of this I.V. Sasi film scripted by T. Damodaran.

9. Nettoor Stephen a.k.a. NETTOORAN from Lal Salam (1990)

played by Mohanlal

based on Varghese Vaidyan, one of the founding leaders of Communist Party in Kerala.   

8. Malavika from Thirakkatha (2008)

played by Priyamani

based on Actress Srividya whose troubled love life with actor Kamal Haasan forms the main thread of this Ranjith film structured as an investigation into the life and time of a once popular film actress.

7. V. Sukumaran from Nayam Vyakthamakunnu (1991)

played by Mammootty

based on the late Kerala Legislative Assembly Speaker G. Karthikeyan, who was only flattered to have been the basis of this lighthearted character sketch.

6. INDIRA from Panchagni (1986)

played by Geeta

based on Naxalite Ajitha, whose fictionalized life post prison is narrated in this Hariharan film written by M.T. Vasudevan Nair.

5. Jayakrishnan from Thoovanathumbikal (1987)

played by Mohanlal

based on Padmarajan’s friend Karakkath Unni Menon who apparently lead the kind of dual existence that was portrayed in the film, although Clara was a figment of the writer’s imagination entirely.

4. Sethurama Iyer from Oru CBI Diary Kuruppu (1988)

played by Mammootty

based on a police officer called Radha Vinod Raju, who formed the basis for not just his investigative techniques, but also his mannerisms and body language.

3. Mangalasserry Neelakandan from Devasuram (1993)

played by Mohanlal

based on a similar real life character from Calicut called Mullasserry Rajagopal who was also as passionate about music only if not more.

2. BHASKARA PATELAR from Vidheyan (1993)

played by Mammootty

based on Shekhara Shetty Patela a similar tyrant in real life that inspired the Zacharia short stories on which this Adoor film is based on.

1. Raghava Chakyar from Piravi (1989)

played by Premji

based on T.V. Eachara Warrier, a retired professor who hogged the headlines for his legal battle with the then Congress-led state government regarding the mysterious disappearance of his son Rajan of the controversial Rajan Case.