WHEEL TURNS FULL CIRCLE-MOHANLAL

Wheel Turns Full Circle


Malayalam superstar Mohanlal is making news again with his pairing opposite his former screen heroine’s daughter,
reports KK Moidu

“Bharat” Mohanlal is making film history by becoming the only actor to have co-starred with both mother and daughter. In the superstar’s upcoming film, Photographer, his leading lady will be Saranaya, daughter of yesteryear South Indian actress, Poornima. Two-and-a-half decades ago Poornima and Mohanlal made their screen debut in the same film, Manjil Virinja Pookkal, which was directed by Fazil.
Mohanlal is respected not just for his trail-blazing 25-year reign on the silver screen but also for having effectively portrayed various screen characters. He handles comedy, serious, romantic and action roles with equal ease and has earned a reputation as one of the most natural actors in India. There are very few actors in Indian cinema, who can handle both comedy and serious roles with the same elan. However, because he is publicity-shy the actor is not as well-known outside Kerala as he should have been. On the silver screen the actor is king, portraying the conflicting emotions of a Kathakali artiste and the innocence of a jobless youth with his extremely expressive face.
Mohanlal was born in Pathanamthitta to Viswanathan Nair and Santhakumari. He won the best actor award while studying in the sixth standard, a rare achievement for a young student. Normally such awards go to high school students.
Lal did not have to struggle much to enter the film industry. His first film was Thiranottam (1978), while still a pre-degree student in college. He portrayed a mentally-challenged servant in the movie. The movie was completed with great financial difficulties but never released. But he soon realised how much he loved acting. Soon he went to Chennai in search of roles. His friend Suresh responded to a film advertisement in a newspaper and mailed Mohanlal’s photograph. Lal demonstrated his histrionic talent in front of an interview panel comprising director Fazil, Sibi Malayil and Jijo. Mohanlal was selected to play the villain in Manjil Virinja Pookkal. The audience took notice of him. At that time viewers never paid much attention to the performances of screen villains.
His career witnessed an upswing with the 1986 super-hit Rajavinte Makan. He made a mark as an underworld don who was not stereotypical. The phenomenal success of the movie saw Lal encouraged directors to cast the actor in similar roles. In fact, there are plans to make a sequel, Rajavinte Makan 2 , which will be released next year. He also won his first Kerala State Film Award in 1986 for his performance in TP Balagopalan MA and a Filmfare Award the same year. He married Suchithra, the daughter of Balaji, the same year.
He made it to the top slot mainly by excelling in comedy roles, particularly with Sreenivasan, setting off a new trend. His friend and director Priyadarsan and Sathyan Anthikkad repeatedly cast Lal and Sreenivasan in their films like Nadodikkattu, Pattanapravesam, Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam, Mazha Peyyunnu Madhalam Kottunnu, Gandhi Nagar IInd Street etc., which are still a favourite with film lovers.
Those films combined fun with a message. Lal was fortunate to have received good scripts, which offered him a chance to exploit his expressive face to give stunning performances. Priyadarsan films like Kilukkam and Chithram saw Lal reach the pinnacle of his career as a comic hero.
He touched the dizzying heights of superstardom with his performance in Kireedam, which cast him as a young man (Sethu) who has a desire to become a police officer but ultimately becomes a murderer. His touching portrayal of Sethu won him a special mention from the National Film Awards jury, though he lost the award to arch screen rival, Mammooty (Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha).
Lal also launched his own production company, Pranavam Arts with the intention of making movies of his choice. Both Kalapaani and Vanaprastham were produced by Lal. He realised that no commercial film producer would dare to produce films like His Highness Abdulla and Bharatham, which offered minimal guarantee of commercial success. Kalapaani released in 1995 won the National and State awards and Vanaprastham released in 1999 won the National Award for the best film. Other movies like Harikrishnans, Kanmadam, Pingami and Mithunam were also produced by Lal. He has also done playback singing though not as a regular. He proved this talent in Onnanam Kunnil Oradi Kunnil, Kandu Kandarinju, Aye Auto, Vamanapuram Bus Route, Balettan and his award-winning movie Thanmathra.
One outstanding quality about the actor is that he does not rehearse his performances, but such is his commitment that he learned Kathakali for his role in Vanaprastham and Bharatanatyam for Kamaladhalam. For his most recent film, Keerthichakra, where he plays an army commando, he went through gruelling physical training for a year. This could be one of the reasons for the movie’s success.
In a 25-year career he has acted in films as diverse as Sree Krishnaparunthu, Attakkalasam, Noketha Dhooratha Kannum Nattu, Ivide Thudangunnu, Athirathram, Jeevante Jeevan, Boeing Boeing, Thalavattam, Irupatham Noottandu, Boomiyile Rajakkanmar, Varavelpu, Vandanam, Lal Salaam, Rakthasakshikal Zindabad, Aye Auto, Thenmavin Kombathu, Vietnam Colony, Manichithrathazhu etc., But he got a image makeover with Devasuram in 1993, directed by IV Sasi. His character, Mangalassery Neelakantan, give rejuvenated his screen image. This successful larger-than-life character spawned more such films like Aaram Thampuran, Narasimham and Ravanaprabhu. But there have been flops as well like Ustad, Praja, Onnaman, Thandavam and Udayon. When he was repeatedly cast in roles that were larger than life the films bombed and for some time he career went through a lull. He, however, staged a comeback with Balettan, directed by VM Vinu and released in 2003, which was the only hit that he gave that year. In 2004 too he gave a string of flops like Vamanapuram Bus Route and Visamayathumpathu though their makers were established names. In the beginning of 2005 he gave the super-hit Udhayananu Tharam and another super-hit Naran by the end of the year.
He repeated his success story in 2006 by doing a different character in Thanmathra, which was directed by Blessy and for which he won the state award for best actor. After that he hasn’t looked back. All of Mohanlal’s other movies this year like Kilukkam Kilukilukkam, Rasathanthram, Vadakkumnathan, Keerthichakra and Mahasamudram have turned out to be hits. He also has some very promising projects on hand.
His pairing with Saranya in Photographer has made news, because Lal and Saranya’s mother were a popular romantic pair in yesteryears, a testimony of the actor’s longevity and virility, even if it is only on screen.