Rajasenan is almost unrecognisable; greying has altered his appearance so much. The hit-maker director of the 90s, who gifted us laugh riot classics like Meleparambil Aanveedu, Aadyathe Kanmani and Sreekrishnapurathe Nakshatrathilakkam, has been away from the big screen for three years. Wound, the 2014 film saw him as a director, writer and actor. Now, after the longest break in his career, the ace filmmaker, who has given back-to-back memorable super hit movies, announces his return to his forte. In the making is the movie, Priyappettavar, which will have Rajasenan in the lead role. He is also working on a script for his next directorial.
More than a comeback, he would like to call it a befitting reply. “There are many who feel that I am finished. My movies are my response to them,” he says. There is no hint of challenge; his voice is calm, mature. As he begins to talk about movies, the spirited Rajasenan, his familiar old self, returns. He excitedly shares the details of Priyappettavar, which is all set to go on the floors at Ottapalam next week. In the movie directed by Jifry Jaleel, he will be playing a man who goes through the emotional rollercoaster of life. “It’s a character with deep shades. A man who fights with his father, his beliefs and Gandhian doctrines, leaves for a foreign country, settles there and later in life, returns to his roots, realising that he had so much to do for his homeland and the people he abandoned. The film will not fit into the slots of wither art house or a complete commercial one. It stands somewhere between the two,” he explains. The movie will see yesteryear heroine Charmila acting as his sister and veteran M.R. Gopakumar as his best friend. The film will be produced by Jayachandrakumar and Radhesh under the banner of Bharatha Kshetra.
After this one, Rajasenan will be signing up for his next movie as an actor. So, will direction be taking a backseat? “Never. I am currently working on two scripts. I will start one of those in January. And no, there won’t be a huge casting. In fact, I have lost the trust on huge casting. Movies have changed a lot, so has the treatment and the art of storytelling. My next directorial will be a realistic narration with tint of humour, of course,” he adds.
However, he realises that the age of drama has ended. He feels, “No one needs drama these days. A film like Meleparambil Aanveedu or Kottaram Veettile Appoottan will never happen again. There is no scope left for such movies. So I am also changing my style.”
Speaking of style, is he sporting grey hair for the character of Priyappettavar? Laughing, he says, “Dyeing doesn’t make me happy as it used to. I am better this way.”
