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Variety is my strength
 An employee of the Kerala State Electricity Board left his job not so long ago to pursue his dreams in the film industry. Today, his dreams have taken shape and his work speaks volumes about him, Deviathenthe Makan being a case in point. Vinayan has made his mark both as a director and a producer. Though he started out as a producer with Alilila Kuruvikal, directed by S L Puram Anand, he soon shifted to direction with films like Ayiram Chirakulla Moham, Superstar and Kanyakumariyil Oru Kavita. But it was the super success of Akashganga, a horror film with comedy that made him a top-rated director. Today, he is called a hit-maker for giving three hit films in 1999. Vinayan’s latest offering Deviathenthe Makan starring Jayram and Pooja Batra in the lead is, however, an average hit at the box-office. Already on to his next project titled Love And War with Prabhu as hero, indiainfo catches up with the director.
Excerpts:
Why did you make a comedy film like Deviathenthe Makan soon after a realistic one like Vasanthi...?
Variety is my strength. I don’t want people to think that Vinayan can do only realistic films and not comedy or horror films. I don’t want public to go to theatres with a predetermined mindset about the nature of my films.
Your next movie is titled War And Love. Is it a war movie?
No, it is a love story. The film is about a young landmine expert in the Indian Army who is captured by the Pak army during the Kargil war. He is in the custody of a Pakistan Major, who hates India but ironically his origin is from Kerala. This landmine expert falls in love with the young daughter of the Major. The same group of extremists who are in control of the Major attack the young girl and it is the Indian soldiers who rescue her and she crosses the LOC with the Indian tricolour. Dilip plays the Indian landmine expert and the heroine will be a new face. Script is by J Paallasery.
Have you chosen Kargil as the subject to cash in on the patriotic fervor evoked due to the recent war?
Yes. Because I think this is the only war to which even south-India can relate. We had dead bodies coming down in hundreds to south particularly to Kerala. In this film I am trying to remove the popular misconception that all muslims are pro-Pak. Kalabhavan Mani who plays a muslim character says, I am an Indian muslim.
Mamooty is doing your next film. Does this mean you will now only work with superstars?
I have a story, to which I feel only Mamooty can do justice. I haven’t made a story for him. I might do a film with Mohanlal too, but I am not running behind superstars as you think. I make films based on good subject. If I have to run behind the superstars I will rather leave the field and go back to my job in electricity board.
What is the character that Mamooty alone can do?
It’s a character similar to Anthony Quinn’s character in Omar Mukhthar. It’s the story of a 95 year-old muslim freedom fighter whose 45 year-old-son is facing a death sentence for killing hundreds of Hindus by bombing a temple. I feel that Mamooty can do this 95-year-old role well. Let’s see.
Could you tell us about your Tamil remake of Vasanthi.
It will be shot in the same locations where the original was shot and we will be using the Madurai dialect in the film. Vikram plays the role of Kalabhavan Mani.
Comment on the State Award Committee’s decision denying the best actor award to Kalabhavan Mani terming his acting as mimicry and Mani fainting on hearing that.
Mani’s reaction is very immature. The chairperson Sai Pranjapee clapped after the screening of Vasanthi. But jury member Lenin Rajendran told her that Mani is a mimicry artiste and he has done this blind man’s role on stage many times. Sai signed a blank paper and left. Which means the other members filled it up on behalf of her. Anyway, one should not take it too seriously.
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