As the skipper of the Kerala Strikers walks in, cracking jokes and whispering tidbits to the boys, it is hard to miss how Mohanlal is now trimmer and fitter.
It turns out that what helped him cut the much-discussed flab and look his best is a holiday in Norway and of course the cricket practice.
Once practice begins, the actor, who is known for his total commitment to his profession, exhibits the same dedication on the field too.
Mohanlal has been ruling Mollywood and the Malayali psyche for the past three decades and the journey still continues. The big budget film Casanova, Grandmaster and the Bollywood Tezz are his upcoming releases.
“Whenever you face the camera, it is like a take —start camera and cut,” he says, in an exclusive interview. “The lifespan of an actor is between the take and the cut.
What is needed in addition to an awareness of technical aspects like the frame and light factor is concentration, commitment and respect for the profession.
Discipline is of paramount importance, whether on the field or in front of the camera. The creative fire should always be kept burning and that comes with a liking for the profession. That fire is what makes the difference!”
Lalettan is known to oscillate between various moods. He can be aloof or friendly, charming or indifferent. Today, he is in a good mood.
“Acting is a high form of meditation. We are all blessed people and as actors we transform into another person when the camera rolls and that transformation can be termed as a highly elevated spiritual journey. The spirit and workmanship are what never changes.”
Starting out as a chubby and pimple faced villain in Manjil Virinja Pookal (1980), Mohanlal metamorphosed into a superstar thanks mainly to his willingness to experiment and his natural style of acting.
The audience loved him in his common man image as much as the baddie-bashing superman, not to mention his flexibility to do comedy roles. At one point of time he was churning out 35 films a year, working 20 to 22 hours a day.
With over 300 films under his belt, he has cut down on his pace and now tries to be consistent. How has the industry and the audience perception changed?
Audiences are changing but they “The recent films have shown a novelty in the making as well as a difference in speed variations.
There is a tendency among audiences to compare Malayalam films with those of Bollywood or Kollywood.
Audiences are changing but they should desist from comparisons and understand that our industry has certain limitations but we work around those limitations with good stories, action and song sequences. As actors, we are putting in our best and I speak for all the technicians involved in making a film.”
He and the boys are definitely doing their best to put up a good show in the Celebrity Cricket League. “Practice and more practice is the key! Although we are a new team, the confidence level is good and as this is our debut, I can only speak of the team`s morale and fitness which are on the right track. I only pray that no one gets injured as that could affect our acting profession and we need everyone`s blessings.”
Cricket is what he is excited about at the moment while he has tried his hand at drama and magic earlier. What is next? “I did not plan anything. It just happened! Things do not happen according to a preset plan,” says he in typical style. “The thrill is in the unexpected. What is life without the unexpected?”
