Mammootty is widely regarded as a GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), not just for the phenomenal performances he has delivered over the years, but also for the unconventional and pathbreaking choices he has made throughout his five-decade career. While he has done numerous formulaic commercial entertainers, Mammootty’s repertoire also radiates a versatility that few can claim. Among the many atypical movies he has done is veteran director Joshiy’s Nirakkoottu (1985). Although the crime drama might now feel like just another mainstream movie, a closer look and analysis, against the backdrop of the cinema of its era, would prove that Nirakkoottu was a risky project, especially for Mammootty.ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEOAt a time when mainstream cinema had clear, proper definitions of heroes and villains and how they should be presented on screen, Nirakkoottu broke conventions and adopted a different narrative style. For most of its first half, Ravi Varma (Mammootty) is portrayed as a ruthless criminal, awaiting a death sentence for the brutal murder of his wife, Mercy (Sumalatha). Even in the flashback scenes — based on the news story that Mercy’s sister, journalist Sasikala (Urvashi), is writing — Ravi comes across as a monster. However, in the second half, his story is subverted as Ravi himself begins narrating the actual events and how he was framed for Mercy’s murder. Nirakkoottu was also among the earliest Malayalam movies to effectively employ the Rashomon effect.Cinema Anatomy | The Drishyam trap: How Jeethu Joseph tricked us into rooting against Georgekutty before the ultimate April 2026 finaleConsidering that it defied the conventions of mainstream cinema and challenged the on-screen image of a hero for much of the movie’s running time, Nirakkoottu was indeed risky. Still, Dennis Joseph’s screenplay was so strong and layered that the movie struck a chord with audiences and became a massive blockbuster, adding another feather to the caps of Mammootty, Sumalatha, and Joshiy. It also marked the official beginning of Dennis’ illustrious career, during which he emerged as one of the most successful and celebrated screenwriters in Malayalam cinema.Astrologer’s prophecy that paved way for Dennis Joseph’s cinematic entryAlthough Mammootty’s Nirakkoottu was Dennis Joseph’s sophomore screenwriting venture, it was the first one he wrote independently, as his debut work, director Jeassy’s Eeran Sandhya (1985), gave him nothing but heartbreak, as he was almost phased out of it during the process. However, a prediction by a renowned astrologer, whom many successful Malayalam directors and producers of the era considered their lucky mascot, paved the way for Dennis’ re-entry into cinema and the birth of Nirakkoottu. Interestingly, the same astrologer had previously predicted that Eeran Sandhya would be a massive success and bring glory to Dennis, neither of which came true. Yet, since the filmmakers he initially collaborated with trusted the astrologer, named Kora, completely, it can be said that his prophecy led to Dennis’ foray into cinema as a screenwriter. Mammootty and Sumalatha in director Joshiy’s Nirakkoottu. (Screenshot: YouTube/MalayalamCassettes)During an appearance on Safari TV’s “Charithram Enniloode” programme, Dennis shared at length the story behind his movie debut. While working as a sub-editor at a film magazine, his cousin, producer Rajan Joseph, approached him, asking whether he knew any stories that could be adapted into a Malayalam movie. He thus narrated the story of Eye of the Needle, a movie he had seen recently, and suggested taking the 1981 British film’s crux of a triangle love story and developing a fresh narrative. Rajan then asked Dennis to turn it into a story himself. Once that was done, Rajan took Dennis to astrologer Kora.