Harikrishnans

Fazil's 1998 Malayalam film follows two friends who practise law together. Defending a client in a murder case, both fall in love with the same woman, and as the case proceeds their friendship is tested too. What the film is known for is its ending. The production shot two different endings and distributed the prints differently; which ending a viewer saw depended on the cinema. That was an unusual practice in Indian cinema. Mammootty and Mohanlal appear together, and two stars of that stature in one film was an event at the time. Juhi Chawla plays opposite them. The narrative moves between mystery, comedy and romance. Who it's for: those who like nineties Malayalam cinema and star-led films. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a consistent genre; the film keeps changing register.