Harikrishnans

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Harikrishnans
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Poster
Directed byFazil
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Produced bySuchitra Mohanlal
StarringMammootty
Mohanlal
Juhi Chawla
Kunchacko Boban
Innocent
CinematographyAnandakuttan
Edited byT. R. Shekar
K. R. Gaurishankar
Music byOuseppachan
Distributed byPranavam Arts
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[1]
Running time
172 minutes
Template:Pluralize from textIndia
Template:Pluralize from textMalayalam
Budget₹2.5 crore[2]

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Harikrishnans is a 1998 Indian Malayalam-language mystery buddy comedy film written and directed by Fazil. The film was produced and distributed by Suchitra Mohanlal under the production company Pranavam Arts, starring Mammootty and Mohanlal in the title roles. Juhi Chawla, Innocent, Shamili, Nedumudi Venu, Cochin Haneefa, Jagadish, Maniyanpilla Raju and Kunchacko Boban play the supporting cast. The film received a great pre-release hype due to the combined screen presence of Mammootty and Mohanlal after 8 years. It was released theatrically on 4 September 1998, coinciding with Onam, to critical acclaim and emerged as a commercial success.[3] It was the highest-grossing Malayalam film of the year.[4] It was later dubbed into Tamil with the same name.

The film initially had two endings when released, where the heroine chose Mammootty in one version and Mohanlal in the other one. This was an attempt by the filmmakers to satisfy the fanbases of both Mammootty and Mohanlal, who were each popular in different regions of Kerala. However, only one version was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for censorship approval.[5][6] The producers were embroiled in legal actions after that,[6] but the gimmick helped the film to bring in millions of rupees. This was an upturn for the Malayalam film industry, which had been generating unsuccessful films for quite some time.[5]

Plot

The Harikrishnans are one of the most famous lawyer duo in India. They head the organization called Harikrishnan Associates, which consists of around 300 lawyers. They get engaged in a murder case of Guptan, who was allegedly killed by a hearing and speech impaired woodcutter, Gabriel. Gabriel is a friend of Hari's sister and Harikrishnans become the defence lawyers upon her request.

The Harikrishnans begin an investigation and come across Meera, a friend of Guptan. Both of them fall in love with her. After some trouble over the matter, they rediscover their friendship and get involved in the case again. They discover that Guptan actually died due to poisoning by his relatives who were doctors who wanted to amass his wealth. The culprits are captured and Guptan's elderly father accepts Sudarshanan, a former student of Guptan, as his son and successor to the property.

In the end, Meera opts for a random method to choose her life partner, as she is equally fond of both Harikrishnans. She decides to toss a leaf, with the name it lands on being designated as her friend, who would then choose who should marry her. The leaf lands on Hari's name, and it is presumed that she makes him her friend. It is likely that Hari would suggest Krishnan as the one to marry her.

Alternate ending

In the uncensored cut of the film, the leaf lands on Krishnan's name, and it is presumed that she makes him her friend. It is likely that Krishnan would suggest Hari as the one to marry her.

There was another ending planned with Shah Rukh Khan. He was proposed to do the role of the lover of Meera. But due to some technical problems it was cancelled.[7]

Cast

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Soundtrack

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K. J. Yesudas sang his parts in two different voices, to simulate the singing of both the lead actors during the song sequences in the film.

Release

Harikrishnans had multiple climaxes to appease the fan base of the lead actors Mammootty and Mohanlal. This created a spark of controversy among the fans. The scene was when Meera (Juhi Chawla) chooses one of them to be her friend among both the Harikrishnans. She admires both equally and goes for a selection method which her grandmother taught her, whenever she had to make tough decisions. She sets the method so as to choose her friend; the loser of the toss presumably becoming Mira's life partner. One of the climax shots shows Hari (Mammootty) winning the toss and the other one Krishnan (Mohanlal) winning it.[8]

Critical reception

Jayalakshmi K. of Deccan Herald wrote "Perhaps if Fazil had decided what he wanted, a love story or a murder case, the movie might have fared better."[9] Padmanabha Venugopal of Indian Express wrote "Though it is entertaining, the movie doesn't have the support of a good script. Though the presence of two big-wigs and the controversy over the ending all made it spin money, artistically the movie suffered".[10] D. S. Ramanujam of The Hindu called it "another fine example of director Fazil's directorial acumen" and added that the two lead actors "are in the thick of the drama right through and share the acting honours with their elegant performances".[11]

Box office

The film's budget was ₹2.5 crore (US$260,000) and recovered its cost within two weeks.[2] The film collected ₹5.6 lakh (US$5,800) from first week beating the previous record of Aaraam Thampuran, which was ₹4 lakh (US$4,200).[12] The film was a commercial success and the highest grosser of the year.[13][14]

References

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  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Team of 48". Rediff.com. 1 September 1998. Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  2. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Twice tossed gamble". India Today. 5 October 1998. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.B, Shibu (19 August 2021). "In second Onam season without film releases, a recap of Malayalam star wars". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  4. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."What Was The Biggest Malayalam Hit In The Year You Were Born?". Film Companion. 19 July 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  5. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Radhakrishnan, M. G. (5 October 1998). "Two endings of 'Harikrishnans' make it a hit but run into rough weather with CBFC". India Today. Archived from the original on 2 August 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  6. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Jose, D. (6 October 1998). "Double trouble". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 21 August 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  7. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Did you know Shah Rukh Khan was cast in a Malayalam movie?". The Times of India. 17 June 2019. Archived from the original on 30 March 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Hari gets Meera, so does Krishnan in Fazil's Harikrishnans". The Indian Express. 12 September 1998. Retrieved 15 April 2011.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.K, Jayalakshmi (29 November 1998). "Harikrishnans (Malayalam)". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 28 January 1999. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Venugopal, Padmanabha. "Artistic failure". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Ramanujam, D. S. (30 April 1999). "Film Reviews: Knock Off/Harikrishnans/A Bug's Life". The Hindu. p. 28. Archived from the original on 8 December 2000. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."The win-win situation". Rediff. 14 September 1998. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."'Nothing, neither criticism nor compliment, affects me'". Rediff. 11 March 1999. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."All is not lost..." Rediff.com. 7 December 1998. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2017.

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