When Mohanlal was lodged in the same cell where notorious serial killer ‘Ripper' Chandran was once incarcerated: ‘Many people called me and told me not to…'

Indian Express

5 days ago

While it is nearly impossible to select the best performance by Mohanlal or even create a definitive list of his finest works, considering there are so many, any attempt in that regard won't be complete without including his portrayal of the lead character in Sadayam (1992). Directed by veteran filmmaker Sibi Malayil and penned by Jnanpith awardee MT Vasudevan Nair, Sadayam is widely regarded as one of the most impactful psychological dramas the Malayalam film industry has ever created, and Mohanlal's chilling performance as Sathyanathan is considered by many to be one of his finest to date.
As Sathyanathan, a convict awaiting capital punishment for murdering two girls and two men, Mohanlal delivered a masterful portrayal, bringing out the many layers and nuances of the character with remarkable precision, thus setting a benchmark for both his contemporaries and successors to aspire to. Notably, the scenes set in prison were shot at the actual Kannur Central Jail to ensure authenticity and rawness.
However, the extent to which Sibi Malayil, MT Vasudevan Nair and Mohanlal committed to the project is quite fascinating. Intriguingly, the cell where Mohanlal's character was depicted to be lodged was the same one where notorious serial killer 'Ripper' Chandran was once incarcerated. Adding to the chilling atmosphere, the rope used in the scene where Sathyanathan is about to be hanged was a real one that had previously been employed for an actual execution.
'After the film was released, many people called me and told me not to act in such movies. They said they couldn't bear to watch it. Such was the feeling the film delivered. Many powerful scenes were later deleted, which made it even more intense in its original form,' Mohanlal shared during a session at the 2020 edition of Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters.
He continued, 'The film was shot in Kannur Central Jail, and the room I stayed in during the shoot was once occupied by Ripper Chandran, who was on death row. Before him, a man named Balakrishnan had stayed there. The speciality of Kannur Central Jail is that two people can be hanged at the same time. An official even said the rope placed around my neck for the scene had actually been used to hang someone 13 years earlier. I don't know how many actors have had such an experience.'
Also starring Maathu, Thilakan, Nedumudi Venu, KPAC Lalitha, Janardhanan, Sreenivasan and Murali in key roles, MT Vasudevan Nair won the National Film Award for Best Screenplay for Sadayam.