BEFRIENDING CONTROVERSY - DIRECTOR VINAYAN

Befriending controversy
Controversy has always dogged Malayalam film director Vinayan’s path, writes KK Moidu

Throughout his career Malayalam film director Vinayan has thrown conventions to the winds, earning him the reputation of a rebel. But success has often silenced the critics of this talented director with original ideas.
Controversy and Vinayan have gone hand in hand right from the beginning of his film career. While still a Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) employee he approached frontline directors, including Bharathan and Padmarajan, in the 1980s seeking a job as an assistant. He was, however, denied an opening because every established director had his own team. The spirited Vinayan did not give up his ambitions and decided to build his career on his own terms.
He joined Udayakala theatre company, which was then run by a political party. All the company members with the exception of Vinayan relied on the troupe for their livelihood. However, the troupe had to be disbanded after a party leader and the company’s top artiste got embroiled in a dispute. Vinayan stepped in and took over the company, renaming it Swadeshabhimani.
Later, when he entered the film industry he had no guidance and ended up losing Rs 800,000 on his first film, which never saw light of day. However, unlike other newcomers to the field he good-humouredly wrote of this colossal loss as a “capitation fee” for joining his choice vocation.
Around this time his first released film began to take shape. Swadesabhimani theatre had an actor, Madanlal, who was a Mohanlal lookalike. Taking advantage of this similarity Vinayan made Superstar in 1992, which showed Madanlal playing a barber. Mohanlal’s fans didn’t take kindly to this apparent affront to their idol and Madanlal has not been seen on the screen since.
The next film Kanyakumariyil Oru Kavitha was also not completed and he had to wait for some time for lady luck to smile on him. Sipayi Lahala, his next, was a major step on the road to success, though this film did only average business Vinayan got noticed by the industry. After some average films he gave the industry a superhit horror film, Akashaganga. This film brought him recognition as a brilliant director. But he was accused of plagiarism, when script writer Benny P. Nayarambalam declared that the director plagiarised his story. But Vinayan said that the story was told to him by his grandmother when he was a teenager.
His Oomappeninu Uriyadappayyan starring newcomer Jayasurya and Kavya Madhavan was also not free of accusations. Satyanath, a TV producer/scriptwriter of Mahilasamajam (Surya TV programme) fame claimed that it was he who bought the story rights of the Tamil original, Sollamale.
Even the super-hit Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njanum, which fetched Kalabhavan Mani the National Special Jury Award for his portrayal of the blind man, was no exception. The film was remade in Tamil as Kasi with Vikram playing Mani’s role.
Writer Sarath Chandran alleged that he had given the story idea to Kalabhavan Mani, who allegedly passed it to Vinayan. The director and writer reached an out-of-court settlement but Sarath Chandran donated the money to an orphanage for the blind and deaf.
Another Vinayan film made around that time, Karumadikkuttan starring Kalabhavan Mani and Nandini, also became a hit despite the absence of superstars. This proved Vinayan’s credentials as a director with original ideas and talents. He continued to give a series of hits even when the Malayalam industry was in doldrums because cinema houses were flooded with soft-porn actress Shakeela’s films.
Vinayan has also been successful with established actors like Mammooty, with whom he made such superhits as Rakshasa Rajavu and Dadasaheb. In Dadasaheb Mammooty appeared in a double role and the audience loved the film. Again he made Meerayude Dukhavum Muthuvinte Swapnavum with upcoming actor Prithviraj and TV soap favourite, Ambili Devi. Renuka Menon was the heroine in the film. He also made Vellinakshatram, a film about a ghost, again casting Prithviraj in the lead role. In the big-budget film War & Love, about the lives of soldiers, he cast Dilip and Prabhu. However, as luck would have it the movie flopped.
His entry on the small screen was also mired in controversy. He acquired directorial rights for a story from a TV producer with the intention of making a serial for Doordarshan, however, he later sold the story to another producer for a tidy sum. After 10 episodes were shot, with another director, a TV producer claimed the rights for the serial. When they produced proof of payment to Vinayan. The producer had to part with huge sums to settle the issue. Vinayan’s reasoning was that he didn’t want unnecessary controversies.
The director’s 25th film Albhuthadweep (Wonder Island), has been his bravest effort thus far. He selected dwarf actor Ajay Kumar (Undapakru) to play hero in the movie, though Undapakru had never played hero before. Vinayan thus rewrote the concept of hero in Malayalam cinema.
Prior to Albhuthadweep, Undapakru was seen only in bit roles and on television in comedy programmes. The film’s storyline was as different as its cast. It was about an island full of dwarfish men and normal women. Vinayan arranged for 300 dwarves from various parts of Kerala, Gujarat and even Bihar. Albhuthadeep didn’t click at the box office but a Hollywood film maker has shown keen interest in the film. Ajay Kumar is likely to play the lead in the English version as well. One of the main reasons for Vinayan’s extraordinary success could be the fact that he goes for variety while selecting topics.
As has become a practice even the director’s latest movie, Boyy Friennd, inspired by a Tamil film and borrowing ideas from another Tamil super-hit, M. Kumaran S/o. of Mahalakshmi, also got embroiled in controversy. This time around it was about using computer wizardry to show superstars Mammooty and Mohanlal in a song sequence in the film, though they have not acted in the movie nor granted their permission. This visual feat was achieved by the technicians by using masks on the actors. Both Mammooty and Mohanlal complained to the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) about Vinayan capitalising on their popularity to promote his own film.
In his defence, Vinayan said that after the song it was clearly shown in the film that the actors were wearing masks.
The director was also planning to make a film using a similar technique to show yesteryear stalwarts, Sathyan and Prem Nazir, with today’s superstars but, however, he has now decided to rethink the idea.
Vinayan’s latest offering will be a sci-fi thriller, Athisayan, where Bollywood star Jackie Shroff will make his first appearance in a Malayalam film. Kavya Madhavan will play Maya a TV journalist, who adopts 10 orphans, including six-year-old child prodigy, Devadas. Actor Ramu’s son will play Devadas, the central character in the film.
Now Vinayan fans will have to wait until the release of Athisayan to find out what fresh accusations his rivals will come up with. One major difference this time will be that if there is a controversy the reverberations will be felt outside Kerala.