Few in Malayalam cinema could act, write and even direct as well as Sreenivasan did and often steer it into previously unexplored waters. A multifaceted genius, he was responsible for some of the most successful and thoughtful films in the Malayalam canon. For writer Sreenivasan, it all started with the 1980s, where he collaborated with legendary directors such as Priyadarshan, Sibi Malayil, and Sathyan Anthikad. Quality comedies such as Boeing Boeing, Mutharamkunnu PO, Gandhinagar 2nd Street, Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu, Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam, Hello My Dear Wrong Number, and the CID trilogy came back-to-back, straight out of the assembly line.

The list of Sreenivasan's films and screenplays is so exhaustive, it feels infinite. With these films, the writer showcased his ability to mine humour from the mundane as he himself played the everyman with the necessary restraint or over-the-top showmanship, accordingly. At his peak, Sreenivasan's comedy is often the kind that makes you laugh initially, only to squirm in your seat soon afterwards, thinking about the implications. 

Take 1989’s Vadakkunokkiyanthram, for example, a film he wrote, directed, and starred in. The story of an insecure man and an obsessive husband’s descent into madness is quirky, scary, thoughtful, and downright hilarious all at the same time. When his character Thalathil Dineshan tries to impress his wife (Parvathy) with a corny joke or attempts to strike a stranger, suspecting the man who exists in his wild imaginations of having an affair with her, you burst out in laughter at first. However, moments later, you feel sad for the man he ends up becoming and scared for those around him. It is a testament to Sreenivasan's remarkable ability to play the audience like a piano, something which not many possess in Malayalam cinema. The actor underplays the character, almost with a wink at the audience, where he could have easily played to the gallery.

In the same year, he wrote and acted in Varavelpu, starring Mohanlal as a down-on-his-luck bus owner. The film, which tells the story of a youngster (Mohanlal) who returns after a long time from the Gulf to start a business in his hometown, even caught the eye of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The then-PM cited it in his speech at the 2003 Global Investors Meet in Kerala as a note of caution for potential investors. While it is easy to admire Sreenivasan for weaving in an angle that serves as a scathing criticism of the state’s political climate at the time, what often gets overlooked is his own performance as the hard-nosed vehicle inspector.

The actor would go on to replicate this magic in many more films as a writer, as early as 1990 with Paavam Paavam Rajakumaran. Directed by Kamal, Paavam Paavam Rajakumaran saw Sreenivasan embody the idea of an innocent and reticent man unable to express his feelings to the woman he loves. As with Vadakkunokkiyanthram’s Dineshan, PK Gopalakrishnan is also someone who is so devoid of confidence that he allows others around him to take advantage of him. While the film does not take the same dark turn as Vadakkunokkiyanthram, it showed that its writer and leading man was never afraid of exploring new themes in Malayalam cinema—something which we casually classify with the word ‘Wave’.

The 1990s saw writer-actor Sreenivasan’s return to his favourite political genre, this time in a more important role as compared to Varavelpu, with the brilliant Sandesham. The classic satirical comedy, directed by Sathyan Anthikad and also starring Thilakan, Jayaram, Siddique, and Kaviyoor Ponnamma, takes a critical look at the Communist party’s staunch adherence to conventions. While it does not explicitly mention either the Communist or Congress party, the film shows how the former's members ply their trade, peddling the party’s Machiavellian theories, while hiding under the guise of socialism. It also shows the state Congress’ corruption in the name of progress. Then, again, Sandesham is not a film purely for the politically inclined. At the heart of the film lies a potent and relatable question: Can a man who does not love and take care of his family be a real man (which echoes the philosophy in The Godfather)? We think about this aspect the most when the two brothers, played by Sreenivasan and Jayaram, feud over which party’s ideologies are superior even as their parents and other relatives look on with a sense of bemusement. Sreenivasan would ask the same question again, this time with a film featuring a spiritual and religious undertone, in Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala.

The film, which marked his return to direction after Vadakkunokkiyanthram, saw him take a deep dive into another one of his favourite genres: the broken marriage. The film tells the story of a husband with a tendency to shirk responsibility to escape from his reality and of a mother’s struggle to raise her family. It won Sreenivasan his first and only National Film Award, one for Best Film on Other Social Issues.

Then again, Sreenivasan’s legacy is never about awards. It has everything to do with his ability to seamlessly shift between multiple roles, while treating each individual role with the much-needed respect. Beyond the writer and actor, you also remember the bold man who spoke out about many social issues and outdated conventions in the film industry without fearing the repercussions. Who can forget his Saroj Kumar character in 2005’s Udayananu Tharam?

Beyond everything, the film shows that the real star of the show is the director, the captain of the ship, criticising the star culture before vanity vans even became a thing. It also serves as a snapshot of Sreenivasan’s career, an antithesis to the super heroic and uber powerful.