Maheshinte Prathikaaram () is a 2016 Indian Malayalam-language comedy drama film directed by Dileesh Pothan, in his directorial debut, and produced by Aashiq Abu. The film stars Fahadh Faasil in the title role alongside a supporting cast including Aparna Balamurali, Anusree, Alencier Ley Lopez and Soubin Shahir. Written by Syam Pushkaran, the story is based on an incident in the life of Thampan Purushan from Thuravoor, Cherthala. Shyju Khalid was the film's cinematographer, and Bijibal composed the music.
Maheshinte Prathikaaram development began in 2013 when Pothan was working as an associate director for Abu on Idukki Gold, co-written by Syam. Syam suggested a story idea to Pothan based on an incident in his native village. At Pothan's insistence, Syam wrote the screenplay that year and Abu later became interested in producing the film. Production was scheduled to commence from December 2014 after completing the casting process but, scheduling conflicts led to its postponement to August 2015. Principal photography began in early August in Idukki at nearby locations, where it was predominantly filmed. Shooting was completed in late October.
Maheshinte Prathikaaram was released in Kerala on 5 February 2016, in the rest of India on 12 February, and globally on 26 February. The film was a commercial success, grossing 17.35 crore (173.5 million) at the Kerala box office on a budget of 3.50 crore (35 million). It received critical acclaim with praise going to the performances of its cast especially that of Fahadh Faasil's as one of his career-best performances, humour, music, cinematography, editing and screenplay. At the 64th National Film Awards, it won the Best Original Screenplay and Best Feature Film in Malayalam, and at the 47th Kerala State Film Awards, it won the Best Original Screenplay and Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value. The film was remade into Tamil as Nimir (2018) and into Telugu as Uma Maheswara Ugra Roopasya (2020). Maheshinte Prathikaram is widely regarded as one of the defining movies of the Malayalam New Wave.
Plot Mahesh Bhavana is a small-time photographer who lives with his father, Vincent Bhavana. They run the digital photography Bhavana Studio in the Prakash region of Idukki district in Kerala. Next to the studio is a flex-board printing shop owned by Mahesh's good friend, Baby. His assistant Crispin is a Photoshop expert who designs the flex-boards. Mahesh is in a relationship with his high-school sweetheart, Soumya .
Baby becomes involved in a trivial argument with a man in the center of the village. The dispute escalates, but passersby calm them down. However, Crispin belatedly attacks the man who had argued with Baby. The fight restarts, with the man's friend Jimson, joining in as well. Mahesh arrives and tries to calm everyone down, but Jimson, furious at Mahesh's bossy tone, starts a fight with him and beats him up. Vincent eventually breaks up the fight. Humiliated, Mahesh vows to get revenge by beating up Jimson and pledges that he will wear slippers again only after he has done so.
Soumya ends her relationship with Mahesh and marries an NRI nurse leaving Mahesh heartbroken. He then learns about Jimson's whereabouts from Crispin and visits the garage where he works as a welder. There he learns that Jimson has quit and moved to Dubai for work. Despite Baby's advice that he should forget the incident, Mahesh resolves to wait for Jimson's return. In the meantime, he enrolls in a kung fu course.
Jimsy, a young college student, visits the studio to have a glamour photograph taken since she wants to participate in Vanitha cover competition. Perplexed at the unusual request, Mahesh conducts the photo shoot. However, Jimsy's photograph turns out to be dull and unimpressive, and her disappointment with the result makes Mahesh question his skills as a photographer. Upset, he turns to his father for advice who explains photography as an art to his son. Mahesh goes through his father's photograph collection, understanding their angles and lighting, and gets an idea.
Instead of his familiar still photography, Mahesh secretly photographs Jimsy in motion and sends the best photo to the magazine. Shortly afterward, Jimsy goes to Mahesh's house with the magazine containing her photo. Although she rebukes him for photographing her without permission, she praises the photo. They become interested in each other, and realizing this, Jimsy calls Mahesh to talk about their future. She tells him that she is Jimson's younger sister, but his misgiving is overshadowed by love and he decides to continue their relationship.
Several weeks later, Jimson is fired from his job for slapping his supervisor and is deported back to India. The following day, Mahesh and Baby challenge him to a hand-to-hand combat. After a few minutes of fighting, Mahesh pins down Jimson and Baby declares him the winner. Mahesh visits Jimson in a hospital the next day and introduces himself to his mother in front of Jimsy. He admits his love for Jimsy and asks Jimson if he agrees to the relationship. During the end credits, it is shown that Mahesh and Jimsy are together now.
