A chat with Thilagan

December 8th and he'd turned 70 - fifty years of which he'd devoted to his passion for acting. And of these, 32 years to films. Undoubtedly one of Malayalam cinema's most versatile and awesome talent, Thilagan debuted in 'Periyar', the debut-directorial venture of Bharat awardee actor P J Antony. Since then he's never looked back, acting in all south Indian languages.

Having just returned from shooting for an off-beat Telugu film, 'Vuri', where he plays the central role, Thilagan has signed for a Tamil film also after a long gap. "And, if all goes well, I'll be doing my first English film too next month," says the actor. Mincing no words, the 'rebel' of Malayalam cinema talks about his experiences, the state of Malayalam cinema today, and his problems within the film industry.

Are you totally satisfied with the way your career has gone these 50 years?

As a profession, no doubt, it's been a lucrative and a fairly satisfying one. And I've been fortunate enough to get varied challenging roles in both theatre and films. But still, I must confess that I'm not completely satisfied as an actor in cinema. I feel I've stagnated somewhere along the way. The reason is that in theatre our observation of our surroundings and people continue and contribute a lot to our growth as an actor. But in cinema we don't venture out for fear of losing our privacy. We stop observing and our growth stagnates. Even today, I feel I've a lot to learn about acting, I feel like I'm still a student!

And what were the other casualities?

Lots! But mainly, my private life went for a toss. The profession takes so much of your time and energy that there's no family life to talk of. It's like you are alienated from your family and lost so much quality time which you could have spent with them. But I have no complaints. At the end of it all, I'm satisfied with the course my life has taken. Life, however it may be, is beautiful. Even if I had my sad moments I like the way my life has gone.

But there surely must have been some high points too?

True. Like when I got the national award for best supporting actor for the film 'Hrithu Bhedam'. That was the day Raj Kapoor too received his Phalke award and getting to observe one of my favourite film-makers at such close quarters was a memorable moment for me. Again, there's this incident which I've never talked about. Guess who walked into my Trivandrum flat one day? None other than Steven Spielberg! This happened about four-five years ago. He'd come to do Kerala scouting for a location and a Malayalam actor to play a role in his new film. He'd contacted Adoor
Gopalakrishnan and it's there that my name was mentioned to him.. Then Adoor's assistant called to say he'd be coming to my house with someone. And a little later walks in the great director himself!

I remember my first impressiom of him was he looked so simple and ordinary, just like one of those American tourists around! He talked for some time, had the tea we offered him ,'Great tea!' he said. But unfortunately I couldn't do his film. He wanted my hair longer, I said it would take about two months. But he couldn't wait that long and regretfully walked away. Someone else got to do that role later. But I don't regret missing out on the role, for there was the elation that I had met Spielberg!

They call you a 'rebel' a difficult man to deal with?

It's my colleagues who must have said that! Or maybe it's my voice or my looks that's forbidding. I've inherited them from my father, so there's nothing much I can do about them! Again, I'm not very friendly with all, nor do I go out of the way to cultivate people in the industry and pamper their egoes. I've never hesitated to call a spade a spade. Maybe that should have ruffled the feathers of some. I'm strict in my financial dealings too. When my cheques bounce I don't hesitate to file a case. Maybe all this has gone against me and given me this stern, rebellious image.

So you've ruffled the feathers of some big stars too?

True! 'Amma' (Malayalam film artistes association) was unhappy with me because I opposed their strike against the Film Chamber. I felt the chamber was right, told 'Amma' that we were in the wrong and should apologise. They didn't take kindly to my suggestion. The result was that I was removed from 7-8 films because some of the 'Amma' artistes said they wouldn't act in a film in which I was there. 'Udayon' was one of the casualities. And this after director Bhadran himself having called me and offered me the role of Mohanlal's father. But despite this I did sign some new projects. My fans knew this was happening to me. Incidentally, it had happened to Prithviraj, too. They don't encourage new talents!

Coming back to films, who would you give credit to for your sustained success, and what were some of your landmark films?

Offhand it's difficult to remember all. There were directors like Padmarajan, Hariharan, Sathyan Anthikad and Vijy who have given me central roles and tapped my potential. I had this rough look, but thanks to the confidence these directors placed in me, some of the roles they gave me were soft, sensitive ones which tapped my potential further. Among my memorable films I can think of my roles in 'Kireedam', 'Moonam Pakkam', 'Spadikam', 'Perunthachan', 'Radha Madhavam', 'Mughmaudra', 'Chanakya' and 'Kannezhuthi Pottum Tthottu'. There are many more. Here I would like to say that among all the actors I've had my best screen rapport with Mohanlal, and that's why most of our combinations had brought so much life to our scenes.

