From storylines to superstars, Malayalam cinema has undergone a complete transformation. Celluloid reels have become a relic. So have monopolies of the past. The movie camera rolls on to explore new realms, projecting new stars in the process. Unni K. Warrier, Vinod Nair and N. Jayachandran turn the spotlight on the youth in a gentle revolt. Sunny Joseph anchors the reports.
Mammotty and Mohanlal have been the reigning superstars in Malayalam for three decades and a half. The duo has held on to their positions without any serious challengers, shaping up the movie industry around them.
Enter a group of unassuming youngsters, infusing new energy into the industry and creating a bunch of hits. Directors and producers are lining up for a chance to work with them. These young actors’ presence ensures that the movies are bought by television channels. Satellite marketing value of actors like Prithviraj, Dulquer Salmaan and Nivin Pauly almost matches those of Mammootty, Mohanlal and Dileep.
The fresh crop of actors, however, did not overthrow the old regime. They found their niche along with the seniors. They were different in their quest for variety and victory.
Superstars still call the shots in Malayalam movies. But gone are the days when they could pull off a movie just by being in it. They have to ensure it's a good movie if they have to retain their hard-earned fans.
Of course, their movies are still bought by television channels even before they are released in theatres. They remain the darlings of advertisers because they command a larger family audience. However, television channels, which have burned their fingers in the bargain, are falling back to the box office as a barometer for popularity.
Money not funny
Not long ago, money was everything that the lead actors cared for. Whoever paid more could get their dates. They would receive advance payments from producers who offered good money and then keep them waiting.
The new generation seems to be after a different kind of reward. Dulqer Salmaan acted in Charlie for half of the pay he received for his previous movie. Nivin Pauly threw in money for Action Hero Biju. His remuneration was much lesser than his normal rate. Fahadh Faasil is unimpressed by lucrative offers as he waits for a more satisfying project.
The moviemakers are spared of the race for the stars’ dates. The hard bargaining has ended. This is an era of actors who take it lightly. They do not want to travel from a set to another set as if the entire weight of the industry was on their shoulders. They present a picture in contrast with their predecessors who have acted in up to 20 movies a year.
Stars have always interfered in moviemaking. They do even now. There is a difference in the kind of intervention though.
Some superstars are notorious for arm-twisting directors into altering scripts to project their roles or play down the others. The backseat driving started right from dialogue writing and costume selection to the final cuts and poster designing.
The new stars have their preferences too. Prithviraj made the writer of Pavada rewrite the script four times, said Maniyan Pillai Raju, the movie’s producer. He was not looking to highlight himself though. Prithviraj’s character is sometimes eclipsed by the one played by Anoop Menon. Actors these days are more concerned about the novelty factor, the USP in any winning project.
Dulquer Salmaan agreed to work with a screenwriter-pair who have many hits to their credit on one condition: He wanted to choose the director. Surprisingly, his choice was a debutant. The actor felt that the young director would be the best one to shape the screenplay into a movie.
Actors these days play a more active part in filmmaking. They make sure that the best screenplay is chosen and suggest serious amends to make it more appealing. Many of the actors also volunteer to put in their money in project that excites them. They still keep to the background. Nivin Pauly is a co-producer in his latest Action Hero Biju but he is conspicuously absent from the initial posters of the film.
‘Stars have changed, the system has not’
Hitmaker Jeethu Joseph feels the star system has not undergone much of a change even though the stars give way to their successors.
“Older people and their ways change. A new generation has to come up to fill the gap when the stars age. There will be new stars. But I do not think much has changed in the way the stars dominate the industry,” the director said.
“The older stars were passionate about cinema. They were dedicated. You can still see the spark in Mammootty and Mohanlal when they are told a good story. Many of the new stars look for marketing possibilities in a movie.
“It’s good for an actor not to be branded a superstar. They may not be able to do a good project considering their star value and image. I had approached Rajnikanth to do the Drishyam remake in Tamil. He was interested in the movie but ultimately dropped it because he was concerned about his stardom. The title of a superstar puts limitations in an actor,” Jeethu said.
Mohanlal, who played the protagonist in Drishyam, concurs with the view.
“I listen to a lot many stories even now. A story should excite us. It should pep us. I should feel like playing that role. That story should lift you and take it along with it. That flight would lead to a cinema. That happens very rarely. It happened when I heard ‘Drishyam’s’ script,” the thespian said.
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