Vandanam (1989) - Our Buddy Cop Classic

Say the word Bangalore and the first thing that comes to my mind is the film 'Vandanam'.

Vandanam is a movie that's pretty close to my heart. More of a comfort movie, if you will.

Inspired from the 1987 flick Stakeout, Priyadarshan has that knack to craft movie remakes that Malayalis can relate to, and end up embracing, as one of their own.

Early 20's me got attracted to everything Vandanam had to offer - the allure of a new Southern City, iconic comedy scenes that still makes me chuckle to this day, great soundtrack and a nice storyline that kept me hooked. As mentioned earlier in my Black blog entry, words wont be enough to express my admiration for the movie. However, I will try.

The portrayal of storytelling is so simple and comedy is so effective, that small nuanced gestures or looks are enough to bring a smile, with the thought that something pretty baffling is around the corner. A typical Priyadarshan film with all factors.

Director	Writer	Release Date	Genre
Priyadarshan	V.R Gopalakrishnan	14 May 1989	🎭 🔍🧨Comedy , Thriller

Why is this movie so dear to me?

Landing in a bustling city in your 20's for the first time and not knowing the language

Some might hate to admit it, but we all have been there in that tough spot once. Landing starry-eyed and with bubbling enthusiasm in a city that you have heard a lot about and the language proving to be your immediate barrier. Been there, done that.

Bangalore was a mini Gulf of sorts for Indians back in the 80's, with lots of money from software to be made. The sophistication of Indians with newly minted software money, along with the transition towards a more stylish and progressive era marked by printed shirts and the works, made it an exciting time. The transition is very evident in scenes within the movie (street shots) and is a joy to watch.

Unnikrishnan unluckily falls into this hole and this helped craft a rib tickling comedy scene, with Jagadeesh being the scapegoat. The chemistry between the leads is so evident here and sets the tone forward for their camaraderie.

Credits : Choice Network (YouTube)

In the end, we came here as migrants, embraced this city as one of our own and are proud to be a key part of this city. Bangalore may have not let down any Malayali and it's an emotion that we have embraced, close to our beating hearts.

Bangalore: The Beating Heart of South India

Malayalam Movies set in distant cities or countries leave a lasting mark forever, on the minds of the quintissential Malayali. The legacy of Mumbai within Kakkakuyil and Chandralekha , Nepal within Yodha and Spain within Spanish Masala, leave within, a pining hope to visit these storied places someday. A fixation for Bengaluru based stories has always been there, standing as an ever-lasting beacon for us to proudly hold them, close to our heart and to call it as one of our own.

Thriller Proceedings

The life of Unnikrishnan, portrayed withing the movie, was thrilling down to the last bit. Securing a cool job hunting down criminals in the Police Force, getting deputation to travel to an unknown city to do your job, coming across love during your jaunt, doing cheesy stuff to capture the one's attention, successfully capturing the criminal that you are assigned to and being resigned to losing your one. It may be something that I can never achieve, but one can merely dream on.

Add to that, an individual's thirst for revenge, coupling with a jail escape and the entire escape showdown. These are stuff of dreams!

Credits : Times of India

Chemistry Ooze - Nuanced and Quirky Characteristics

Mukesh and Mohanlal go hand-in-hand like hummus and kuboos. What keeps this movie close to my heart was the pair's camaraderie through every situation.

Your typical happy-go-lucky Malayali fellows go through love, conflict of interests, humorous situations etc, in their chase to nab the villain, who coincidentally ends up being your love's old man.

Their long friendship, stemming from college days does sprout some incredulous stories that make us reminisce of the friendship that we loved, and lost through the years.

The twinkle in Unnikrishnan's eyes, followed by the facial muscle twitching to express amazement and Peter's unexpected childish outburst makes this scene, a viewer's delight.

Credits : Choice Network (YouTube)

It's truly a blessing if you can put in efforts to maintain friendships over the years and be subject to nice ribbing by your mates about the cringe and skin crawling incidents committed in a stupid stupor, during a bygone era.

Mukesh's Kollam accent in this movie is so iconic, so much that it lends a charm to his dialogues. That's probably a reason why this role remains one of his best in his career, amongst other performances in Priyadarshan's and other comedy caper movies.

A concurrent trait within Priyadarshan movies is the art of convincing, through blazing fast scenarios and dialogues. As seen in Kakkakuyil and other Priyan movies, both Mohanlal and Mukesh are the masters of pulling such stunts off, leaving behind a trail of confusion and self persuasion amongst characters to suit their narrative.

