Media entrepreneur, veteran journalist, thinker, writer, director, actor — Sashi Kumar dons many hats. He is all set to don the greasepaint once again for director Pramod Payyannur’s 'Balyakalasakhi' along with Mammootty.
Sashi says, “I play Al-Ameen Sahib, a freedom fighter who writes articles urging the people to fight for Independence. He maintains a deep bond with Majid, the character played by Mammootty.”
This is his second outing with Mammootty, after the critically acclaimed Jayaraj’s 'Loud Speaker'.
“I became a part of 'Loud Speaker' largely because Mammootty called me and persuaded me to do the role. When I read the script, it did seem interesting and I accepted it. Same with 'Balyakalasakhi'. In the novel, the character of Al-Ameen Sahib is vague, but in the film, the character has been developed excellently. I could relate myself with Sahib’s character. Director Pramod was keen that I play the role. Although it is a commercial film, it has a middle of the road cinema feel.”
Speaking about his relationship with Mammotty, he says, “Mammotty and I have known each other for long, since my Chennai days. My son and Dulquer studied together. We used to meet at times but after 'Loud Speaker', we became very closer."
It was cinema that his heart always beats for and he says that the only stepping stone to cinema in the late 70s was television. He studied cinema deeply and started writing on it in leading newspapers.
“Back in 1980, I had acted in R. Ravindran’s 'Iniyum Marichittilla Nammal', which was more of art house cinema. Though I love European masters, offbeat, serious cinema, I also like some of the commercial main stream films too.”
He is well aware of the revolution happening in Malayalam cinema. “It is good to see that the barrier between mainstream cinema and parallel cinema is gradually vanishing. And both actors and directors are superstars. Films like 'Salt N’ Pepper', 'Amen' are proof of it. But I can’t say how long this trend will sustain as theatre-cinema ratio is still not compatible in Kerala.”
His first Hindi film 'Kaya Taran' made in 2004 won him many accolades but says that acting cannot be his profession.
“After Loud Speaker, I did get many offers, but there is so much of other work that I cannot devote time for acting. Acting cannot be a hobby, as it is time consuming and demands a lot of attention.”
Speaking about his filmmaking plans, Sashi says, “I am working on some ideas and I hope I’ll be able to make a film soon, most probably in Tamil, as my ethos is strongly connected with those regions. But at some point in future, I will definitely make a Malayalam film.”
A hugely successful anchor in the days of Doordarshan days, Sashi was instrumental in starting Asianet, the first regional channel in Kerala.
However, he divested his stake from the channel, when he found that it is distancing away from the values on which it was built. “I am planning to instrument a new national channel. With technology becoming more liberating, the Internet itself is a channel. I am thinking on those lines.”
