The rise of Mollywood films on the national scene is obvious by the accolades coming for Malayalam actors from the veterans of prominent film industries, as well as the remake rights of successful films being acquired immediately by other industries and remade in as many as five languages. Obviously, talented folks from other industries are making a beeline to Mollywood, attracted by fresh scripts and its very professional atmosphere. Interestingly, filmmakers from here too are increasingly looking for actors from other industries for roles that may need a non-typical Malayali girl.
Uday Ananthan is directing his third film White with Mammootty and has successfully managed to rope in Bollywood actress Huma Qureshi for the film. Speaking about casting Huma, he says, “I needed a star for this role to match Mammootty’s stature and I personally felt that there were no Malayali actresses who would fit the bill! Huma surprised me with her professionalism. I was planning to get someone to teach her the language but she went ten steps ahead and hired a tutor herself and is learning Malayalam. This from an actress who is busy but still spares time to learn the language. I was totally astounded at her discipline and initiative and I wonder how many Malayali actresses would make this effort. Professionals like Huma would add a lot to the character which comes from understanding the craft of filmmaking.” There is a pool of talent waiting to be tapped in Mollywood, why are directors looking elsewhere? Uday answers, “It could be ‘the grass is greener on the other side’ syndrome! Personally, I would love to work with Malayali actresses but do we have a strong performer in the 25 years age group?”
Mumbai-based Akansha Puri debuted in Samrajyam 2 and went on to act in Praise the Lord and is currently acting in Amar Akbar Antony as Prithviraj’s love interest. Speaking about her reasons for switching over to Mollywood, she says, “No doubt there is an edge when you are working in your own industry but when you have a cooperative crew willing to go the extra mile to help you, then language does not become a barrier! I used to get the dialogues written in English and the crew used to patiently explain the pronunciations to get the wordings correct.” Her lessons proved to be so effective that Akansha dubbed her lines in Praise …. She adds, “I was quite surprised when I was asked to dub, but then I gave it a shot and my whole crew rallied to help me! While choosing a role, I make sure that the team is good so that work progresses smoothly.”
The Mammoootty-starrer Acha Din has Punjabi gudi Mansi Sharma playing his wife. Director Marthandan explains his reasons for casting Mansi as the demands of the script. He mentions, “Mammootty and Mansi play a North Indian couple from Jharkhand living in Kerala. Mansi’s character belongs to a zamindar family and the couple have eloped and married. So, I wanted an actor who did justice to the script and was not a Malayali.” He further adds, “Personally I want to work with Malayali artists and all my earlier films had Malayalis. Our Malayali actors are doing great in Tamil and we look at them with new eyes after they gain success there and then cast them here. I believe in working with our own talent than relying on actors from other industry except when the script demands it.”
Kollywood actor Vedhika has become a sought after star in Malayalam and she asserts that language has never been a deterrent for her. She adds, “I love to learn new languages and what really matters is getting the emotions right! When you work in a different language, the crew is different and we get to learn a lot. The best aspect of Malayalam is that the entire cast sits together and discusses the scenes and about how to contribute to it.”
