How a 70-yr-old Meghalaya teacher became Eko’s enigmatic 'Mlathi Chettathi'

When Biana Momin travelled to Kerala for the first time in her life, she was not stepping into a familiar world of cinema sets and cameras. She was stepping into the unknown. At 70, after a lifetime spent teaching and living quietly in Meghalaya, she found herself far from home, in a language she did not understand, preparing to act in a Malayalam film she had not yet fully grasped. The film was ‘Eko’. The journey, she says now, changed her in ways she did not expect.

Biana has lived almost her entire life in Tura, a town in Meghalaya surrounded by hills and marked by a slower rhythm of living. “I was a teacher my whole life,” she says. “I retired as a teacher, and I have been in Meghalaya all my life.” Cinema was never something she imagined for herself. In fact, Malayalam films were completely unfamiliar territory. Before ‘Eko’, she had not watched a single one.

Her entry into films was accidental, almost improbable. Years ago, she acted in a short film that was never released. It did not lead anywhere, and life moved on.  Photographs from the short film later caught the attention of ‘Eko’ director Dinjith Ayyathan and writer Bahul Ramesh. Something about her presence stayed with them. They decided to meet her.

At the time, Biana was living in Tura, while the meeting was arranged in Guwahati, a city that takes nearly seven hours to reach by road. “They came to meet me there,” she recalls. During that first meeting, she was not told the story of the film. Instead, they asked her to try saying a few lines in Malayalam. “I have no formal training in acting or arts,” she says. “I am nowhere near it.” And yet, the team felt she could do it. “It was all about faith and trust,” she says gently. “They had faith in me.”

Through conversations with Dinjith and Bahul, Biana slowly understood that this was not a small role. She would be playing Mlathi, a character with emotional weight and presence. Still, she only learned the full story after arriving in Kerala. When she did, she liked it immediately.

At that point, her exposure to South Indian cinema was minimal. “I know actors like Mammootty,” she says, “but I didn’t know South Indian movies.” Sensing her hesitation, the team suggested she watch ‘Kishkindha Kaandam’. That became the first Malayalam film she ever saw. “I loved it,” she says, remembering that moment clearly.

Back home in Tura, cinema is not an easy experience. There are no theatres in her town, and Guwahati remains the closest city for watching films on the big screen. “People here usually watch movies on television or mobile phones,” she explains. Travel itself can be exhausting, something that even affected her during ‘Eko’’s release. She had told the team early on that she would need extra time to travel, and eventually, she missed the film’s premiere because of these difficulties.

Coming to Kerala required more than just physical travel. Because of her age, Biana needed someone to accompany her, and her daughter immediately stepped in. “She is a traveller herself,” Biana says.

The biggest challenge, however, was language. Malayalam was entirely new to her, and learning it in a limited time felt overwhelming. She credits actor and language trainer Anjaly Sathyanath for standing by her throughout. “From the time I landed in Kerala, Anjaly was there,” she says. For nearly a month before shooting began, Biana stayed on location, listening closely to the language, absorbing sounds and rhythms.

When lines became difficult, they found ways around it. “We would transcribe the words into English, mix Malayalam and English, and then try again,” she explains. Some days were harder than others, but patience carried them through. Dinjith, she says, was always there, encouraging her and reminding her that she was doing well.

‘Eko’ is a film where dogs play a central role, portrayed as loyal but also aggressive. For Biana, this was never a concern. “I have four dogs of my own,” she says, across different breeds. Her familiarity with animals meant she was comfortable on set, and there was no fear. “I never had any trouble with the dogs,” she adds.

What stayed with her most deeply was Mlathi herself. Biana describes the character as someone shaped by trauma and loss. With no acting training to lean on, she turned inward. “In my long life, I have experienced all phases,” she says. “Happiness, sadness, everything.” Those lived experiences became her anchor. “That’s how I connected with Mlathi,” she explains. “I had to rely on my own life.”

In real life, Biana laughs, she is nothing like Mlathi. She describes herself as modern, someone who prefers pant suits over traditional clothing. The transformation was purely for the role, something she stepped into and out of with care.

Working alongside established actors initially made her nervous, but the warmth on set eased those fears. She speaks fondly of Vineeth, Sandeep, and the rest of the cast. “They were all so supportive,” she says. Sandeep, especially, reminded her of her own son. “I have a son his age,” she says. “So I thought of him like that.”

New to the world of cinema, she carried her nervousness lightly. After nearly every shot, she would turn to the team and ask, with a smile, “Is it okay?”

The question became a habit, one the others began to smile about. Bahul Ramesh, she recalls, was particular about keeping performances natural. There was no room for exaggeration, only honesty.

Despite being far from home, Kerala never felt alien to her. “Meghalaya is quite similar,” she says. “I never felt like I was in a strange place.”

Biana retired from Tura Government College, and education runs deep in her family. Cinema was never part of her plan. Yet, the response to ‘Eko’ has been overwhelming. “People come and talk to me now,” she says. After the film’s OTT release, the recognition grew even stronger. “People from Assam, Nagaland, everyone is calling.”

For someone who spent most of her life quietly in one place, the attention still feels unreal. ‘Eko’ did more than introduce her to Malayalam cinema. It opened a door she never knew existed, reminding her that new beginnings can arrive at any age, often when you least expect them.