‘Which scene is this? When was it shot? I didn’t know’, asked KPAC Lalitha; Story behind that funny bathroom scene in ‘Manichitrathazhu’

Although 25 years have passed since its release, ‘Manichitrathazhu’ continues to mesmerize the audience with its visual treat. The film starring Malyalee’s favourite actors Mohanlal, Shobana and Suresh Gopi also has numerous backstories to tell. One such story is behind the film’s famous Mohanlal-KPAC Lalitha ‘bathroom scene’ that made the audience burst into laughter. Director Fazil has narrated an interesting story behind the scene.

‘As the screenplay writing was progressing, I told Madhu (Madhu Muttam), after the interval we are going to tell some unbelievable things to the audience. We are going to show them. Their stress is going to increase. But before that, shouldn’t we give them some tea? A humour. There should be a humour scene before Sunny heads into his work domain.

Humour is always Madhu’s weakness. He hurried to his room.

Madhu came back by around evening and handed to me the scene he wrote. It looked at me and started laughing. KPAC Laitha’s voice from the nearby bathroom, ‘Aaraadi ende mundu eduthathu?’ Mohanlal’s female voice from the next bathroom, ‘Edi alla. Male voice. ‘Eda aanu eda’. That is how that mundu comedy was born. That scene only requires Lalitha chechi’s voice, not her presence.

The scene was shot and we went to Chennai for dubbing. I was not at the dubbing theatre then. Lalitha chechi was reading the scenes and dubbing. When she reached the bathroom scene, she was surprised. “Which scene is this? When was it shot? I didn’t know’’. The associate directors did not understand whether she was offended or was joking. Nobody said anything. Chechi was saddened and she sat down somewhere else.

‘Why did you shoot my scene without letting me know? All of you excluded me and shot my scene secretly, didn’t you? Why should I dub for a scene in which I did not act? If you need me to dub, then you have to pay extra cash for it.’ Associate director Shaji tried to pacify her. “Chechi, what the director did is a good thing, isn’t it?”, he asked. “What’s good in it?”, she asked. “Chechi, isn’t it a good thing that your bathing scene was not shot in the movie”, he said. Chechi burst into laughter and said, “That’s right. I didn’t think about that”. She then happily dubbed the scene.