Top 5 classic Mohanlal films to watch before you die

Mohanlal, one of the biggest stars in Mollywood, is now awaiting the release of his most-anticipated movie Odiyan, which has been directed by Sreekumar Menon. The big-budget venture is expected to be a milestone film in Mohanlal's career as he underwent a huge makeover to play the lead character in 'Odiyan'.

Mohanlal's career, now in its 38th year, has witnessed many ups and downs. The veteran actor has often risen from the ashes like a phoenix bird by delivering blockbusters, whenever his acting career had faced a dip.

IB Times India presents the top five classic Mohanlal films that you should watch before you die.

Dasharatham

Dasharatham is considered a cult classic as Mohanlal essays the lead role with finesse and elegance. The film directed by Sibi Malayil was critically acclaimed, and A K Lohithadas' dialogues still live in the minds of Mollywood film buffs.

In Dasharatham, Mohanlal immortalized the character of Rajiv Menon, an alcoholic billionaire with a pure heart. As there is nobody to guide him, Rajiv's life becomes totally aimless. One fine day, he understands the importance of having a kid in his life and decides to find his successor through artificial insemination. However, his life takes an unexpected turn when the lady, who gave birth to his kid, refuses to hand over the infant.

The film is known for its powerful dialogues and the heart-wrenching acting chops of Mohanlal, especially in the climax scenes.

The film was released on October 19, 1989, and emerged as a decent grosser at the box-office. AK Lohithadas had won Kerala Film Critics Award for Best Script Writer for his work in the film.

Kireedam

Kireedam is another mind-blowing Mohanlal film with loads of emotions, drama and sentiments. Directed by Simi Malayil and penned by AK Lohithadas, the film showcases the story of a middle-class youth who unintentionally leans towards rowdyism.

Legendary Mollywood actor Thilakan enacted the role of Mohanlal's father and their on-screen chemistry was Kireedam's major highlight.

The film, which was released on July 7, 1989, shattered many box office records and emerged as one of the biggest hits of the year. In 1993, a sequel to Kireedam named Chenkol was made by the same team, and it repeated the same magic at the box-office.

Kireedam was later remade in four other Indian languages; Rowdyism Nasinchali (Telugu), Modhadha Mareyalli (Kannada), Gardish (Hindi) and Kireedom (Tamil).

Manichitrathazhu

Manichitrathazhu is one of the most celebrated Malayalam movies of all time. The film directed by Fazil featured Mohanlal, Shobhana and Suresh Gopi in the lead roles. A psychological thriller blended with magical realism, Manichitrathazhu emerged as a huge hit at the box-office and shattered many records in its 200-day run.

Even though the major highlight of Manichitrathazhu was Shobhana's spell-bounding performance, Mohanlal as Dr Sunny had also impressed audiences and critics alike.

Mohanlal essayed the role of Dr Sunny yet again in the 2013 Priyadarshan directorial Geethanjali, a spin-off to Manichitrathazhu. But the film bombed at the box-office, and audiences panned Priyadarshan for spoiling the reputation of such an iconic character.

Thoovanathumbikal

Thoovanathumbikal is an all-time classic in Mollywood directed by legendary filmmaker Padmarajan. Mohanlal portrayed the role of a young man who falls for two women at the same time.

The major highlight of the movie was the on-screen chemistry between Mohanlal and Sumalatha, who played the role of an escort.

Many modern-day film buffs consider Thoovanathumbikal as the best romantic movie ever made in Malayalam as it enjoys a cult status even after 31 years of its release.

Devasuram

Devasuram is the story of a feudal warlord named Mangalassery Neelakandan. Directed by IV Sasi, the film broke all the conventional stereotypes of a Mollywood hero and became a milestone movie in Mohanlal's career.

The character of Neelakandan had negative shades, and Mohanlal portrayed it perfectly on screen. Upon release, Devasuram became the biggest blockbuster of the year, and the grand success of the movie compelled scriptwriter Ranjith to make a sequel.

Interestingly, the sequel Ravanaprabhu too repeated the magic at the box-office and emerged as a huge blockbuster at the box-office.