‘Ee Parakkum Thalika’, which hit theatres in 2001, is easily one of those films that made an impression on the Malayali audience for its humour. Who can forget Kalabhavan Haneef, the groom who ends up being made a fool by Dileep and Harishree Asokan? His peculiar way of speaking and his reactions remain a favourite to this day.
He also was superlatively funny as the unsuspecting groom in ‘Thenkashipattanam’ who is fooled by Samyukta Menon’s character. When she deliberately places a hot steel glass on his hands, he adds a funny rhythm to his wail that prompts the girl’s father to ask if he is trained in classical music.
Though he appeared in brief characters in his three-decade-long career, Haneef made sure his cameos were all notable ('Amar Akbar Antony', 'Kattappanayile Hrithik Roshan'). The guy who wants to change his name ‘Shashi’ as he felt it was too local finally ends up with a name that’s as common. Haneef’s reactions soon turned out to be a meme favourite. He will be remembered through these memorable cameos.v
