Superstar Mohanlal maintained a close association with actor and filmmaker Pratap Pothen, who passed away on Friday, and his brother producer Hari Pothen. “When I started directing ‘Barroz’, Pratap had promised to associate with the project. He said he would lend voice to a puppet, which was among the characters in the movie. Then the Covid-19 pandemic struck. Afterwards, Pratap became busy with other films,” says Mohanlal.
Even then Pratap regularly contacted Mohanlal and enquired about his first directorial venture. “Pratap even came to the sets of ‘Barroz’ during the initial filming and was beside me. He was very curious about the project,” recalls Mohanlal.
Moreover, ‘Oru Yathramozhi’, directed by Pratap, was among the most memorable movies for Mohanlal. “It is one of those films which I really enjoyed doing. Scripted by John Paul based on a story by Priyadarshan, I spent several days acting in the movie along with the legendary actor Sivaji Ganesan. We all, in fact, enjoyed every moment together. Among those who shared our joy was Pratap. That is still one of the most beautiful personal experiences in my life,” says Mohanlal.
Pratap kept in touch with Mohanlal before as well as after ‘Oru Yathramozhi.’ “He used to call me and offer his opinion on each of my films. Pratap used to praise my work and also criticize. I considered his opinion as an opportunity to correct and improve myself,” says the superstar.
Mohanlal also admired the experiences gained by Pratap in the film field. “He traversed paths in Tamil and Malayalam movie industries which few others ventured into. I was in awe of Pratap for his characters in films such as ‘Thakara’, ‘Lorry’ and ‘Chamaram,’” says the actor.
“Pratap also authoritatively led me to a world beyond movies. So, I was more close to Pratap as a person than as a film personality,” reveals Mohanlal.
