‘She would have gone under the wheels, we would have lost her that day’: Manoj K Jayan about Manju Warrier

Sallapam, the 1996 romantic drama that launched Manju Warrier into Malayalam cinema’s front rank, remains one of the actor’s most celebrated films. Written by the late A. K. Lohithadas and directed by Sunder Das, the picture cast the then 17‑year‑old Warrier as Radha, a bright but ill‑fated village girl. Her portrayal, free of the hesitations usually seen in newcomers, earned her the Kerala Film Critics’ Award for Best Actress and signalled the arrival of a formidable talent.

Nearly three decades on, co‑star Manoj K. Jayan has again lifted the veil on a hair‑raising incident that occurred while shooting the film’s climactic railway‑track sequence. In the scene Radha, heart‑broken after losing her true love, prepares to leap in front of an approaching train. According to Manoj K. Jayan, Manju’s commitment to the moment was so absolute that it almost cost her life.

“Everyone watching realised immediately that she was operating on another level,” he recalled in an interview with a television channel. “Sallapam was her first outing as a heroine, yet no one would have guessed. During that final shot she simply surrendered to the character, and the situation slipped out of control.”

The sequence was filmed on the twenty‑fourth day of production, with the train running perilously close to the actors. Jayan remembers gripping the actor’s arm with all his strength: “Had my hand even slightly loosened, she would have gone under the wheels. I told myself I couldn’t let go—whatever happened.” When the director finally called ‘cut’, both performers collapsed, physically and emotionally drained. “I was so shaken I half‑felt like giving her a scolding,” he admitted, “but the shot was perfect and the entire unit broke into applause.”

Manoj K. Jayan believes the episode underscores Manju’s extraordinary dedication. “If I had not been there that day,” he said, “Malayalam cinema might have lost a future icon before she had truly begun.” His testimony adds yet another layer to the legend of Sallapam: a film that not only introduced a star, but very nearly claimed her in the process. (With inputs from Agencies)