‘No one could capture middle class like Sreeni...’: Mohanlal remembers his ‘Vijayan’

“Ellathinum athintethaya samayam undu Dasa”—the iconic dialogue from Nadodikkattu, delivered by Mohanlal to Sreenivasan on screen, perfectly captures the timeless magic of their partnership. Today, as Malayalam cinema mourns the passing of Sreenivasan, the line feels like a tribute to a man whose wit, timing, and storytelling shaped an entire generation of films.

Speaking to Mathrubhumi, Phalke award-winning superstar Mohanlal shared his grief, recalling their years of friendship and work together: “I don’t believe he has left us. Sreeni will live on through his films. Many of my great characters were given to me by Sreenivasan. Malayalis have understood sarcasm, humour, and life through his movies.”

Mohanlal also took to Facebook to share a deeply emotional tribute to his longtime collaborator. Posting a picture of Sreenivasan, Mohanlal wrote, “No one else can express the dreams and broken dreams of the middle class like Sreeni. The characters we created together will last forever, only because of the magic in Sreeni's writing. Dasan and Vijayan became their own people for every Malayali because of Sreeni's blessed writing talent. His works were a reflection of society. A beloved person who captured pain in laughter. On screen and in life, we traveled together forever, laughing, having fun, fighting, and getting along like Dasan and Vijayan.”