Director Bhadran on What Makes Mohanlal’s Spadikam Timeless

Director Bhadran, who is basking in the success of the re-release of his cult classic Spadikam (1995), tells us in an interview that his childhood was very similar to the one portrayed in the film. The film traces the journey of Aadu Thoma (Mohanlal), who leaves his village as a young boy following several clashes with his father, and returns fourteen years later, transformed as a hooligan. In an interview with Anupriya, the filmmaker draws comparisons between himself and Aadu Thoma. “My childhood was very similar to the one portrayed in Spadikam. In the film, he (Aadu Thoma) makes a radio and listens to Mohammad Rafi songs and I used to listen to Rafi songs and sing them.”

Further, the director asserts that all works of art draw heavily from one’s life experiences, with Spadikam being based on his childhood experiences. “For me, Spadikam is a movie that should have been told at that time. I was young when I made Spadikam and the movie was made because it was about my childhood experiences. It was like facing your childhood in front of you.”

The re-release has been pulling in crowds to theatres at a time when most of actor Mohanlal’s releases have failed at the box office.  Attributing the box-office success of the film to the timeless nature of the themes explored in it, the director says, "The film's theme is timeless. It has value in every time period because every time a parent loves their child, they seek happiness for themselves in a way. When your child gets good grades, you get a proud feeling. More than loving them, we try to find happiness for ourselves, so there is a small element of selfishness involved.”

Reiterating his belief that films like Spadikam would work in any era, the director recounts instances where people asked him to take legal action against the makers of Taare Zameen Par and 3 Idiots for copying his film. “Such films also deal with the theme of children’s talent not getting recognised and how parents try to force their desire on their children. When Taare Zameen Par and 3 Idiots were released, I received so many phone calls and letters saying that I should take legal action because they copied my film. But movies like these should come in various forms, and such movies should be reborn in different ways.”