For the longest time, Shammi Thilakan lived under the shadow of his legendary father Thilakan. Shammi, a stage artist, made his debut on screen in the KG George film (Irakal) and struggled to find his space in Malayalam cinema shortly thereafter. In hindsight, that his father was already or well on his way to becoming an established actor might have stalled his chances during the initial phases of his career. In the early 90s, the roles that mostly came his way were those of an antagonist, cop, or yes man – largely one-dimensional and unmemorable.
Interestingly, Shammi Thilakan was known more as a voice artist during this period. If his deep baritone fitted Raghuvaran (Vyooham) and Salim Ghouse (Thazhvaram) perfectly, it added heft to the wickedness of Hyder Marakkar (Dhruvam) and the sobriety of SI Haridas (Kauravar). Perhaps his best contribution as a voice artist came through in IV Sasi’s Devasuram, in which he brought gravity to Napoleon’s otherwise impassive performance of Mundaykkal Shekaran, ironically hailed as one of the most powerful villains of Malayalam cinema even today. Among a sea of one-note antagonists that came in the 90s and early to mid-2000s, Shammi’s enactment of a licentious husband who openly covets his sister-in-law (Meera Jasmine) in Kasthooriman (2003) was an interesting depiction that brought him back on screen. His CI Joy, a corrupt police officer whose attempts to evade the morally unbending ACP Narendran (Mammootty) ends up throwing him in a comical light in Roudram.
But Shammi’s real breakthrough came somewhere during the turn of the last decade, with the entry of new filmmakers and writers. That and a sudden shift to comedy, altered the actor’s career graph in Malayalam cinema. In fact, Thilakan’s turn to comedy at a time when he was only known for grey and serious roles was as unexpected and effective. Today, Shammi is one of those rare actors who can blend comedy with villainy masterfully. Here we list some of our favourites from Shammi Thilakan’s filmography as an actor.
Dr Suni Isaac (Palthu Janwar): When Dr Sunil Isaac realises that he has perhaps crossed the line with his junior (Basil Joseph), he gently takes him by his side and tries to lighten up the mood. When Isaac asks a sulking Prasoon if he drinks, a reluctant grin appears on the latter’s face as the senior expected. When Prasoon replies in the affirmative, also agreeing that he is a beer drinker, Isaac responds with a smug smile and says he guessed it by looking at his cheeks. As Prasoon digests this sudden show of warmth from the senior, Isaac pulls his cheek teasingly. Shammi Thilakan, with his shorn head and clean-shaved face, exudes a vibrance that is almost infectious. It is a performance and appearance that reminds you right away of his legendary father Thilakan in the oddball comedy Mookilla Rajyathu. Yet, Shammi Thilakan makes it his own. There can’t be a stranger paradox in Malayalam cinema than this father-son duo. We have witnessed many such off-screen father-son duos in Malayalam cinema who look nothing like each other. We have also seen fathers and sons who look so alike that it has often worked against them on screen. But when it comes to Shammi Thilakan, considering his illustrious lineage, it is incredible that he has been able to break out of that shadow and thrive in the same space where his father excelled. That it comes with the risk of a tag of duplication considering their strikingly similar physical features and voice never hindered Shammi Thilakan’s chances as an actor. It can also be that filmmakers started actively seeking him out in the absence of Thilakan.
Joy (Chunkzz): The only silver lining in this crass and homophobic film directed by Omar Lulu that is centered on a college and its unruly bunch of students has to be Shammi’s Professor Joy. There is a scene where he slyly tricks the students into attending his class and then goes on to break down a tricky formula in class and Shammi is hysterically relatable here. Joy is the kind of professor who knows exactly how to bring his batch of students around, in his own inimitable style. Shammi makes him super entertaining.
SI Ukken Tintu (Neram): For someone who has been saddled with mostly one-dimensional police roles, SI Ukken Tintu is an oddity. Anyone who meets Tintu will find it difficult to align his somber personality that clashes disastrously with his absurd name. Alphonse Puthren should be credited for conjuring up such an unintentionally whacky character for Shammi, who till then, was surviving on somewhat generic villainous roles. The actor totally sells the awkwardness attached to his name while trying hard to make people take him seriously. Neram was the start of a new chapter in the actor’s evolution in Malayalam cinema.
Dr Felix (Joji): When the patriarch is admitted to the hospital, the family absolutely relies on Dr Felix for reassurance. This Dileesh Pothan directorial, loosely adapted from Macbeth, revolves around a dysfunctional Christian family ruled by a patriarch. It has Shammi Thilakan bringing some respite as the doctor who isn’t quite the stereotypical celluloid-subdued version, but someone who doesn’t take himself too seriously. That he has been part of the family is evident in his interactions with them. Be it the cheeky remarks to Joji while alighting from the car or the levity with which he views things, Shammi makes Felix memorable.
Unnikrishnan (Gold): Despite the mostly inadequate writing, what redeems the haphazard narrative of Gold that is centered on a scramble for missing gold has to be Shammi Thilakan’s Unnikrishnan. He plays a millionaire who has wrongly delivered a Bolero filled with gold, disguised in blue tooth speaker packaging, as dowry for his daughter. The basic plot is absurd and could have easily been contained as a short film, but Alphonse Puthren stretches it into a three-hour feature. Perhaps Shammi is one of the few actors (along with Lalu Alex) who understands the irreverent tone of the film and delivers accordingly. He is cheeky, impulsive, and endearing in turns, and adds some depth to the proceedings.
Some of Shammi Thilakan’s other memorable roles include the wily and womanising boat owner Kavalaykal Kuriyachan in Pullipulikalum Aattinkuttiyum, who has shades of some of the characters his father previously aced, the cowardly, self-proclaimed small town don Ayyappan who can’t even pull off kidnapping in Darwinite Parinamam, the foxy politician in Theevandi, lawyer Adv Raghuram Iyer in Jana Gana Mana, and so on and so forth. Especially Adv Iyer reminds you of a younger Thilakan—the devious grin, the brusqueness, long pauses, crusty voice, and the gait that suggests authority. Yet, Shammi is up for the challenge and never reduces it to mimicry, and aces the character assigned to him.
Thilakan is indeed irreplaceable in Malayalam cinema and the fact that his son Shammi Thilakan, despite reminding you of the thespian in every way, still manages to bring an originality to his performances, makes him an actor worth betting on. Just the fact he is much sought after among the new generation of filmmakers and writers shows that he is in here for the long haul.
Neelima Menon has worked in the newspaper industry for more than a decade. She has covered Hindi and Malayalam cinema for The New Indian Express and has worked briefly with Silverscreen.in. She now writes exclusively about Malayalam cinema, contributing to Fullpicture.in and thenewsminute.com. She is known for her detailed and insightful features on misogyny and the lack of representation of women in Malayalam cinema.