Being Mohanlal: Kerala's pride

ibnlive.com is on mobile now. Read news, watch videos
be a Citizen Journalist. Log on to m.ibnlive.com NOW!

Related Stories

Top Headlines

Top Videos

Most Popular

• Budget to focus on social sectors, growth 

• Education reform will be for all Indians: Sibal 

• Federer wins record-breaking 15th Grand Slam title | Photogallery 

• Bandra-Worli Sea link starts toll tax 

• One-upmanship: Sonia, Pawar in foodgrain politics 

• 5 feared dead in Madhya Pradesh factory explosions 

• Policemen guard Maya's statue wealth across UP 

• Youth shot dead by cops had 26 injury marks | Watch 

• CPI-M leaders to act to curb Kerala infighting 

• Paes-Black lose Wimbledon mixed doubles final 

• Pranab has promises to keep in Budget of hope 

• Youth shot dead by cops had 26 injury marks 

• Kargil victory was certain: ex-army chief 

• Bollywood stars sizzle at the IIFA fiesta 

• IBNFocus: TDS process simplified 

• No minister contacted Madras HC judge: CJI 

• Scrap EVMs, let's go back to ballot, says Advani 

• CNN-IBN debate: Homosexuality vs Indian morality 

• Watch: Parties react to HC judgement on gays 

• Railways fail to provide basic facilities to passengers 

• Federer wins record-breaking 15th Grand Slam title 

• Umpire dies after being hit on head by ball 

• Education reform will be for all Indians: Sibal 

• Budget preview: Promises to keep 

• Who said what about record champion Federer 

• Chronology of Federer's record 15 Grand Slam titles 

• 5 feared dead in Madhya Pradesh factory explosions 

• One-upmanship: Sonia, Pawar in foodgrain politics 

• Policemen guard Maya's statue wealth across UP 

• Paes-Black lose Wimbledon mixed doubles final 

Photogallery

Find us on Facebook | Join IBNLive community

Stay ahead with G-Talk Buddy | Click now!

Steeped in tradition and culturally rich district of Ottapalam in God's Own Country, Kerala is often the natural backdrop for movies. People here are used to seeing the stars drop by.

But when it's Mohanlal, it's time to stop and stare. The cast and crew of the Malayalam film Kirtichakra are putting the finishing touches.

The film is based on director Major Ravi Chandra's true-life tale of an army officer posted in Kashmir. And as soon as Mohanlal came on board, the film found backers.

"Mohanlal is a family actor, he does many roles in drama, suspense thrillers. He acts in all types of movies," says a lady, who's a great Mohanlal fan.

"In most films, his characters are strong, I've liked him since childhood. My whole family likes him,” says his another fan.

Mohanlal has played every conceivable role that Malayalam cinema has thrown at him and in the past 26 years, it has thrown quite a few.

For the Commerce graduate from Tiruvanthapuram whose acting career started by chance, movies have allowed him to be every man. And if some of his films have been routine and run-of-the-mill, others have become milestones in the history of Malayalam cinema.

"I am a huge fan of Mohanlal primarily because I grew up watching his movies and secondly because eveytime I saw his movies, it brought a smile to my face. I loved the effortless way he played the roles. I've never seen an actor who plays anything so effortlessly whether it's playing a policeman or an underworld don or a Kathakali dancer, " says film journalist and writer Suresh Nair.

"He is one of the actors who has won four National awards. Also I don' think I've ever seen someone who is a superstar and at the same time known as an actor. He is one exception I feel," says filmmaker Priyadarshan.

We are in Ottapalam, in the ruins of a old match factory where Mohanlal is shooting for his latest movie Kirtichakra.

Anuradha SenGupta: Mohanlal, why did you decide to take up this film, because I believe you just heard the narration which went over two hours and then you said yes.

Mohanlal: He (director Major Ravi Chandra) said you are doing the kind of role which I was doing in the Army. So I said yes and we have a nice team like Major Ravi, the cameraman and the rest of the people who are working with us. And I think we have done justice to the story. We shot the film in Srinagar and after many years, shooting is happening there.

Anuradha SenGupta: In fact, I was just going to ask you, you are shooting with a director who was a Major in the Indian Army, who was on the hit-list with terrorists in Srinagar. What was like shooting with him in Srinagar?