‘Kireedam’, directed by Sibi Malayil and written by Lohithadas, with Mohanlal in the lead, is regarded as one of the finest performances of the actor’s career. However, according to one of the film’s producers, N Krishnakumar, popularly known as ‘Kireedam Unni’, the film was not originally meant to be titled ‘Kireedam’.

Krishnakumar revealed that ‘Kireedam’ was initially the proposed title for a Mammootty film called ‘Mukthi’, also written by Lohithadas. But when Mammootty heard the title, he felt it was unsuitable. He reportedly said that the word ‘Kireedam’ (which means crown) evokes royal imagery, and therefore wouldn’t fit the tone of the story, so he requested a different name. That’s how the film came to be titled ‘Mukthi’ instead.

Krishnakumar shared that Lohithadas later narrated a new story to him and mentioned that Mammootty had rejected ‘Kireedam’ as a title. Krishnakumar then asked why that name couldn’t be used for their film instead. After all, the character played by Mohanlal ultimately receives a crown of thorns, making the title apt. He also felt it was far better than the working title ‘Gunda’ (Gangster). Lohithadas agreed that it was worth considering, and that’s how the film came to be known as ‘Kireedam’ instead of ‘Gunda’.