When Mohanlal-Mammootty’s Rs 2.5 cr film sparked a ‘communal’ row; a viewer moved court seeking Rs 1 lakh compensation

Although the makers of the Malayalam movie employed a unique, never-before-seen tactic to overcome the dilemma, it eventually landed them in trouble, even attracting cases. However, the mystery comedy, which also marked the Malayalam debut of a Bollywood superstar, became a massive blockbuster and one of the most successful films of the era.

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Mohanlal and Mammootty in director Fazil’s Harikrishnans. (Credit: IMDb)

The curious case of the two endings

The movie we are discussing here is director Fazil’s Harikrishnans (1998), which also marked Juhi Chawla’s foray into Malayalam cinema. Featuring Mohanlal and Mammootty in the lead roles as a widely famous lawyer duo, the mystery comedy revolved around the death of a man named Guptan (Rajiv Menon). The case eventually reaches Hari (Mammootty) and Krishnan (Mohanlal), and in due course, they both fall in love with Guptan’s friend Meera (Juhi Chawla), who is determined to unravel the mystery behind his death.

As was the case in most mainstream movies of the era, Fazil decided that Harikrishnans also ended with one of the two leading men becoming Meera’s life partner. However, since both Mohanlal and Mammootty were massive stars, Fazil felt that he would disappoint the other person’s fan base if the movie featured Meera’s union with either Hari or Krishnan. Thus, the makers devised a unique solution and filmed two climaxes. While one featured Meera choosing Hari, the other had her ending up with Krishnan. “The idea of two endings came from that curiosity. You could even call it a mischief. We shot one version where Mohanlal gets her, another where Mammootty does. We also filmed a version where it wasn’t revealed who she chose. There were a total of 32 prints. I resolved the issue by saying, ‘Let Mohanlal get her in 16 prints and Mammootty in the remaining 16,'” Fazil once recalled in an interview.

Mammootty and Mohanlal’s Harikrishnans marked Juhi Chawla’s foray into Malayalam cinema. (Express archive photo)

The Harikrishnans climax controversy

However, Fazil’s seemingly harmless strategy backfired big time, as some gave it a communal angle, alleging that the prints were distributed according to the religious demographics of the areas. According to Rediff, at least two cases were filed against the movie and its makers — one in a consumer court and the other at the Kerala High Court — by October 1998, just weeks after Harikrishnans’ Onam release. What added to the issue was that only one of the two versions, Krishnan marrying Meera, had been approved by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

In fact, the viewer who approached the consumer court in Thrissur demanded compensation of Rs 1 lakh for allegedly misleading him through advertisements. He claimed that the version he saw was the one without CBFC approval. The case in the High Court, meanwhile, sought revocation of the movie’s certification. The petitioner alleged that prints distributed in Hindu-dominated areas featured Mohanlal marrying the character played by Juhi, while those shown in Muslim-dominated areas had Mammootty marrying her.

Mammootty and Mohanlal played a widely famous lawyer duo in Harikrishnans. (Credit: IMDb)

Fazil on Harikrishnans row: ‘I could have set a record in Indian cinema…’

Reacting to the controversy, Fazil told the media, “My attempt was to burst the superstar myth in the Malayalam film industry. Honestly, it was an experiment in this direction. If the two climaxes were permitted, I am sure both versions would have collected well. I could have proved that what matters for the cinegoers is the characters and not the actors. Unfortunately, I was denied the opportunity. I could have set a record in Indian cinema that a film could be made a success with two different endings.”

Mounted on a massive budget of Rs 2.5 crore, a huge sum for Malayalam cinema at the time, Harikrishnans crossed the break-even point within two weeks, according to a 1998 India Today report. The film was produced and distributed by Mohanlal’s wife, Suchitra, under the banner of their Pranavam Arts International.

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Mohanlal on Harikrishnans controversy: ‘Did we commit any crime?’

Mohanlal also responded to the controversy, noting that the religious connotations some gave to it were unnecessary. When asked if he regretted doing the film, owing to the row that followed, he told Rediff in a 1999 interview, “Why should I regret having made a successful movie? Did I buy several houses or estates with the money I earned? No. I invested all that I earned in another film (Vanaprastham), which is a good film. It is like a cycle to survive as a producer in the film industry. You should also understand that I never felt Harikrishnans was a bad film. It is also a film. Didn’t many people like the film?”

He added, “Did we commit any crime in the film? The girl tosses a tulsi leaf in the end to decide her lover; that’s all. But the commotion created by some people and the media over that end was unimaginable. It was our misfortune that people gave religious connotations to the end.”