Earlier this Saturday, Mohanlal and Mammootty paid their tributes to legendary filmmaker K Bhagyaraj, also known for his credits as an actor, screenwriter, producer, and even composer. Mammootty kept his tribute short, saying, "RIP Bhagyaraj. Heartfelt condolences."
On the other hand, Mohanlal wrote, "Tamil cinema has lost one of its most original voices today. Bhagyaraj Sir was a rare talent, a filmmaker, actor, and storyteller who shaped an entire generation of cinema with his wit, warmth, and vision. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and fans. Om Shanti."
The Mohanlal-Bhagyaraj Connection in Cinema
Mohanlal and Bhagyaraj has not shared screen space in a film, unlike the latter's mentor Bharathiraja. However, Mohanlal has a connection with Bhagyaraj through films in other ways. The actor made his debut with Manjil Virinja Pookkal, co-starring Shankar and the legendary filmmaker's spouse Poornima Bhagyaraj. The legendary actor has also starred with the filmmaker's son, Shanthnu, in a film titled Angel John.
Now, Keralites of a certain vintage might also remember the iconic Bhagyaraj reference in 1987's Nadodikkattu, widely regarded as one of the greatest films in Malayalam cinema. The 1987 film follows Mohanlal's character, Dasan, and Sreenivasan's Vijayan and explores their struggles to earn a living in Madras. They end up in Madras not by choice but because of their life circumstances. A man named Gafoorka (Mamukkoya) drops Dasan and Vijayan off in the city, while lying to them that he would take them to Dubai.
Soon after the two reach the shores of Madras, believing that they are in Dubai, Dasan understands that Gafoor has fooled them. However, a more naive and unsuspecting Vijayan initially places his trust in Gafoorka, only to slowly notice things that feel suspiciously like home. Even as Dasan tells him that the vehicles and landmarks in the city do not seem authentic for a Dubai milieu, Vijayan initially shrugs off the skepticism, saying that his friend is mistaken.
However, a film poster featuring Bhagyaraj and Radha make the two convinced that they have winded up somewhere other than the land of their dreams.
The Bhagyaraj Reference in a Mohanlal Film
The poster that Dasan points to Vijayan in Nadodikkattu to convince him that they are in Madras is that of the 1987 Bhagyaraj-Radha starrer Enga Chinna Rasa. The poster makes Dasan realise that they are not looking at Arabic script but rather Tamil.
It is a clever piece of writing by Sreenivasan himself and direction by Sathyan Anthikad. Instead of a loud confrontation between the protagonists and Gafoorka, the dreaded realisation of being scammed dawned on them through a simple film poster. What makes it even funnier to look back on is the timeline. Nadodikkattu hit theatres a few months before Enga Chinna Rasa in 1987. The production crew used a fresh, contemporary film poster off the streets of Madras to ground the scene in reality. Instead of using someone more popular worldwide from Tamil cinema, such as Kamal Haasan or Rajinikanth, they chose a more rooted figure such as Bhagyaraj.
The Less-Discussed Bhagyaraj-Sreenivasan Connect
Nadodikkattu also serves as a fascinating cross-over between two multi-hyphenated talents in Tamil and Malayalam cinema: Bhagyaraj and Sreenivasan. Both are known for telling stories that explore the struggles of the middle-class and that are laced with everyday humour. Many of these films star the writers themselves.
Bhagyaraj is known for telling serious and emotional stories in a lighter, humorous vein. Sreenivasan adopted this exact philosophy in Malayalam cinema. They operated in different languages but shared similar storytelling sensibilities. Their stories have protagonists who are unemployed, flawed, and relatable thanks partly to the comedy that addresses real societal issues. Because Bhagyaraj did this first in Tamil cinema and both are multi-hyphenates, critics tend to group them together as products of the same cinematic shift. Notably, their early films defied conventions of the time about how and what film heroes should look like and behave, marking a major shift in their industries.
Further, Sreenivasan studied acting in Madras in the 1970s. During this period, K Bhagyaraj rose to prominence as an assistant to director Bharathiraja, making his acting and directorial debuts in the process.
In a poignant coincidence for Indian cinema history, these legendary writers passed away within months of each other. Sreenivasan passed away in December 2025 at the age of 75, followed by K Bhagyaraj at 73. Their departures marked the end of a golden era of structurally sound, humor-driven screenplays.