Cast Fahadh Faasil as Mahesh Bhavana Soubin Shahir as Crispin Aparna Balamurali as Jimsy Anusree as Soumya Alencier Ley Lopez as Baby Lijomol Jose as Soniya K. L. Antony Kochi as Vincent Bhavana, Mahesh's father Sujith Shankar as Jimson Augustine, Jimsy's brother Jaffar Idukki as Kunjumon, Soumya's father Achunthanandan as Thahir, village councillor Arun Kumar Pavumba as auto driver, jimson's friend Vijilesh Karayad as Vijilesh Leena Antony as Jimsy's mother "Kung-fu" Sajith as Mahesh's karate instructor Dileesh Pothan as Eldho, an American Malayali (cameo appearance) Unnimaya Prasad as Eldho's wife (cameo appearance)
Production
Development
Maheshinte Prathikaaram is based on an incident in screenwriter Syam Pushkaran native village. During the filming of Aashiq Abu Idukki Gold (2013), Syam discussed it with Abu's associate-director Dileesh Pothan, who decided to make his directorial debut with it. The idea for a film was developed; it was decided to set and shoot it in Idukki, since they believed it was a good location for a story about people living in the countryside. In August 2014, Fahadh Faasil was reported to star in the film, with Abu bankrolling it through his production house OPM Dream Mill Cinemas. It was Fahadh's second film for Abu after 22 Female Kottayam (2012). Bijibal was signed as the film's composer and Shyju Khalid as its cinematographer. Filming was planned to start in the first week of December 2014. Maheshinte Prathikaaram was Syam's first independent screenplay. In September 2014, Fahadh was reported to join the project after completing Anwar Rasheed's Maniyarayile Jinnu. Because of Fahadh's scheduling conflicts, production was postponed until early June 2015. It was postponed again when the actor was unavailable due to a conflict with Naale and Ayal Njanalla. Maheshinte Prathikaaram began production in early August 2015 for a planned Christmas release.
Writing
The character of Mahesh was based on Kuriyachira Purushan (popularly known as Thampan Purushan), Syam's neighbour in their native Thuravoor, Alappuzha. Purushan was publicly beaten and humiliated when he tried to break up a fight, and vowed to wear his slippers only after he avenged the man who embarrassed him. His "enemy" went to Dubai, and he had to wait three years for revenge. As a child, Syam heard about the incident from Purushan and discussed it with Pothan as an idea for a screenplay. Syam began writing, setting the story in Pothan's native Kottayam; it was later changed to Idukki. He studied Idukki's culture and characteristics in his two-month stay during the filming of Idukki Gold, and found it an ideal backdrop. Syam added a fictional romance to the story. The film paid tribute to Purushan (who died in December 2015 while the film was in post-production) in a title card.
Despite Maheshinte Prathikaaram title, Pothan intended it to be a comedy: "I enjoy humour with a poignant touch. This was a narrative that had the potential to be a thriller but we wanted that element of realism to shine through". He and Syam worked on the screenplay for nearly three years. With a few assistant directors, they honed it for about three months in Prakash City, a mountain village near Kattappana in Idukki (where the film is set). The screenplay was based on their observations of the village near the kavala (junction), which generated a detailed backstory for each of the film's characters. Pothan took note of the mannerisms of the shopkeepers in the kavala whom he considered a "witness to many of the incidents that unfold in the village, real and reel".
According to Syam, he observed the strengths of both Pothan and Fahadh and incorporated into the screenplay. The screenplay was revised several times between pre-production and filming, with Syam preparing its first draft in mid-2013. In the meanwhile, he completed scripts for three other films. According to the writer, its creation was unhurried; the film was about village life, with which he was familiar (Thampan Purushan, on whom the story is based, was his father's friend). Syam added that the screenplay had "less research but more observation". A revised screenplay was prepared after completing the casting, and it underwent several more revisions as filming progressed. Syam, Pothan and Khalid discussed the screenplay every night after filming. Syam said that there were changes to every scene in the film, based on suggestions by the director and cast.
Cast and crew
According to Pothan, the film had the "perfect casting, despite the fact that several of them were newcomers". He first discussed the film with Fahadh Faasil during the filming of Iyobinte Pusthakam in 2014, in which the director played a minor role. Fahadh, enthusiastic about the project, agreed to appear in the film after fulfilling his other commitments. Pothan described Mahesh as a simpleton with a multi-layered character and wanted an actor who would provide much finesse and subtlety to the portrayal. He added that Fahadh was chosen for the "natural and spontaneous" actor in him. Pothan and Syam cast Soubin Shahir as Crispin early in the screenwriting process. The director summoned Sujith Shanker, who debuted in Njan Steve Lopez (2015), for a script-briefing section as a possible Jimson. Although Shanker liked the story, he was uncertain whether he would fit in the role; however, Pothan had confidence in him.
Syam's wife Unnimaya was the casting director and also acted and served as an assistant director in the film. She along with Pothan appeared in minor rolesSarah and Eldho, a couple settled in the United States. In May 2015, Anusree was cast as Soumya, a nurse who is Mahesh's childhood sweetheart. Aparna Balamurali, who had appeared in Oru Second Class Yathra (2015), was encouraged by Syam's wife (who is her university instructor) to audition for the role of Jimsy. Balamurali was briefed about her character only two days before filming began. Fahadh suggested Alencier Ley Lopez, with whom he had worked in Annayum Rasoolum (2013), for Baby's role. Newcomer Lijimol Jose was chosen for the role of Soniyamol after she answered a casting call. Theatrical couple K. L. Antony Kochi and Leena Antony made their film debuts as Vincent Bhavana and Jimsy's mother, respectively. Pothan also hired local people to appear in the film in "whatever clothes they turned up in"; he believed that if he cast only actors, "the reality would have been compromised". The director wanted to "feel each frame of the film, be it the rustic ambiance, the clothes or the accent".