Iconic Comedy Scenes

I will let the clips do the talking 😇

"I'm observing something super important!!"

~ Super cop Peter Kaleeckal

"Choondu, nee choondu"

~ Macho cop Peter Kaleeckal

Mukesh toying around

Gaslighting at it's finest, with a humorous touch

Credits : Choice Network (YouTube)

I really wanna add more 😓 (guess you can guess them from the dialogues alone)

"Unniiii ...... endhooo"
"Enkile, ennodu para, love you'ne"
Church Scene and the ensuing confusion
Jagadeesh's chase scene through the roads of Bengaluru

I really did feel bad for Purushothaman Nair's (played by Jagadeesh) treatment throughout the movie. Though a bit of exaggeration and swagger was part of his vibe, at the end of the day, he was an honest cop trying to do his work. Jagadeesh played it to perfection and upon rewatches, made me have a soft spot for the character

Credits : Choice Network (YouTube)

Romance graced under Bangalore skies of '89

The unlikely love track that blossoms in between the proceedings, is something that's the stuff of dreams. The cheesy scenes involving Unnikrishnan and Gadha has some undertones of stalking and harassment, but Mohanlal, with his charm waltzes through the film effortlessly. We are left with a chuckle every time our hero attempts to woo the ethereal beauty.

In hindsight, winning Gadha's heart might have felt forced, however, the budding couple couldn't have realized that visions of a dreamy married life were not on the cards.

It's a a divine blessing when you are accepted into someone's heart, despite all your flaws. That's what makes love beautiful.

Credits : Choice Network (YouTube)

Allure of old Bengaluru

It came as a surprise to me, that the duo's stakeout and Aunt Maggie's apartment were merely part of a film set and not real locations. One of my first missions upon reaching Bangalore was to go in search of Sax Electricals. Imagine my disappointment!

Credits : Choice Network (YouTube)

Taking a stroll later through Vidhan Soudha and the lush Cubbon Park, you are permitted to leave your mind wandering and beam with a smile, thinking that these were places that helped a beautiful Malayalam movie to take fruit, leaving fragments of old Bangalore for a new generation to reminisce about.

Credits : Choice Network (YouTube)

Comedy Sidetrack

Apart from the leads, sidekick characters namely - Jagadeesh , Kunchan, Sukumari and Pappu chettan had a particular charm of their own. The anglophile bug is really addictive!

Another facet is that they are key components to a Priyadarshan movie that's a sureshot laugh riot. Once they are on screen, you know that you are in, for a nice time.

Credits : Choice Network (YouTube)

Soundtrack

The vibe of listening to Ouseppachan's tracks, penned by Shibu Chakravarthi and being crooned by MG Sreekumar and Sujatha is something. The choreography is also something that makes want to revisit the movie, time and time again

I'm in love with the background scores as well. The ones used during the house breaking scene, the climax etc. are close to my heart. A Johnson Master touch to the dot.

Trivia

The trio's (Priyadarshan , Mohanlal and Girija) next outing in 1989, would have seen them in a now un-realized flick named 'Dhanushkodi'. Starring Sreenivasan and Raghuvaran (of late), it has an interesting premise and has sparked discussions reigniting the fact that it remains a talking point to this day

Still from the movie 'Dhanushkodi'

The iconic words ‘I love You’ was reused 19 years later, in the Mohanlal starrer ‘College Kumaran’. Man, what a waste of a film, but a guilty pleasure watch indeed 🫣

Parting words

I am ending this blog piece praising Vandanam, very well aware that my blog wont be enough to justify this gem of a movie. Some stuff are better experienced and are a delight to view, as it is, in the eyes of the creator and the beholder. Vandanam is one such flick that never disappoints with multiple rewatches.

Another facet that you might have observed is that, I haven't spared much words discussing about the revenge aspect of the story. To be honest, I wouldn't wish for anyone to go through that. However, Nedumudi Venu's portrayal of Dr. Kurian Fernandes was played to point and is truly an iconic villain in Malayalam Cinema. Talking about the character, his sidekick Raghu and their exploits towards exacting revenge makes me feel uneasy, so let's just leave it at that.

However, a dream that still lives on within me, is a wish to witness the movie on the big screen with remastered quality. One can dream on..

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