It goes without saying that Director Shafi’s affinity for humour has its roots in his family legacy. As the nephew of filmmaker Siddique and brother of writer-director Rafi, he easily took over the mantle of modern slapstick comedy. And in all of his 18 films, Shafi generously infused humour, crafting characters that were both relatable and absolute oddballs. His characters had a dizzying sense of irreverence that was even more dramatic and comedic than his predecessors. At the same time, he stuck to clean, mild humour, which stood the test of time. And his collaborations with Benny P. Nayarambalam, and Rafi Mecartin yielded comedic gold, resulting in unforgettable one-liners that could easily be heard in daily conversations.

Having someone like Pyari (Kalyanaraman) on your team, like Raman Kutty’s catering unit, is a double-edged sword. He’s either a recipe for disaster or a genius waiting to be harnessed. From the minute he enters the frame, he unleashes hilarious chaos. From dramatic misspells, outrageous antics (like exchanging a dead person’s underwear with his own), and spontaneous rhyming outbursts, there is never a dull moment when he is around. The Shafi-Salim Kumar collaboration always soared, as the actor had an uncanny ability to........

© Mathrubhumi English