Congratulations Miss Anitha Menon 1992 - Suspecting husband and a silly Zainuddin

Congratulations Miss Anitha Menon is a 1992 Indian Malayalam film, directed by Thulasidas, starring Siddique and Sai Kumar in the lead roles.



Prakash, played by SaiKumar, a successful businessman, becomes suspicious of his wife Anita, played by Leena Nair. He receives an anonymous letter that indicates that she has an illicit relationship with another man. 

Played as a workoholic and a disciplined and pricipled man, Prakash forgets all rules and even the marital duties and communication with his wife. The letter however wakes him up.

The movie looked promising and packed a bunch of jokes with the ever funny and exuberant physical comedy of Zainuddin and the exasperation of Sudeep played by Siddique. However unlike Thulasidas’ earlier movies, this one lacks momentum. The story keeps stalling at the imaginary romance of Sudeep and Anitha Siddique. The constant suspicion that Prakash has, keeps bringing down the movie. 

An easy quick watch on a gloomy day. Zainuddin's witty replies were the highlight for me.

poster courtesy - Snehasalpam site

Supporting actors make the most noise - An ode.

Iftikar,Deven Verma,Asrani (Bollywood)

Sreenivasan, Mukesh, Laalu Alex,Jagadish,Siddique, Innocent,Oduvil Unnkrishnan (Malayalam)

Some names we know but probably Sony Max may never promote a movie by saying 'watch blockbuster Don - starring Iftikar, Sunday 9pm' will they?

 Iftikar

Asrani

So do supporting actors remain supporting actors without  being supported? (ok don't support me in my puns!) Well I don't think so. Whoever coined the term did a fab job because its true. They truly do support the actor and not just that. They actually do carry the movie when the script is weakened by the over imposition of the 'superstar' and one man shows kind of movies.

Can you think of Don without Iftikar's balanced,quiet and evolved acting compared to Amitabh's aggressive AYM role? ( that's angry young man in case you didnt know...haww!! ) Iftikar has always been so and probably why he features in most of these AYM roles as the still water to the tsunami which AB's roles were meant to be. Similarily Sanjeev Kumar in Sholay and Utpal Dutt in,well,all his movies.

Utpal Dutt 

Imagine Naadodikaatu without Sreenivasan ( actually I still cannot see Lal without him) such is the affect of those golden stuff. Think how Godfather would be without Jagadish's nervous,comical antics which scaffolded Mukesh's attempts to bring Kanika down. What about Shubhayatra where Siddique is like a bookend to Jayaram?

Godfather  

In Harihar Nagar

Innocent  

Laalu Alex

Oduvil Unnikrishnan

All said and done, the brilliance of such actors is so much that I'm not comfortable calling them supporting. They have carved their identity in singular lead roles too. Vadakku Nokki Yanthram can never be better performed by anyone else other than Sreeni.( imagine Mammootty in front of the mirror applying powder). In Harihar Nagar was an ensemble cast of actors who started out with secondary roles. Saath Saath, Chashme Baddoor and Kisi Se Na Kehna were all better off without the big shots of that time and moreover, needed the calm of actors like Farooque Shiekh.

Naadodikaatu

Just few examples of popular cinema but the shine of these stars are bright like Venus in the evening sky,not overwhelming but you can spot them nevertheless,