So how do you feel Malayalam cinema is placed today?

It's going bad! Creativity is missing. They don't need dedicated actors like us anymore. Many mimcry artistes have entered the field. They have a set of practised expressions. Unfortunately, the audience too seem to have taken to them. Again, many of today's films are but rehashes of earlier box-office hits. Serious stories have forced comedy situations in them. The trend is different, it's all colourful and larger-than-life characters. Heart-touching and close-to-life characters are missing today. What we need are good scriptwriters. Incidentally, it was me who introduced Lohith Das to films as a story-scriptwriter. And it was his script that was the backbone of such films as 'Kireedam'.

Surely someone among the younger breed of actors must have impressed you?

The younger lot are quite hard working and talented. I find Githu Mohandas an actress with great potential, capable of doing varied roles. Kavya Madhavan is a graceful actress. There's Meera Jasmine who's groomed herself into a very refined actress today. Prithviraj, at such a young age, has revealed so much potential though there's still room for improvement. 

What next? Do you think of your future?

I've just returned from shooting a Telugu film and signed a new Tamil film. While at Andhra, I had a slipped disc and mobility is a little difficult now. A minor operation needs to be done. I've just finished shooting 'Rashtram' with Suresh Gopi. I'm doing a lot of serials too. As for my future, I don't think of it at all. For me it's the moment that counts. The days I don't have work, I stay around in the house, read a lot. The club culture and socialising is not for me. I have six children and my immediate plan is to get my youngest daughter, a physiotherapist, married. I'm turned 70 this December 8, but I feel like I'm entering my 20th year. Life has still more to offer me!

In Mollywood, Kavya-Dilip jodi jaisi koi nahi!

If it is Vijay - Trisha Krishnan jodi which reigns supreme in Kollywood, the Kavya Madhavan - Dilip pair is the hottest and most popular in Mollywood.

 

The Dilip-Kavya team has delivered when they have been paired together. Together, they have given a number of superhits, among them ‘Meesa Madhavan Thenkashipattanam’ and ‘Thilakkam’.

 

Now the popular duo have once again joined hands in ‘Lion’, shooting of which is going on apace.

 

Both Kavya and Dilip recently flew to New Zealand for shooting a song sequence. As a matter of fact, this is the first time that a Malayalam film has been shot in the picturesque milieu of New Zealand.

 

Whenever Dilip’s career showed signs of flagging, he has invariably turned to Kavya. And the doe-eyed damsel has revived the young actor’s career fortunes by co-starring with him.

Down memory lane

Usually, the souvenir volumes published in connection with the State school youth festivals contain drab material— mostly photographs of the organisers, office-bearers, students and some vignettes of the performances.

But, this year's Souvenir Committee of the State School Kalotsavam has brought out a comprehensive volume that includes memories of the past festivals. The committee, chaired by Kalamassery municipal chairperson V.M. Arifa and James Mathew as convener, has chosen writer Payipra Radhakrishnan as the chief editor of the souvenir.

The souvenir, titled `Ninavu,' contains writings, responses and memoirs of noted writers and cultural personalities of Kerala about the youth festival. It has become a sort of documentation on the past festivals. For many, it has turned out to be a stroll down the memory lane.

Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan recalls his primary school days at Government Lower Primary School, Kottara. Writer Zachariah writes about his introduction to the world of books as a child, even though reading was not a popular pastime in the Christian homes of his childhood.

The satiric sloka by the old poet Oduvil Kunjikrishna Menon describing a meal in a restaurant in the Ernakulam of those days finds an interesting reflection in a more modern poem by N.K. Desam. Writer Vysakhan remembers Ernakulam. The memories of the late writer V.V.K. Valath are also included.

District Collector A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish, K. Padmakumar, DIG, Central Zone; K.S. Radhakrishnan, Vice-Chancellor of Sree Sankara University of Sanskrit; and film star Mammootty recall their memories of childhood stage experiences and participating in competitions.

