35 years of Baby Shalini's 'Ente Mamattykkuttiyammakku'

Director Fazil is known for bringing in fresh talents and new faces into the industry with each of his films. If he paved the way for Mohanlal with his debut movie 'Manjil Virinja Pookkal', he gave the most talented child artiste of 80s – Baby Shalini.

The 1983 film 'Ente Mamattykuttiyammakku' was Shalini's first popular film and she was just three years old then. The film won the Kerala State Awards for the Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and the Best Child Artiste. The movie was released on October 7, 1983 and on this occasion, we talk to Fazil about his memories about the blockbuster and its child artiste.

“It was Shalini's father who was most passionate about acting. Though Shalini first acted in 'Aadyathe Anuraagam', it was through 'Ente Mamattykuttiyammakku' that she was first noted. It was a member from my production team who suggested her name. After seeing her photo, immediately I wanted her to be in the lead casts,” recalled Fazil.

“She was just three years old and I could sense that acting was in her genes. The schedule was pretty long and after initial days, the film set was more like her home. The time, when she didn't had shoot, she would go and sleep in between. And later, each time we call her for shoot, she would be ready with her actions and expressions," he added.

Fazil’s 'Ente Mamattykuttiyammakku' marked the beginning of the phenomenon called 'Baby Shalini'. She went on to star in several hit films subsequently and played a significant role in packing theatres with family en masse.

With Sangeetha Naik and Bharat Gopy in lead roles, the film was produced by Navodaya Appachan. The film was the fourth box-office scorcher in a row from his Navodaya Studios.

“Apart from Shalini, Bharat Gopy’s character Vinod too was much appreciated by the critics during the time. In a scene, when Mohanlal comes to meet Gopy at a construction site in Marine Drive (Kochi), and asks him to return Shalini to her mother, Gopy does not react. Keeping his anger down, he makes his stand clear to Mohanlal through a single dialogue which was perhaps clearly one of the best roles of his brilliant career as an actor onscreen," he said.

“Equally noted was actor Rajan P Dev in the role of an advocate," Fazil recalled.

'Ente Mamattykuttiyammakku' depicted the story of a couple who had already lost their daughter and were about to loose their adopted daughter as well. The film was remade later in Tamil as 'En Bommukutty Ammavukku' by Fazil himself, and in Telugu as 'Paape Maa Praanam'.

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Release: on October 7, 1983

Director: Fazil

Music: Jerry Amaldev

Lyrics:  Bichu Thirumala

Starring: Baby Shalini, Bharath Gopy, Mohanlal, Sangeetha Naik, Poornima Jayaram