Cochin Haneefa + Humor.

Cochin Haneefa, had an amazing range when it came to histrionics onscreen. But behind the camera, he was a man possessed with the dark colours of everyday life.

All the movies that he directed or scripted seem to resonate with a dark,(at times cliche’d) set of character sketches who mostly seem to work within the framework of the current commercial masala requirements, yet had you riveted to your seat till the credits rolled.

But its his take on humor that seems to have given Cochin Haneefa his cherished place in Malayalam film industry and in the average fan’s heart, forever  valued and treasured.

Reelity goes through the ones that had us rolling in the aisles with laughter, and also had us dabbing our eyes at the pathos of it in the end at times.It was difficult, it is  not definitive but it is worth it.

Hydrose : (Kireedom, reprised in Chenkol)

Maybe the most definitive role in his career on screen, the scared-to-death-village-goonda who thinks its a much safer bet to tag along the protagonist who is thrust into violence by a strange set of circumstances, and milk the situtation for what it is worth till the end. Every village and town had one. But there wasn’t anyone till then or since who has played that to perfection.

Watch a clipping from Chenkol, as Hydrose does his number.

Eldo : (Mannar Mathai Speaking)

The somewhat unsettling and disjointed sequel to the cult Ramjirao Speaking gave Cochin Haneefa his brilliant five minutes of fame including the famed “Village Chase Scene”. The character did not have much relevance to the main structure of the story, but Cochin Haneefa made that simple one-liner in the script to one of the most brilliant sketches of the village idiot ever captured on screen in Malayalam cinema.

Watch Eldos doing his number here.  It starts from 4:16.

Gangadharan : (Punjabi House)

The hassled and harried boat-owner who is intent in getting his compensation of saving his ‘human fish’ that they managed to snag in their otherwise daily catch from the high seas. The movie also elevated the nonsensical ‘jeba jeba’ to an new exalted level in ribald humor.

The classic ‘Dumb Charade” from Punjabi House.

Thrivikraman : ( Meesa Madhavan).

The most memorable political secretary of the village local committee ever portrayed in Malayalam movies. The self-proclaimed local secretary with a cervical collar which almost seemed surgically implanted on to his neck (hence the village nickname, Pidali(neck!),Cochin Haneefa made Pidali a cult icon in the Malayalam cinescape, as ever bumbling and weaving through the script with confidence and sheer false bravado.

Watch Pidali cussing and bumbling through Meesa Madhavan here. Starts at 1:37.

CI Veerappan : (Ee Parakkum Thalika).

CI Veerabhadar Kurup a.k.a Veerappan Kurup, the blood-sucking DTS Vampire Traffic CI of Ernakulam North was secure in the able hands, eyebrows and overflowing mustache of Cochin Haneefa. Ee Parakkum Thalika (This Flying Saucer) owes its cult popularity and success in equal measures to Cochin Haneefa along with the main protagonists, and still remains a classic in Malayalam movies even today as far as comedy is concerned.

CI Veerbhadra Kurup enters at 7:17. Hold on for the crazy ride.

Heaven should be a richer place by now.
You will be sorely missed, Ikka.

Read Reelity’s tribute to Cochin Haneefa here.