Life is often a rollercoaster ride with its share of crests and troughs. Patience, hard work and a never-say-die attitude often pay rich dividends in the end along with the luck factor thrown in. Actor Bala had been lying low for some time in Mollywood but now seems to have hit a purple patch, having signed two big banner films.
Bala is a part of the real life love story Ennu Ninte Moideen starring Prithviraj and has also been roped in for the big budget Mohanlal-starrer Puli Murugan. Bala is excited about pairing up with both the actors after a hiatus. He has earlier acted alongside Prithviraj in Puthiya Mukham and with Mohanlal in Alexander the Great.
Bala plays Moideen’s childhood friend Sethu in Ennu Ninte Moideen. It was his association with Prithviraj that landed him in the movie. “I had met Prithvi in Chennai and we had talked about working together again. True to his word, I got a call for Ennu Ninte Moideen and when I heard the script, I thought that it was just awesome and a film Mollywood can be proud of. The period setting is 1960s and each frame has been very carefully recreated including the clothes, language and body language which is a commendable feat,” Bala says.
He has been really excited about Puli Murugan directed by Vysakh. Incidentally, Bala and Vysakh were supposed to work together for an earlier movie, but Vysakh called Bala for this project. “Very few people keep their word and I was so happy that Vysakh remembered me.”
On Mohanlal, he says. “The experience of working with Lalettan again was a big lure. During the shoot of Alexander the Great, I used to sit and watch Lalettan even after my scenes were canned just for the pleasure of watching him act.”
Bala reveals that Mohanlal guides other actors and remains totally positive throughout the shoot. He also cherishes his off-screen camaraderie with the superstar. “We were shooting in the interiors of the forests abroad. Lalettan used to catch fish from the river, cook it and we used to share it. He is someone who totally relishes food. Lalettan also showed off his mastery over magic and mind-reading and since I too have an interest in magic, I have challenged him at performing some magic tricks,” he says. Puli Murugan has some high-octane action sequences and fight scenes choreographed by Peter Hein, the well-known stunt choreographer and has around 60 popular actors from the industry.