A discussion, on improving the standards of the youth festival, with Balachandran Chullikkad, Sukumar, Binni Krishnakumar, Cherthala Thankappa Panicker, Kedamangalam Sadanandan, Kalamandalam Sumathi, V.M. Kutti, Kavya Madhavan and Sankaran Namboothiri, is included in the souvenir. There are also short stories and articles by M.T. Vasudevan Nair, Kovilan, M. Mukundan and K.L. Mohanavarma.

But, the most interesting information found in the souvenir is the details regarding some of the past competitions where the superstars of today had won the prizes. Like, Yesudasan Palluruthy winning first prize in vocal music and P. Jayachandran Kuttan winning first prize in mridangam in the second youth festival held at Thiruvananthapuram in 1958.

In the youth festival held at N.S.S. High School, Changanassery in January, 1962, it was the present Education Minister E.T. Mohammed Basheer who won the first prize in elocution.

A brochure of the souvenir, titled `Vilambarakkurimanam,' was released by the Education Minister at the Media Centre on Monday morning.

"This is for the first time that the festival souvenir is being brought out as a literary journal, containing so many articles by the noted writers of Kerala," said Mr. Radhakrishnan.

Abhishek, Ash marriage has gossip mongers tied up in knots

Will they, won't they? The tantalising possibility that two of Bollywood's biggest stars, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, might get married has filmdom and millions of star gazers in a frenzy.

That most of it is at the level of speculation and all the dramatis personae are stonily silent is more grist to the mill that started working in real earnest when the two stars began work on J.P. Dutta's "Umrao Jaan" about three months ago.

Then came the Bachchan junior's 30th birthday on Feb 5 at his Mumbai home Jalsa. Industry sources say she was the only guest to be allowed to drive right up to the house Abhishek shares with his star parents Amitabh and Jaya. All others, including his favourite leading lady Rani Mukerji as well as Priyanka Chopra and Esha Deol, got off at the gate and walked inside.

The sources say close family pal and Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh personally came out to escort her inside.

The party was a grand one with all of Bollywood's biggies including Shah Rukh Khan in attendance. And Aishwarya, who was introduced to all the other family members, was clearly chief guest for the evening. She and Abhishek were seen cosying together till 4 a.m.

A few days later came the "bombshell" of uncle Ajitabh Bachchan going to Bangalore Feb 10 to meet the Rais' family astrologer Chandrashekhara Swamy, ostensibly to match their horoscopes.

The story was splashed big on the channels and in the newspapers and there has been no let-up since. Ajitabh, who has been estranged from the family for some time but was seen by his brother's bedside when he fell ill in November, neither confirmed nor denied the rumours and only said: "That is up to destiny."

That is enough to keep the speculation going for the duo, who have acted together only in two films so far. The first, Raj Kanwar's "Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke", was a flop and the 2003 "Kuch Naa Kaho" was also a box office dud.

Their third experiment in sharing screen space - however brief - was a smash hit with both shaking a leg in the item number "Kajrare, Kajrare" from "Bunty Aur Babli".

Clearly, the earlier flops did little to dissuade both the actors from continuing a friendship. In those days, Abhishek was dating Karisma and Aishwarya was painting the town red with Salman Khan. Both were well-publicised romances and both failed.

Very few know that Abhishek got involved in a brawl with Salman when he barged in on the sets of "Kuch Naa Kaho" and allegedly tried to harass Aishwarya after their break-up.

After Salman, the former Miss World was linked with Vivek Oberoi for some time. The relationship broke up last year.

The Rais and the Bachchans are tight-lipped and close associates have refused to comment.

Recently, when father Amitabh was hospitalised, Abhishek didn't allow anybody to get any information on his health. Later, after his release, Abhishek said in an interview that he was quiet because he was superstitious.

Maybe the same logic is at work here.

As far as the media is concerned, the proverb that there is seldom any smoke without fire is the truism to work by. Take, for instance, the Aamir Khan-Kiran Rao affair that both denied strenuously. Today they are married and have proved media speculations correct.

Other similar affairs that were denied but culminated in matrimony are Sridevi-Boney Kapoor, Kajol-Ajay Devgan, Sonali Bendre-Goldie Behl and Karisma-Sanjay Kapur.

So maybe even sceptics won't be so surprised if Aishwarya, who played Amitabh's daughter in "Mohabbatein", becomes his daughter-in-law in real life.

One way or the other, this is a big year for the duo. Other than possible marriage plans are their two films, "Umrao Jaan" and "Dhoom 2" that could be major milestones in their careers.

