Malayalam cinema’s most iconic tragedy was created under extraordinary circumstances — written in just three days and shot in only 25 days on a modest budget of ₹23.5 lakh. The film also became legendary for Mohanlal’s gesture of charging Less.
Kireedam, a landmark in 1989, would still rank among the most potent tragedies in Malayalam cinema. Yet it is the swiftness and thrifty manner of its making that adds more to its shine. Reports have it that A. K. Lohithadas is said to have written the screenplay in just three days - and it seems quite likely it was a single stretch of intense writing, inspired more by the emotional situation than by any careful plotting.
Mohanlal's, Malayalam Classic Was Written in 72 Hours
The film was shot just as quickly. Twenty-five days was the shooting time; the film was completed in ₹ 23.5 lakh. Mohanlal, the main actor and a star of great stature in Malayalam films by then, agreed to work for only a ₹ 4 lakh fee, which was reportedly less than his usual remuneration out of goodwill because of his friendship with the producer. This film got Mohanlal his first National award.
Kireedam tells the tragic story of young Sethumadhavan, who wanted to be a policeman but fell into violence and heartbreak after a brief encounter because of the direction offered by Sibi Malayil and some powerful performances by actors like Thilakan along with Mohanlal.
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Despite its quick production and minimalist budget, Kireedam moved the hearts of both the public and the critics because of its emotional rawness and strong performances. Mohanlal's excellent performance cemented the film in people's memories along with his chemistry with Thilakan. Kireedam grew eventually into a cult classic and proved that good stories can be told without spending a fortune on production or making the film with way too many shoot days.
Director Talks About Film
Lohithadas spoke about the film and expressed how this film happened, “The script for Kireedam was the quickest I’ve ever written in my life. I finished the entire script in about three days. I wrote the whole thing in one sitting, without bathing or eating. I was writing day and night. First of all, for me, I don’t need to ‘write’… Because of the emotional intensity of the story… I just need to touch the pen to the paper, and it will keep writing itself. That’s how it was finished.”
Even after all these decades, with 4 K restoration being undertaken and showing in festivals for new audiences, Kireedam stands by what good cinema can achieve with the reconciliation of talent, zeal, and dedication when done fast, simple, and powerful.
