CID Nazir, 1971 Malayalam blockbuster stars Kerala's evergreen movie star Prem Nazir as Malayalis' James Bond. For the uninitiated Malayalam movie star Prem Nazir holds two Guinness records for playing the highest number of lead roles in movies - in 524 films and acting opposite the same heroine (Sheela) in 110 of them. The man was a prolific hit making machine back in his day. No wonder he was chosen to play Malayalam's adaptation of Ian Fleming's famous spy.
The 60s & 70s Malayalam cinema CIDs or detectives had to have excellent cosplay skills. A CID's crime solving abilities were a distant second. Since CID Nazir is Malayali incarnate of James Bond, he is shown as an irresistible ladies man. Unlike other Malayalam movies of the time the hero does not form a lasting bond with the heroine when this movie ends.
The 1969 movie Kannur Deluxe can be considered a prequel of CID Nazir. In both movies Prem Nazir is the CID and Adoor Bhasi is his assistant CID, although P. Venu, the director of CID Nazir did direct a film called Detective 909 Keralathil (1969) prior to this, it does not have the continuity you expect in a movie series in the absence of the main character CID Nazir, which Kannur Deluxe has. P.Venu will go on to make a sequel to CID Nazir in 1972 called Taxi Car.
Other CID movies that I am familiar with from the same time period where Prem Nazir stars as the CID are Cochin Express (1967), Love in Kerala (1968), Danger Biscuit (1969), Ernakulam Junction (1971) and Lankadahanam (1972).
CID Nazir - the movie starts off with a different CID - a young and handsome Raghavan as CID Chandran. As a young and junior hero, he is expendable and is finished off before the opening credits. CID Nazir is then tasked with finding and bringing the criminal gang behind Chandran's killing to justice.
Raghavan as CID Chandran | Bhasi as Bhasi | Sreelatha as Sreelatha |
Adoor Bhasi plays the assistant CID, Bhasi. He also provides comic relief. Unlike the Malayali Bond - CID Nazir, assistant CID Bhasi has a permanent lady love in this movie, Sreelatha. Bahadur, another actor who assists Bhasi in the comic relief effort plays the caretaker and helper at the bungalow Nazir stays in. It is the same house where CID Chandran was originally murdered. Bahadur and Bhasi were like Laurel and Hardy of Malayalam of that era.
Bahadur |
A masala potboiler Indian movie has to have a good looking heroine so that the dashing CID officer can engage in some stress-release in the form of singing, dancing and running around trees with her. A very young Jayabharathi, in her late teens is CID Nazir's girl friend for two and half hours of the movie's running time. While the girl is hopelessly in love with the CID, the upstanding CID never really expresses any deep feelings for her. She is mainly there as the subject of his songs and the movie did have some chartbuster songs thanks to this romantic track.
Jayabharathi as Shanti |
The villains, the semi villains, the vamp and the villain's lair showcases the usual suspects like Jose Prakash, Nellikkode Bhaskaran and Sadhana. The underground (looks like a bomb shelter) villain's lair is typical repurposed studio set that has stood many movie villains in good stead. The super villain never shows his face, as the camera shows the back of his head from behind his chair and you can see his foot soldiers facing the camera. There is an ominous globe on the villain's desk as if to say the world is not enough.
The villian's lair and the standup meeting with his 'employees' |
Sadhana, a Malayalam star from the 60s and 70s who specialized in vamp and cabaret dancer roles is the femme fatale. She gets a pretty meaty role trying to mislead and murder the ladies' man CID. She also gets a cabaret dance number and song and in the end she switches side, thus redeeming herself and reuniting with her ex-boyfriend. I tried looking up Sadhana and found that the lady died penniless - the same fate met by many supporting actors in Malayalam film industry.
Nellikkodu Bhaskaran |
Jayabharati as Shanti - a song scene |
Shanti and CID Nazir - all in a day's work for the CID |
CID Nazir breaks into a song to cool off when things get too heated up on the investigation front |
T.S. Muthiah, Jose Prakash as Sivaram and CID Nazir |
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