'Manjil Virinja Pookkal' to 'Hridayapoorvam': 81-year-old lensman clicks Mohanlal's various moods. See latest pics

Mohanlal, who is celebrating his 65th birthday on Wednesday, announced the wrap-up of 'Hridayapoorvam' directed by Sathyan Anthikad. Recently, an 81-year-old man walked into the set of the film. The man was none other than Chithra Krishnankutty, a photographer, who was once a familiar name on film sets. Chithra would capture moments of actors and crew members for various film magazines. In his mind, still vivid, is the image of a shy, soft-spoken newcomer he once photographed on the sets of 'Manjil Virinja Pookkal.' That newcomer was Mohanlal, stepping into the world of cinema for the very first time.

What began as a casual encounter through the lens of a camera blossomed into a warm friendship, nurtured over countless movie sets through the years. When Krishnankutty launched his own studio in Kottayam, it was Mohanlal whom he invited to inaugurate it. That moment became part of film history--the first ever studio inaugurated by Mohanlal. Today, more than four and a half decades later, that bond remains unbroken.

Now, after 46 years, Chithra Krishnankutty has once again walked onto a Mohanlal film set with a camera in hand, just like in the old days. In this article, he shares with us what he saw through his lens and the moments that took him back in time. His words:

I had gone to the set of 'Manjil Virinja Pookkal,' the very first film Mohanlal acted in, to take photographs. Present on the set that day were C K Soman, editor of Cinema Masika (a film magazine), Shankaran Nair, producer Navodaya Appachan, and director Fazil. Together, they interviewed the young Mohanlal.

Interestingly, it was after seeing his picture that Lal was called in for an interview. Fazil later told me that he liked Mohanlal's photo because he looked like a lazy youngster. "It was this easy-going charm that caught my attention and that’s what I liked about him," Fazil told me.

We arrived at the 'Manjil Virinja Pookkal' set one evening. As we sat on the lawn in front of the residential quarters. Appachan sir asked Shankar and Mohanlal to pose for photographs. I took a couple of photographs of both Mohanlal and Shanker, with the pillar at the quarters serving as the backdrop. I still have those pictures with me. What began as a casual acquaintance with Lal on that set soon blossomed into a deep friendship. We would often run into each other on various film sets, where I continued to photograph him. Over time, I watched him grow into a phenomenal star.

I was there for his wedding too,  with a camera in hand. I later gifted him a wedding album, compiled from the photos I had taken that day. During those years, I regularly contributed photographs to several film magazines, including Cinema Masika, Chalachithram, Chithrakarthika, and Manorajyam. Among them, Chalachithram shut down abruptly. When that happened, I decided to take a step back from the film world and shift my focus to business.

I had always been involved in farming, so I chose to pursue it more seriously. I never maintained particularly close relationships or deep friendships within the film industry. During the Covid lockdown, I unexpectedly received a phone call from Lal one fine day. It was a simple call from Chennai, just to ask how I was doing. Along with that, he sent me a few pictures taken from his house. That brief conversation rekindled our old bond, and in many ways, made our friendship even stronger. Since then, we’ve exchanged messages occasionally.

Lal asked me to send him some of his old photographs that I had taken over the years, and I did. I’ve shared similar photos with Mammootty too. But Lal, in particular, often asks me for old pictures whenever we talk. Sadly, I’ve lost a few of those vintage photos over time. Still, it’s become a bit of a ritual for Lal to bring them up during our conversations. During that time, I had the opportunity to accompany Jose Panachippuram to photograph Mohanlal for Manorama. The interview was arranged by Century Kochumon, and we went to Lal’s house for the interview.

As the interview progressed, one makeup artist stepped in and said, “Sir, please wrap up the photo session in 15 minutes. Lal sir has another appointment.” I nodded in agreement.

But once I got behind the camera, time slipped away. I ended up shooting for 28 minutes and captured 130 photos! It was around that time that 'Malaikottai Vaaliban' was set for release. I decided to create a photo album using the pictures I had taken during the interview with Mohanlal, alongside Jose Panachippuram. Once it was ready, I headed to the hotel where the press conference for 'Malaikottai Vaaliban' was taking place.

The venue was packed, and access was tightly restricted due to the crowd. I had reached the hotel by 10 a.m. itself. Lal arrived around noon.

I was standing close to the entrance when Lal spotted me. He looked over and asked, “When is our programme?” I replied, “Let this one finish first.” As the press conference was drawing to a close, I moved closer to him. Without hesitation, Lal called me up onto the stage.

I had brought with me a photo album and a picture for him. I presented the album in front of the media, and the photos from the event went viral on social media.

Some time later, I came across a note written by Sathyan Anthikkad in the Sunday supplement of Malayala Manorama. It was a piece, wondering who could ever replace Jagathy Sreekumar. After reading it, I felt compelled to call Sathyan. We’ve known each other since his early days in the industry.

“Sathyan,” I said, “I have an answer to your question--who else but Mohanlal? There was a time when Lal had audiences in stitches with his impeccable comic timing. For various reasons, that side of him hasn’t been seen much lately.”

To that, Sathyan replied, “Krishnakuttyetta, that’s exactly what my next film is about.” Hearing that, I immediately felt the urge to visit his set. I told him I’d drop by, and he warmly welcomed me. That’s how I found myself on the sets of 'Hridayapoorvam.'

When I arrived on the set, Lal came over personally and held my hands to welcome me. Smiling, he said, “You’ve grown old, haven’t you?” But I was taken aback on seeing him. He looked as youthful as ever.

Just like in the old days, he spoke to me freely and I began capturing him through my lens. After a while, it was time for his next shot. Yet, before heading off, he turned to me and said, “Don’t leave, okay?”

I captured the Lal I saw on the sets of 'Hridayapoorvam --a few candid moments, a few posed frames. In those minutes, I also managed to photograph a side of Lal that the audience rarely gets to see.

Today, I’m sharing those photographs with the readers of Manorama Online. I captured them at the age of 81 -- and as I did, 46 years of Lal on screen flashed through my mind. These images hold something special: expressions and moments that we never quite got to see in his earlier films… they are very much there in this movie too!," he said.