29-year-old Iniya to act as Mammootty's wife in 'Parole'

Actor Iniya has bagged an offer to work with Mammootty in his upcoming film Parole.

This is not the first time the actor is sharing screen space with the megastar as they had worked together in Puthan Panam released earlier this year. However, in this film, the two of them will be playing husband and wife. Ineya is only 29 while Mammootty is 66. 

Speaking about her role, Iniya told the Times of India, “I play a Kottayam achayathi named Annie in the film and she and Mammukka's character are a couple. She belongs to a family that migrated from Thrissur to Pala - Thodupuzha regions. An extremely naadan character, she mostly wears the typical skirt and blouse before marriage and saris, afterwards. The look is also very simple. Most of the shoot is over and my portions were shot in Thodupuzha. Only the songs are left, which will be done in the first week of December.”

On working with one of the finest actors in Indian cinema, Iniya said, “I was too excited in the first few days, I guess. But things started falling into place soon, thanks to his guidance and tips. He was very supportive and while we were doing a lengthy, emotional scene, Mammukka asked the cameraman to take a close up shot of mine. It was a sequence in which our characters were having an argument. He even took the mike from Sarath and directed the scene himself. Everyone on the set said he would do something like that only when a performance moved him. I felt really honored.”

While it's natural for Iniya to feel happy about working with one of Malayalam cinema's biggest stars, it is a matter of concern that the ageing superstars of the industry are routinely paired with women much younger to them. Iniya is, in fact, younger to Mammootty's son, Dulquer Salmaan.

Previously, actor Anna Rajan was abused and trolled for saying she'd like to work as Dulquer's heroine while Mammootty could play his father. The actor finally put up a tearful apology video for making such a statement in jest. 

Mammootty's last film Pullikkaaran Staraa saw him romancing 42-year-old Asha Sharath and 22-year-old Deepti Sati. At the end of the film, he chooses Deepti's character over Asha's. 

Written by Ajith Poojappura, the film is directed by debutant Sharath Sandith.

(With inputs from Digital Native)