Mohanlal has written again, on his blog, The Complete Actor. Again on a 21st, perhaps because his birthday falls on a 21st.
July 21’s entry is about surprises, coincidences, and destiny. He writes about acting for young actor Prithviraj turning a director with the film Lucifer. Why would an actor as busy as Prithviraj turn to direction, one may ask, he says. That’s his passion, Mohanlal writes. “A passion that makes Prithviraj go into a trance when he works, and it is so comfortable to work with people like that.”
Mohanlal traces back the years. He has acted with Prithviraj’s father and actor, late Sukumaran – Sukumaran Chettan as he calls him.
The man who brought him to cinema, who was present for his first ever shot for a film 38 years ago – filmmaker Fazil – will also be acting in Lucifer. Mohanlal and Pachika (as he calls Fazil) had last acted together in Fazil’s Nokatha Doorathu Kannum Nattu. “And this film is written by my dear Bharat Gopi chettan’s son Murali Gopy. Another actor is Prithviraj’s brother Indrajith. A rare coming-together.”
He also writes, “I can see Sukumaran chetan’s reflections in many of Prithvi’s movements. Perhaps it is rare in this world that such a busy actor is keeping aside his assignments to direct a movie.”
Time has sped by fast and generations have passed him by. He remembers an old photo taken during a film set, where he posed with a bunch of actors. He has acted with all of them and one or more of their parents. “Jagathy Sreekumar, Biju Menon, Sai Kumar, Vijayaraghavan, Mukesh, Indrajith and Prithviraj...”
And now one of them is turning a director. Mohanlal can’t harp enough on how that is most intriguing for him.
He would, he writes, obediently stand before Prithviraj’s directions. The director is an actor here, Lal writes. “There is an actor in me too. But there is no filmmaker in me. The actor in me should understand what my director who is also an actor wants. And the actor-director should know what to take from me. If that chemistry works, there will be beautiful creations that would surprise us.”
That his blog note comes at a time, Mohanlal as new president of AMMA, is facing a lot of criticism, is, let’s say, interesting. Prithviraj known for his outspokenness was one of the first to take a stand against misogyny in films following the assault of a woman actor. Dileep, the actor who was later arrested as an accused in the case, was thrown away from AMMA. Prithviraj had stood next to Mammootty who had then made this announcement. Dileep fans were quick to point their fingers at the outspoken “arrogant” Prithviraj for the decision.
Earlier this month, when Mohanlal took charge as president, one of the first decisions AMMA made was to reinstate Dileep in the association. Prithviraj had not made an opinion this time and more fingers were pointed. Why was he silent now, was it because he was directing AMMA president Mohanlal for his Lucifer, they asked. But Prithviraj’s interview to The Week in which he supported the members of the WCC who quit from AMMA, made his point of view clear.
