C U Soon's Kevin To Joji's Jomon: Characters Who Deserve Spin-Offs

Character Study

With Nna Thaan Case Kodu's Sumalatha and Sumesh getting their own spin-off, Neelima Menon delves into Malayalam cinema's other characters who deserve one too.

HISTORICALLY, there haven’t been many character-based spin-off films in Malayalam cinema. The few that have been attempted haven’t had the best track record. Udayananu Tharam’s Saroj Kumar turned out to be a caricature in Padmashri Bharath Dr Saroj Kumar. The same can be said for Azhakiya Ravanan’s Ambujakshan (Chirakodinja Kinavukal), Charlie’s Kallan D’Souza (Kallan D’Souza), Nadodikattu’s Pavanayi (Mr Pavanayi 99.99), Manichithrathazhu’s Dr Sunny (Geethaanjali), and Athirathram’s Tharadas and Inspector Balram’s Balram (Balram v/s Tharadas). Most of these original characters turned out to be casualties of the terrible writing and execution in their spin-offs. Then there’s the fact that they weren’t updated to reflect the changing times.

Recently, however, director Ratheesh Balakrishna Poduval has announced a spin-off movie featuring two of the most popular characters from his superhit film, Nna Than Case Kodu — Sumalatha teacher and Sumeshan. On paper, the prospect seems incredibly promising: Sumalatha and Sumeshan made for an irrepressibly adorable duo who loved batting their eyelashes at each other, taking nightly rides in the latter’s multicoloured and brightly-lit autorickshaw, and even as witnesses in court, managed to profess their undying love. With characters as quirky and melodramatic as these — and knowing Poduval’s penchant for satire — the spin-off may unpeel ingenious layers to their personality. And in that spirit, here are a few other characters who deserve well-made spin-offs of their own.

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SOLO INNINGS

C U Soon's Kevin To Super Sharanya's Sona: Characters We'd Love To See In Spin-Offs

By Neelima Menon

Imran (Parava): In Soubin Shahir’s spectacular debut, that pivots around pigeons and two teenage boys in an unassuming neighbourhood in Fort Kochi, it is with Imran’s (a charming Dulquer Salman) entry that the narrative starts to slip into a tender, feel-good beat. The orphan who spreads happiness wherever he goes, he wears an unseen halo for those dear to him. And unsurprisingly, though we do see it coming, his death leaves us extremely shaken. Imran made us want more than those flickers of smiles and overwhelming kindness, and can be developed into a more fulfilling movie character, with a backstory and maybe a romantic track as well. We’d be keen to see how Imran’s characterisation will shape up in the hands of Syam Pushkaran and Dileesh Pothan.

Jomon (Joji): In a household headed by a hypermasculine father who is looked on with awe and fear by those around him, Jomon (Baburaj) is an aberration in this Dileesh Pothan film. If his younger siblings are putting up with the patriarch out of fear of being disowned from the property, Jomon worships his father. This giant of a man is as gentle as a lamb in front of his father and is unable to comprehend the greed around him. A divorcee with an adult son, Jomon’s naivety is almost touching to watch. It would be interesting to see what Akhil Sathyan (director of Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum) would do if he were to direct a standalone movie headlining Jomon. Some feel-good moments, pathos, and cheeky humour can easily bring out the best in Jomon.

Sona (Super Sharanya): Though the Girish AD film documents the coming-of-age arc of Sharanya, it is her friend Sona who really earns more brownie points. Sona is irreverent, rude if she wants to be, honest, and has a strange affinity towards this popular but toxic boy in college. Though she seems to be the life of a party, Sona also comes across as a loner. An MT Vasudevan Nair would have added so much heft to the character if he made a movie about her. In the current context, Sona in the middle of a complex romance would be interesting, helmed by Aashiq Abu.

Sayed (Romancham): When a group of bachelors bumps into a ghost called Anamika during an Ouija board session in their dilapidated flat in Bengaluru, it leads to a comedy of errors in this Jithu Madhavan film. Soon curious visitors start streaming in, demanding a reading. And then comes Sayed (Chemban Vinod), a small-town don in white. What begins as playful banter soon starts getting intense as his father’s identity is challenged, leading to hilarious reactions. Sayed, who seems so sure of himself, is suddenly struggling to regain his composure, no longer certain about the reality of his birth. A character that has the scope to headline a dark comedy directed by Abhinav Sunder Nayak. Maybe with some layers to his character and other subplots, along with the humour, this could be a sure hit. Tovino Thomas or Nivin Pauly could be interesting casting.

Meenakshi (Mukundan Unni Associates): If the story revolves around a crafty and evil lawyer who will kill to get his way, the partner he chooses is no shrinking violet either. She knows he chose her for his own ends, and she expects no better. If nothing, she is as devious and greedy as Mukundan in this Abhinav Sunder Nayak directorial. When Mukundan’s former girlfriend philosophically states that karma keeps tabs, Meenakshi simply smirks at her. Someone who believes that not every act of good is rewarded in the end, nor every act of evil punished… it would be interesting to see Meenakshi in a separate film, directed by Nissam Basheer.

Namboothiri Brothers (Madanolsavam): Ratheesh Poduval yet again weaves a narrative against the backdrop of North Kerala where a man is made a scapegoat for electoral fraud. Along with Madananan who is caught between his bride and political groups, there are a host of other immensely entertaining characters. Namboothiri Brothers — the self-proclaimed “quotation gang” — is one such duo. Hailing from an impoverished background, they are ready to do anything to make a quick buck. Poduval himself can think of an interesting screenplay to make a standalone film with these quirky brothers.

Kevin (CU Soon): The cousin in Mahesh Narayanan’s survival thriller, who helps the protagonist escape the human trafficking ring in Dubai that has ensnared her, is a fascinating character. A techie who seems content living in virtual reality, he is an anti-social who is wary of emotional bonds. There isn’t much to make you warm up to him — he is cocky, temperamental, into casual flings, manipulative. He uses and discards people, and then goes back to them with an apology that’s an afterthought. Since it is Fahad Faasil who plays the character and easily turns it into a performance to remember, it would be interesting to see if Lijo Jose Pellissery made a film centering him, in an urban setting.

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