What is the connection between Pretham and Manichitrathazhu ?

Ranjith Sankar–Jayasurya team’s latest offering Pretham is doing great in box office with positive reviews pouring in from all over. Pretham is now regarded as one the different horror movies that released in Mollywood. Manichitrathazhu from Fazil-Mohanlal-Sobhana team is considered as the best ever movie in Mollywood that created a horror mood on silver screen. Even though it is a psychological thriller, it had some horror elements in it. Now an interesting viewpoint had come up which tells us about a connection between Pretham and Manichitrathazhu.

Pretham begins with showing us three friends who buys a beach resort and staying there. In the beginning of Manichitrathazhu, we see the characters Nakulan and Ganga comes to stay in their ancestral home named Madambilly. In Pretham and Manichitrathazhu, we are introduced to some super natural experiences where the central characters stays. In both movies there are characters like Sreedevi and Suhaanisa on whom at first the possession of bad souls has been alleged.

Then comes the hero to the scene, Mohanlal as Sunny in Manichithra Thazhu and Jayasurya as John Don Bosco in Pretham. Both are world famous in their profession and has some unique mannerisms. Even the dressing style and appearance looks similar. In Manichitrathazhu, we saw the effort of Dr Sunny to find out the past of Ganga and in Pretham too, the central character undertakes a journey to dig out the past of the ghost. Even scenes in which both Sunny and Don Bosco converse with the Convent Superiors looks the same.

The Mohanlal reference and Manichitrathazhu movie reference also used many times in this movie by the director. In scenes like, when the church priest introduces Don Bosco, comments of the 3 friends on the appearance of Don Bosco, the dialogues in the climax part etc, the reference to Manichitrathazhu and Dr Sunny comes in and it was used well by the director to create some fun mood in the film.

May be we can say that Pretham indirectly celebrates Mohanlal and Manichitrathazhu as well during the proceedings on the screen. That nostalgic trip given to the audience to the memory lane also may be become instrumental in the huge acceptance got by Pretham.