Award for Santhosh Sivan

Thiruvananthapuram: Santhosh Sivan's Ananthabhadram has bagged the Atlas-Film Critics award 2005, announced here on Thursday.

The best director award also went to Santhosh Sivan for his film Ananthabhadram, Atlas Groups Chairman M M Ramachandran and Critics Association President Thekkinkad Joseph told reporters here.

Best actor award was shared by Dileep and Manoj K Jayan for Chanthupottu and Ananthabhadram respectively. Kavya Madhavan was best actress for her roles in Ananthabhadram and Sheelavathi.

Blessy's Thanmathra and Hariharan's Paranju Thiratha Visheshangal were the second best films. Veteran actor Thilakan has been chosen for the Chalachitra Ratna award for his contribution to filmdom, they said. They said the popular actor award went to Mohan Lal for his films Thanmatra and Naran.

Malayalam film festival begins

DOHA: A film festival featuring quality Malayalam language films will begin at the Doha Cinema tomorrow.

The week-long film festival is organised jointly by the Sarang Fine Arts Society and Pravasi Doha with the support of the Indian Embassy in Qatar, the Qatar Cinema and Film Distribution company, the Kerala State Chalachithra Academy and Soorya.

Pradeep Nair's highly acclaimed film Oridam, starring Geethu Mohandas and KPAC Lalitha will mark the beginning of the festival at 8.30pm on Sunday.

Kazhakam, directed by well known director M P Sukumaran will be shown on Monday.

Urvashi and Nedumudi Venu play lead roles in this movie.

Murali and Navya Nair present lead roles of Kanne Madanguka, directed by newcomer Albert, to be screened on Tuesday.

The film Moksham by Rajeevnath, featuring Jagathy Sree Kumar and Zeenat Amman will be screened on February 8.

Sreenivasan's master piece movie Chithariyavar, directed by Lalji, is scheduled for February 9. The festival will end on February 10 with the screening of award-winning director Sharat's Seelabathi in which Kavya Madhavan and Sunil play the lead roles.

Film Critics awards announced

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 2 (UNI): Santhosh Sivan's 'Ananthabhadram' has bagged the Atlas-Film Critics award 2005, announced here today.

The best director award also went to Santhosh Sivan for his film 'Ananthabhadram', Atlas Groups Chairman M M Ramachandran and Critics Association president Thekkinkad Joseph told reporters here.

Best actor award was shared by Dileep and Manoj K Jayan for 'Chanthupottu' and 'Ananthabhadram' respectively. Kavya Madhavan was best actress for her roles in 'Ananthabhadram' and 'Sheelavathi'.

Blesy's 'Thanmathra' and Hariharan's 'Paranju Thiratha Visheshangal' were the second best films.

While the best film gets cash prize of Rs one lakh, citation and a plaque, the second best film gets Rs 50,000, citation and a plaque.

Veteran actor Thilakan has been chosen for the Chalachitra Ratna award for his contribution to filmdom, they said.

They said the popular actor award went to Mohan Lal for his films 'Thanmatra' and 'Naran'.

While Lal got the second best actor award, Shoba Mohan got the second best actress award.

The other awards are Riya Jith (child actor), Aryadan Shaukat (story-screen play), M D Rajendran (lyrics), M G Sreekumar (playback singer), Sujatha (playback singer), Santhosh Sivan (cinematography) and Jogh Esthapan (debut director).

Success makes Dileep 'roar' like a lion!

The smile is back on the face of young Malayalam actor Dileep , whose stars seem to be in the ascendant again. He has a host of reasons to soak in the feel good factor. For once, his latest film, ‘Lion’ is ‘roaring’ at the box office.

The Joshi-directed film, which has Kavya Madhavan as his love angle, is a political thriller punctuated with witty dialogues and action scenes. The bumper opening of ‘Lion’ marks a triumphant New Year beginning for Dileep alias Gopalakrishna Pilllai.

He had rounded off 2005 on a winning note, when his movie ‘Chanthupottu’ turned out to be a smashing hit all over Kerala. The feminine character Dileep essayed in Chanthupottu went down well with the Kerala audiences, especially women.

Yet again, comely Kavya has proved to be the lucky jodi for Dileep. ‘Lion’ established that Dilip, Kavya pair is the most popular in Mollywood.
Well done, Dileep.