Acting was a sheer coincidence - Lal (interview)

With the Joshy-directed Pothen Vava drawing crowds to the theatres, producer Lal adds one more feather to his much adorned cap.

Lal, more popular as Lal of the Siddique-Lal duo, has proved himself in various capacities in Malayalam Cinema. He is a director as well as an actor. He has proved himself to be a successful film producer as well as a very successful film distributor too.

He began along with friend Siddique directing Ramji Rao Speaking, the film that set trends and proved to be a surprise hit.

The duo then directed blockbuster films like In Harihar Nagar, Godfather, Kabooliwala and others. But later they parted ways, only on the professional front as they say, and while Siddique concentrated on direction, Lal went into film production.

Lal started acting with the Jayaraj directed Kaliyattom, in which he had played Paniyan, based on Shakespeare's Iago. Though he had declared that he would not act again, he continued to act, giving good performances in films like Punjabi House, Kanmadam, Ormacheppu, Chandranudikunna Dikkil, Mazha, Randaam Bhaavam, Arayannangalude Veedu, Pulivaal Kalyaanam, Thenkaasipattanam, One Man Show, Black, Benglavil Outha, Kannagi, Thommanum Makkalum, Chanthupottu, and The Don to name a few.

He even acted in a Tamil film Sandakkozhi. The films he produced were all hits and he also started his own distribution company, Lal Release. Lal, the multifaceted popular actor of Malayalam films, reveals himself in this interview given to Unni Nair of nowrunning.com.

Tell us how you made your entry into films.

We (Siddique and I) were in the Kalabhavan mimics troupe. We had always dreamed of directing films. Then we met Pachikka (Director Fazil) and became his assistants. Soon he promoted us as associate directors as he was impressed by our work. Then one fine day, Pachikka told us that he was thinking of producing a film and that we would be directing it. He gave us the confidence that we needed and that was how Ramji Rao Speaking happened.

After making some very successful films, why did you and Siddique part ways?

Our parting ways is just on the professional front. On the personal front we are still the very same friends that we have always been. We just decided not to direct films together at a juncture in our joint career and the motive that prompted us to take such a decision is strictly personal.

Would you two ever direct films together again?

To be frank, I can't say. Maybe we will some day revise our decision and team up. Who has seen the future? I can't say anything right now.

How did you take up acting?

It was sheer coincidence and totally unexpected. Jayaraj had earlier asked me to act in Johnny Walker, but I wasn't interested and rejected the offer. I always believed that acting was not my cup of tea and that I would be a very poor actor. But when he decided to make Kaliyattom based on Shakespeare's Othello, he approached me and persuaded me to play Paniyan, an adaptation of the character of Iago. I did the film.

And how would you rate your performance in the film?

It's for others to assess how good an actor I am, and not for me. Still I feel I did a pretty good job judging from the feedback I got, which was very heartening.

You had declared then that you would no longer act in films. Then what prompted you to take acting also as your career?

Honestly, my performance in Kaliyattom surprised me. I realized then that I had it in me to make a good actor. That gave me the confidence to go ahead.

Which is your favourite role, till date?

That's a very difficult question to answer. I have, like any other successful actor, done all my roles with equal dedication and that makes me like all my characters equally well.

You have also excelled in doing dance sequences. And you have stated many times that you have no training or previous experience in dancing. Then how come you excel in such sequences?

I don't know anything about dancing. But my father has been a music teacher and a musician himself. So, I might have inherited a sense of music and rhythm from him. And being basically a mimicry artist myself, I could imitate whatever the dance directors wanted me to do. And I have also been a director, so I know what a director wants from me.

Which do you like most - acting or directing?

Both. I made my entry into films as a director. I did enjoy it a lot. But I feel that it is acting that gives me more satisfaction now.

How did you turn to producing and then to distributing films?

It was quite natural. I never thought that I'd be successful as a director or an actor. It just happened and I was happy about it. And then, when Siddique and I decided to part ways, I decided to turn to production while Siddique decided to stick to directing. That's how I became a producer. And then, as a natural course of things, I became a distributor too.

What are your future plans?

I plan to continue doing what all I am doing at present - acting, producing and distributing films. If by God's grace something else comes my way, I would surely involve myself in that too with all sincerity

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Pothen Vava