‘Mohanlal’s character should not be killed off in the end’: Producer Dinesh Panicker on flaws in ‘Chincol’
Malayalam producer Dinesh Panicker, one of the producers of the popular film ‘Kireedam’, has taken a look at ‘Chenkol’, a sequel to the beloved classic.While he appreciated the film’s success, he admitted that some aspects of the sequel have stayed with him over the years.During an interview with Movie World Media, Dinesh remembers expressing his concerns when discussions about making ‘Chenkol’ first started.“It was ‘Kireedam’ that gave all of us our identity. When Unni informed me that they had decided to make ‘Chenkol’, I expressed my disagreement. As someone who was part of the ‘Kireedam’ production, I felt I deserved proper recognition. I wasn’t asking for money. I just wanted at least a ‘thank you’ card in the credits.”
But I never got that. I even had a small disagreement with him about it. However, I was really happy with the success of the Chinkul project.
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The producer says the sequel lacks the emotional energy of the original
Although Dinesh enjoyed watching ‘Chenkol’, he believes the sequel cannot recreate the emotional impact of ‘Kireedam’. He remembered watching the film with his family on its opening day and feeling the difference between the two films.According to him, the screenplay of ‘Kireedam’ carried a unique emotional power that was difficult to replicate.
He also noted that many viewers felt that the sequel had several flaws compared to the original classic film.“My family and I watched the film on the first day. I loved ‘Chenkol’, but I felt that the positive energy present in the screenplay of ‘Kireedam’ was somewhat missing in the second part. There was not a single flaw to point out in ‘Kireedam’. But the general opinion is that there are many shortcomings in ‘Chenkol.’
Dinesh Panicker commented on Thilakan Character arc
The producer also shared his thoughts on how Thilakan’s character was written in the sequel.
He said the character, who was admired for his resilience in “Kireedam”, appeared noticeably weaker in “Chenkol”, which was noticed by many viewers.Dinesh believes that this change became one of the frequently discussed points by viewers after the film’s release.“The character played by Thilakan Chetan, who faced immense hardships and family problems with great force in the first film, becomes very weak in the second part.
Viewers said this was one of the biggest disappointments in the film.Another creative decision that continues to stick with Dinesh is the climax of ‘Chenkol’. He revealed that he never agreed with the decision to end the journey of Mohanlal’s character in the film.According to him, keeping the character alive could have allowed the story to continue in another sequel if the makers of the series chose to revisit the franchise.“Even though I liked the film as a whole, I still feel that Mohanlal’s character should not have been killed off in the end.
If that didn’t happen, Oni could have made a third part if he wanted to.
‘Kireedam’ remains one of the landmarks of Malayalam cinema
Directed by Sibi Malayil and written by AK Lohithadas, ‘Kireedam’ is considered one of the iconic classics of Malayalam cinema. The film was recently re-released.Although the sequel ‘Chenkol’ received good reviews from critics, many audiences had mixed opinions about Thilakan’s character, the ending and many other factors.
