Although Malayalam cinema has witnessed the arrival and rise of several talented filmmakers over the decades, with some ranking among India’s finest, the Siddique–Lal duo continues to hold a top spot in the elite list of the most successful and celebrated directors the regional film industry has ever had. Despite helming only five films in their collaborative career spanning just five years, and that too over three decades ago, the movies the duo created are still among Malayalees’ all-time favourites and are rewatched by the masses to this day.
Following their entry into the industry in the mid-1980s as assistants to legendary director Fazil, who had by then become a bankable filmmaker, Siddique and Lal made their debut by penning the story, screenplay, and dialogues for Pappan Priyappetta Pappan (1986), helmed by Sathyan Anthikad. The 1987 comedy classic Nadodikkattu was also based on a story developed by the duo. In 1989, they made their directorial debut with Ramji Rao Speaking, which is now regarded as one of the finest comedies Malayalam cinema has ever created. It was remade into several languages, including Hindi, as the iconic Hera Pheri (2000).
In the subsequent years, they directed four more comedy dramas: In Harihar Nagar (1990), Godfather (1991), Vietnam Colony (1992), and Kabooliwala (1993) — all of which emerged as massive blockbusters. Interestingly, their Godfather remains the longest-running Malayalam film of all time, having enjoyed a theatrical run of over 400 days. Although Siddique and Lal parted ways after that, purportedly to pursue their individual careers, the real reason — if there’s anything more than what they revealed — behind their unexpected professional split remains a mystery. Nonetheless, they maintained an unwavering friendship even after their separation and collaborated in various capacities over the years.
When Siddique debuted as an independent filmmaker with the Mammootty-starrer Hitler (1996), it was co-produced by Lal. He also served as a co-producer on Siddique’s Friends (1999). Years later, they collaborated creatively on the romantic comedy King Liar, which the duo scripted based on a story by Siddique. Lal directed it.
Siddique and Lal were extremely talented, and even when they pursued their individual careers, they mostly found immense success. In 2001, Siddique remade Friends in Tamil. That movie also became a massive blockbuster and played a key role in establishing the careers of ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay and Suriya. He returned to Malayalam in 2003 with another blockbuster, the Mammootty-starrer Chronic Bachelor. Subsequently, he took a long break from Malayalam. Meanwhile, he remade Chronic Bachelor in Tamil as Engal Anna (2004) and also helmed the Tamil movie Sadhu Miranda (2008), which was loosely based on the Siddique-Lal-scripted Mannar Mathai Speaking (1995). He also penned the screenplay and dialogues for the Malayalam thriller Finger Print (2005).
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His proper comeback in Malayalam came in 2010 with Bodyguard. Starring Dileep and Nayanthara in the lead roles, the romantic comedy became a massive blockbuster, cementing Siddique’s status in the industry. This was also the era when Dileep was reigning supreme, with most of his movies becoming huge hits. Bodyguard, as a result, had a majestic run at the box office and also marked Nayanthara’s return to Malayalam after a four-year hiatus. The film became such a big hit that it was remade in four languages, with three versions featuring superstars in their respective industries.
Siddique himself remade the movie into Tamil and Hindi in the following months. While Kaavalan (2011) featured Vijay and Asin in the lead roles, the central characters were reprised by Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor in the Hindi version titled Bodyguard (2011). Interestingly, Kaavalan arrived at a time when Vijay was struggling due to back-to-back failures and had not delivered any blockbusters since Pokkiri (2007). The Siddique directorial helped Vijay overcome this rough patch.
According to Business World, Kaavalan grossed Rs 102 crore worldwide, while the Malayalam version earned Rs 20 crore, which was a significant figure for the comparatively smaller industry. Siddique replicated the success in Hindi as well, despite it being his debut in the language. The Salman Khan-Kareena Kapoor movie grossed Rs 252.99 crore worldwide, according to Bollywood Hungama. The movie was remade in Telugu under the same title by director Gopichand Malineni. The 2012 film featured Venkatesh and Trisha in the lead roles.
Although he began his Bollywood journey with a bang, Siddique never returned to the industry again until his demise in August 2023. His final directorial venture was the Mohanlal-starrer Big Brother (2020), which ended up being a critical and commercial failure.
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