“Rajan, director Joshiy, and producer Saga Appachan trusted him (Kora) very much. He used to be an engineer at the shipyard, and after retiring, he took up astrology as a hobby. He had studied astrology deeply and was a friend to many in the film industry, like Rajan and Jubilee Productions’ Joy Thomas. Before making a movie, they used to approach him to enquire about the story, the director, the actors, etc. He used tarot cards for fortune-telling,” Dennis recalled.Story continues below this adMust Read | Mohanlal film earned 22x profit, changed Malayalam cinema forever; and why it’s under fire todayAfter listening to Dennis’ story and checking his tarot cards, Kora maintained that the story was good. While they initially suggested several A-list writers, Kora said the movie would work best if Dennis himself wrote it. “I was shocked! He was telling me to write the screenplay. I was shocked out of fear, not joy. I was sure Rajan would have dismissed it otherwise, but his deep faith (in Kora) made him say, ‘Yes, you write it.'”How ‘flop director’ Jeassy became Eeran Sandhya’s helmerAlthough they all wanted filmmaking legend KS Sethumadhavan to direct the project — which Kora also predicted was the best choice — the former was packed with back-to-back movies. Hence, they began considering other options and landed on Jeassy. Though he was going through a tough phase, having delivered quite a few flops, Kora maintained that Jeassy was the next best choice and that his cards showed that this team — Jeassy, Rajan, and Dennis — would succeed.Also Read | Heroine of Indian cinema’s most iconic franchise, she played Mammootty’s daughter, girlfriend and motherStory continues below this adThus, they approached Jeassy, who agreed to do the movie. However, the director had an old beef with Dennis, as the latter had once, while working as a journalist at the film magazine, written things about the director that caused him much dismay. As Dennis began narrating the script, Jeassy started showing his dissatisfaction with it. By the time Dennis had narrated half the script, the director was of the opinion that it was worthless for a movie and demanded that it be rewritten by a professional writer.Thus, they brought in legendary screenwriter John Paul. Nonetheless, Eeran Sandhya credited both Dennis and John as the writers. Despite Kora’s predictions, Dennis’ cinematic career withered away before it bloomed, and Eeran Sandhya also ended up becoming just a middling affair at the box office. It featured Mammootty, Shobana, and Rahman in the lead roles.The birth of Mammootty-Sumalatha’s NirakkoottuDennis Joseph’s removal as the main screenwriter and the last-minute involvement of John Paul became a talking point across the industry and brought him a bad name. Yet, hit producer Joy Thomas of Jubilee Productions came to meet Dennis one day. Joy requested Dennis to write a script for him. He had already fixed Joshiy as the director. When Dennis explained what led to his sidelining in Eeran Sandhya, Joy noted, “Mammootty told me that the screenplay of Eeran Sandhya had some unique touches of Dennis. He said that the movie had elements that weren’t Jeassy’s or John Paul’s.”Once Dennis agreed, Joy took him to Kora, the astrologer who initially predicted that Dennis would be the best choice for Eeran Sandhya and that both he and the movie would be successful. “At that time, it was because the combination was wrong. That needn’t be the case all the time. The cards show that this story is also good. I suggest you write the screenplay this time, too,” Kora noted.Story continues below this adWhy Joshiy was sceptical to do Nirakkoottu initiallyOnce done writing, Dennis went to meet Joshiy to narrate it. He went to the sets of the director’s Onningu Vannengil for this. However, Joshiy kept delaying listening to the script, and by the seventh day, Dennis began feeling that the director might be trying to dodge the project. When Dennis suggested leaving, Joshiy told him to visit him on the movie’s set the next day.ICYMI | Epitome of female beauty in Malayalam cinema, this actress declined a Mammootty film as the role was ‘glamorous’; Silk Smitha did it eventually“Although Joshiy trusted Kora more than anyone, he too had heard about the Eeran Sandhya fiasco and was sceptical about working with me. His plan, therefore, was to decline to do the movie after reading the first 10 scenes of the script. However, once he read the script the next day, he told me, ‘I won’t say that this is the best script Malayalam cinema has ever seen. But this is the best one I have seen thus far. Let’s do this.’ That’s how Nirakkoottu was born,” Dennis shared.The Mammootty-Sumalatha movie became such a big hit that it was remade in Tamil as Manithanin Marupakkam, starring Sivakumar and Radha, and in Kannada as Sathya Jyothi, featuring Vishnuvardhan and Sumalatha. Mammootty and Sumalatha’s on-screen chemistry received widespread acclaim, along with the song “Poomaaname,” which became an evergreen hit.