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There is nothing more satisfying than our favorite heroes rocking the silver screen. Their punch dialogues gets etched into our minds, and have a harder impact than there dishyum dishyum on screen.
Malayalam movies have a unique quality that has been maintained over many decades of film making, and one of the things that has never changed is the strategic placement of intervals. It divides the movie cleanly in two.
All Malayalam movies do this without fail, and film-makers take pain to orient the movie such that the major twist happens just before the intermission.
But such a twist is incomplete without a punch before the interval, and each movie vies with each other to churn out the better punch.
Here is a compilation of all time favorites.
12. ‘Manojinu ithonum areela, Please Raj’ – Njangalude Veettile Adithikal
This is a fairly underrated movie, and did not get enough attention though the content was quite different from the mainstream movies of that time. Maya is living with her husband Manoj, and due to a mental trauma she feels lonely. She gets into writing letters and writes to a certain Raj, and he starts visiting her often. At this interval scene, we see the exchanges between Raj and Maya from a third person’s eye- Manoj’s and we too come to realize that Maya has been talking to a person of her imagination, there is in fact no Raj in reality.
11. ‘Naseeb Imam’ – Anarkali
This particular scene is the pivotal point of the movie. The guy who has been around Prithviraj’s character turns out to be the brother of his long lost love- the guy he has come searching for. The scene makes us think about a lot of possibilities, but we are sure of one thing- he is getting closer to his lady love Naadira Imam. The picturesque shot chosen for this scene is simply awesome. The blue-green expanse of the sea has been shot in its pristine self.
10. ‘Aur thu mujhe bula saktha hei- Mallu Singh’ – Mallu Singh
Ani comes in search of his long lost friend Hari, and finds him at Mallu Street. When he confronts Hari, he declares that he is Harinder Singh and not just Hari. He does not have a trace of recognition in his eyes and seem very cold to Ani. At this point even Ani doubts if it was indeed the Hari he had come seeking.
9. ‘Picture abhi bhi baaki hei Bhai’ – Best Actor
An unassuming teacher, aspires to be an actor, and to roughen up and to learn the nuances of a Gunda, Mammooty becomes a gangster. Initially it was just an act, but then he gets too much involved into the mess. From a commoner with a miserable life, into a revered gangster, this interval scene shows his turning point. Mammooty carries out the transformation with so much ease, it is irrelevant to argue if he is the best actor in Mollywood.
8. ‘Eni angotu enganeya kalikandenu njangalu kanichu tharam’ – Second Show
This is a movie with dark humor and unflattering show of power. The interval scene shows Lalu, Kurudi and gang taking power from the hands of the don Vishnu Budhan and turning the tables on him. They have been vying to reach the top for long, and with this scene they establish themselves in the power echelon, letting Budhan know where he stands.
7. ‘Naayak Nahi… Kal-Naayak Hu Mei… ‘ – Loham
The unassuming driver transforms into your savior, and you doubt if you have fallen into the hands of the most dangerous man around. This is exactly the expression of Andrea after Mohanlal’s character has showcased one of the epic transformations Malayalam Movies have seen. He conveys his message through this aptly chosen song.
6. ‘Orungiko… Manikyam
aytulla ankathinu oringiko’ – Rajamanikyam
The sensational movie of all time- Rajamanikyam. There is no scene in this movie that is not dramatic. But we just love it. The interval punch is no less. The family realizes who Rajamanikyam is, but he pushes away anyone who decides to show him any sympathy or love. He makes it clear that he has come for neither, but he vows to straighten up the family. Mammooty is completely different in this movie and engaging in his own unique way.
5. 'Eni Kalichaal Nammalil Oraale Undaku.. Athu Ni Ayirikilla.' - Puthiya Mukham
Prithviraj had been rated as a star from the day he entered Mollywood, but there are some movies that become noticed because of his performance alone. Arguably this is one such movie, that completely depended on Prithviraj's heroism.The interval scene is one of the best in the movie, with the unassuming Brahmin boy finally takes out all his lethal power and puts an end to the Villains vile games. The punch dialogue is so exhilarating, especially when the story brings in a new twist, and a new face for the till-then-submissive hero.
4. ‘Mukhyamantri varaan
oru pathu minute thaamasam edukum.. Ellarum poyi chaya kudichitu vaa – Over’ – Action Hero Biju
This is probably the most innocent scene in this movie. The wireless set gets lost and falls into the hands of the most hilarious drunkard. Everyone in the Police Department literally sweats over this uncontrollable fellow. None of the stars in this movie could have presented us with a better intermission scene than this.
3. ‘Kaanam… Kaananam.. Kaanum’ – Twenty:20
All the stars of the Malayalam movie industry came together for this full-on entertainer, and the interval scene gave us a treat with the two Mega Stars of Mollywood- Mammootty and Mohanlal literally locking their horns. The scene shows the transformation of Devji, which is one of the amazing scenes all movie enthusiasts cherish.
2. ‘Ene anveshichu vanna, pine oraalkum nine anweshicha kituela’
– Charlie
The elusive Charlie has finally crossed paths with Tessa- thus bringing her to the turning point in her cat-and-mouse chase. Charlie is unaware of this, but Tessa has seen him in his most ruffian yet magnanimous form. He saves a girl from her own father who tries to make money out of her, and this dialogue he says near to the interval break actually introduces Tessa and the viewers into Charlie’s world.
1. 'Just Remember That' - The Commissioner
Renji Panicker gave so many memorable punch dialogues for Malayalam Cinema, and the interval punch of The Commissioner is a prominent one among them. With this scene, Bharathchandran I.P.S became a legendary hero, and the dialogue ending with 'Just Remember That' became an over-quoted one. It still remains one of the most loved scene by movie buffs. Suresh Gopi brushes aside a corrupt senior officer and moves ahead amidst salutes from his fellow officers. This power-packed scene though had created a lot of traffic inconvenience while it's shoot, soemthing inevitable when the film-make r strives to bring in maximum originality.
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