Back in Malayalam cinema's vintage era, Thampy Kannanthanam's name figured in title sequences with the accompaniment of a loud round of applause. A hitmaker of 1980s, Thampy Kannanthanam's films were synonymous with action, heroism, politics, suspense and articulate scripts. He has directed over 16 major Malayalam movies, written six, acted in 12 and produced over 14 movies. Onmanorama lists top five movies directed by Kannanthanam, which set new trends and catapulted Mohanlal to superstardom.
Rajavinte Makan (1986)
The most noted gangster movie of 20th century Malayalam cinema, Rajavinte Makan narrates the story of Vincent Gomez, a mafia don who emerges from the clutches of rugged poverty. Mohanlal, who played the character of Gomez, was shot to instant superstardom after the movie received a rousing reception at the box-office. The movie also gained a cult status in the industry, mostly due to its powerful dialogues and crafty sequences. Suresh Gopi, Ratheesh, Ambika and Mohan Jose were the other key players in Malayalam's milestone gangster move. Gomez gets killed in the then unpredictable climax, but in the process Rajavinte Makan paved the way for a slew of anti-hero films. It was remade into Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi following its grand success.
Vazhiyorakkazhchakal (1987)
Another blockbuster with the same cast, Vazhiyorakkazhchakal is a family drama which says the story of a loyal and loving wife played by Ambika, who risks her credence to save her husband's life. Ratheesh plays the character Baburaj of Ambika's bed-ridden husband, and Mohanlal, that of a taxi-driver named Raghavan who helps the family. The plot takes an unpredictable turn when Baburaj discovers the true identity of Raghavan and discovers their shared goal. It looked like Thampy Kannanthanam was hesitant to disperse his lucky crew after Rajavinte Makan created history. It was written by Dennis Joseph who penned Rajavinte Makan also. It has Suresh Gopi, Mohan Jose and Charuhasan in major character roles. No doubt, this movie was also a great success at the box office.
Boomiyile Rajakkanmar (1987)
A much-lauded political thriller from Thampy Kannanthanam, Bhoomiyile Rajakkanmar tells the story of a royal scion–turned politician Mahendra Varma. It slammed the superficiality of the deeds and offers made by politicians. Varma questions the existing flawed system hailed as democracy and wages a war with the chief minister with the help of his friend Jayan (Suresh Gopi.) With powerful dialogues, striking symbolism and complicated political plot, Bhoomiyile Rajakkanmar gave rise to a brand new genre in Malayalam cinema. The tales of revenge, cold wars and rivalry among the power elite became a dear topic for Malayalam filmmakers later on.
Nirnayam (1995)
A first-of-its-kind medical thriller, Nirnayam speaks about the organ smuggling mafia that functions in the shade of medical industry. Mohanlal plays the character of Dr Roy, who figures out that his beloved wife's death was a murder committed by some gangsters. Roy, with the help of his police-officer friend, hunts down his wife's assassins. This movie is the remake of a famous American film 'The Fugitive.' Nirnayam unveiled a different kind of revenge drama for the Mollywood audience. The super-hit movie has Heera Rajgopal as the female lead.
Onnaman (2002)
Onnaman is the trend-setting predecessor of all the don-movies of Mohanlal. Thampy Kannanthanam modeled a self-styled don named Ravishanker, who is nourished and backed by Salim Bhai (N F Varghese.) Ravishanker speaks for the poor and oppressed. He delivers heavy, intense and multi-layered dialogues. He helps Salim Bhai win his tussle against arch-rival Gulab Chand Shah.
Onnaman was followed by at least 10 movies portraying Mohanlal with a gangster backdrop, including Aaram Thampura, Praja, Thandavam and Ustad. Remya Krishnan, Biju Menon, Kavya Madhavan and Jagadish were the other key actors.
