Mohanlal, Asha Jayaram reunite 40 years after 'Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare'

Four decades after Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare found a place in Malayalam cinema’s memory, a quiet reunion far from home has brought the film back into focus. At an event in the United States, Mohanlal and Asha Jayaram shared the stage again after 40 years, turning the evening into a moment of nostalgia for fans.

Directed by Raghunath Paleri, the 1986 film stood out for its restrained storytelling. It followed a mother and daughter who form an unexpected bond with a stranger over the phone, building its narrative almost entirely through conversations and absence rather than action. Asha Jayaram, in her debut, played Aleena, while Mohanlal appeared only in the final stretch as the unseen but significant “telephone uncle.”

That sense of memory carried into the reunion. As Asha prepared to meet Mohanlal on stage, the moment clearly overwhelmed her. In a video that has since gone viral, she is heard saying, “After 40 years, I am going to meet Mohanlal. I can’t even believe or process this.”

Mohanlal, addressing a hall filled with Malayalis, kept his response simple. “Seeing all of you makes me feel deeply homesick,” he said, drawing a warm reaction from the audience.

Later, sharing a photograph from the event on Instagram, Asha wrote, “Oh my God, what a show. Kilukkam 25. Thank you for bringing Lalettan to our city. Beyond being a brilliant talent, Mohanlal is such a loving person. It was wonderful to see how much he values even his co-actors from 40 years ago. Truly happy fan moments.”

The reunion has also renewed attention on Onnu Muthal Poojyam Vare, which continues to be remembered for the way it told an intimate story through minimal elements. For many viewers, the film’s emotional pull lay in its simplicity and the weight it gave to a voice on the other end of a call.

For Asha Jayaram, the film marked the beginning of a brief but notable run in Malayalam cinema. She went on to appear in Thaniyavarthanam (1987), Isabella (1988), Ottayal Pattalam (1990), and Yathrayude Anthyam (1991), before stepping away from films.

Now based in the United States, she works as a digital marketing manager while continuing her engagement with the arts. Trained in Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam, she teaches dance alongside her professional work and also assists her mother, singer Janaki Jayaram, in conducting classical music classes in Detroit.

The reunion itself was brief and unplanned. But for those who remember the film, it served as a reminder of how certain stories, and the people behind them, stay with audiences long after the credits roll.