Took 2-3 years of preparation for Spadikam: director Bhadran

It is no big secret that blockbuster movie Spadikam has earned a permanent position in the hearts of the Malayali movie lovers. There had been reports that Spadikam, which was released in 1995, would soon have a sequel.

However, director Bhadran, who helmed the iconic movie, rubbished the reports saying that he hadn’t even allowed a sequel 21 years ago. He revealed that he had rejected a sequel despite being offered a suave Mercedes Benz car that cost around Rs 65 lakh. Bhadran has his own reasons to emphatically state that there won’t be a Spadikam 2. The veteran film maker opens up to Onmanorama about the movie and why he doesn’t allow a sequel.

Mohanlal and Aadu Thoma

Bhadran said he has not discussed the character Aadu Thoma with Mohanlal ever since the release of Spadikam, as the actor is not someone who discusses about a film or a character once that movie gets over. Bhadran admitted that he hadn’t watched Spadikam whenever it is telecasted in TV channels. He claimed that no other movie in the world has been telecast for more than 200 times in a pay channel.

Emphasizing the significance of the theme of the movie, Bhadran says, “It is not the fight sequences or the scenes with the Rayban glass that dragged audience to the theaters but the strong theme in it. Just like the nature creates the perfect habitat for a bird to soar up into the sky, the parents should create situations and opportunities for the children to grow and thrive.”

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In a candid confession the veteran director said that he wouldn’t have become a filmmaker had he followed his father’s dreams and not his own. “Spidikam will keep growing in the hearts of the Malayali audience; it will never cease to exist. It would survive, standing the test of time. It has survived for the last 24 years and would stay on for another 100 years,” Bhadran expresses proudly.

Silk Smitha’s Laila

Bhadran described the character called Laila, famously played by deceased actress Silk Smitha, as a beautiful woman who resembled the confidence and charm of the women laborers who engaged in sand mining in Pala, the director’s hometown. He revealed the actress had really liked the character and was hopeful about the success of the movie. Bhadran says he had used the actress, who was known for seductive roles, in a unique way. He added Thoma and Laila shared a special relationship that the outsiders couldn’t perceive.

Three years of preparation

“It took us two or three years for the preparation of this movie. The script was rewritten quite a few times. The movie was well balanced and we didn’t have to add anything extra to make it commercially appealing. The Indian cinema burdens under the ‘curse’ that a movie would make money only if there are a few fight scenes in it. That is not true. Thoma was a rugged man who was courageous enough even to take on powerful police officers,” notes Bhadran.

The wide appreciation

Bhadran is surprised by the overwhelming love that Spadikam still enjoys from the audience. “When the movie hit the theaters, I have seen audiences applauding and yelling in excitement in at least 10 theaters. Even 23 years after the movie’s release, people love this film and repeat the iconic dialogues that were mouthed by Mohanlal. I am overwhelmed and moved when I see all these,” says Bhadran.

It’s been only 6 or 7 years since the director and his family moved back to Kerala from Chennai. He confesses that it is only now that he realized how much the people of Kerala cherish Spadikam.

Mercedes Benz for Spadikam 2

The film maker admitted that producer Goodnight Mohan had approached him for a sequel just two years after the release of Spadikam. The producer offered Bhadran his brand new Mercedes Benz car worth 65 lakh, as a remuneration for directing Spadikam 2. However, Mohan had two demands as well. He told Bhadran that the sequel too should have the iconic scenes in which Mohanlal removes his ‘mundu’ (dhoti) and fight and where the super star stylish wears his Rayban glass and black shorts.

After silently listening to the producer, Bhadran burst out laughing. When Mohan asked him why he was laughing Bhadran replied that the former hasn’t understood the movie that he produced spending so much money. “The movie is about a father who wrote ‘chekuthan’ (devil) on his son’s lorry and his later realization that his son was not a devil but as pure as a crystal,” notes Bhadran. “A transformation has already taken place in him. How can he return to the same old life donning the garb of a goon again,” asks the film maker.

“What was Aadu Thoma’s real problem? He was unhappy and disappointed that his father had never understood his aspirations and dreams but instead compared him with other kids and constantly snubbed him. The moment his father realized this, the son had transformed into a pure crystal. So, how can the movie have a sequel when the father and son have reconciled,” Bhadran had asked the producer.

Bhadran is sure that there is no scope for a sequel as the central theme and the characters in the movie have found closure. The film maker claims that Spadikam was the first movie to openly challenge the patriarchal notion that children should fulfill their parents’ dreams even if they had to give up their own dreams.

“Someone had announced its sequel and I happened to notice the responses of some its crew members. It clearly reflected their attitude towards the movie. Many people had called me after I openly reacted against it and denied permission,” notes Bhadran.

“As the person who wrote the screenplay of that movie and directed it as well, I can emphatically say that there is no possibility for a sequel to Spadikam. In case Aadu Thoma has a son in the sequel, he would never become a goon. Thoma would positively guide his son as he had hoped his own father had done to him. So, there is no part two for the movie,” Bhadran makes his stand clear.

The film maker confirmed that the digitalized version of Spadikam would be released on the 25th year of its release. Bhadran said he wouldn’t do movies just to make money. He added that he would rather become an office worker if he wanted to make money. “Some people ask me why I haven’t written Spadikam on the gate of my home in Pala. If I do that, it means I do not exist anymore,” said the director.

He revealed that his next movie could happen at any moment. The director even admitted that a movie with Mohanlal was on the cards, the previous year. But it got stalled due to some budget restrictions and technical issues.

No sequel

“No one can take the sequel without my permission. I wouldn’t allow if anyone asks me, no matter how amazing the story is. In case there is a sequel, you could make Thoma, who is released from the jail, a loving father who tries to guide his son in the right path. However, the son treads a different path; you could think about it. But, I believe it wouldn’t pack a punch, would it,” asks Bhadran.

“Imagine a beautiful crystal that we made falls down and break into 36 pieces. Even if we paste them back together, the crystal wouldn’t regain its lost charm. Cinema too is like that. Every movie should pack a punch and bear a bench mark of excellence. So, there is no need to make the sequel of Spadikam,” Bhadran signs off with a smile.