SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2013 New generation Malayalam films pose a social dilemma: Mani By Sajeev K Peter its success at the box-office. Movies will run in theaters successfully only when families with ew generation filmmakers are taking women and children go and watch them. NMalayalam cinema backwards by Unfortunately today, families dread to go to churning out meaningless movies that cinemas because the new generation films pose a social dilemma, said popular South promote use of drugs, sex and alcohol. They Indian actor Kalabhavan Mani. drive families out of theatres,” Mani said. “The advent of new generation movies has created a crisis of values in the Malayalam Humble start film industry. Today, we don’t see the spark of Mani first acted in the Tamil movie genius we witnessed in the past. There is no ‘Captain Prabhakaran’ when he was a school student. His first Malayalam movie was ‘Samudayam’ though he was noticed only in ‘Sallapam’ (1995), a movie directed by renowned filmmaker Lohithadas. “Though it was not a big role, I was noticed as a singer, actor and a laborer in the film,” Mani recalled. Mani started his film career as a comedian because of his background as a mimicry artist at Cochin Kalabhavan. “Comedy went out of me with the release of ‘Rakshasarajav,’” Mani jokingly said. The film directed by Vinayan presented a promis- ing new villain to the South Indian film indus- try. Mani was catapulted into stardom with the release of ‘Vasanthiyum Lakhshmiyum Pinne Njanum’, in which he played a blind street singer. The film brought him inscrutable fame in addition to national and state film awards. It became the most popular film of 2000 and bagged the Asianet Award. “I used to closely observe the gestures and movements of my neighbor and railway clerk Balan who is blind,” Mani said explaining how South Indian actor Kalabhavan Mani he has given life to the powerful character in the movie. creativity in their work as there aren’t any “They said the world would end in 2000. original stories or scripts,” Mani said in an But for me, the year ushered in a new begin- interview with Kuwait Times. ning for me,” he recalled. The runaway suc- husband to my wife and a good son to my black finger to lift it,” Mani said, explaining Kalabhavan Mani, who has acted in more cess of ‘Vasanthiyum Lakhshmiyum...” father and mother. But ironically, the first how he revived the folk music genre from than 100 Malayalam films and over 50 Tamil, opened before him a plethora of opportuni- award I received was for a villain role I acted extinction. A singer par excellence, Mani has Telugu and Kannada movies in a variety of ties and a glitzy world of the showbiz. in a movie,” he said. Mani was born to Raman sung hundreds of songs for films. Today, folk roles spanning over the last two decades, Mani proved his versatility playing roles and Ammini in Chalakudy, Kerala. He is mar- songs sung by Kalabhavan Mani are heard in arrived in Kuwait on Thursday to present a ranging from hero and supporting actor to ried to Nimmy and has a daughter Sree almost all houses in Kerala. “Folk music is a part musical show at Salmiya Indian Model School, villain and comedian. ‘Karumadikuttan’, Lakshmy. of our heritage and the symbol of our identity. organized by Mar Baselios Social and Cultural ‘Ravanan’, ‘Mayookham’, ‘Ananthabhadram’, My great encouragement is the expatriate Association, Kuwait. ‘Lokanathan IAS’, ‘Ben Johnson’, Folk revival Malayalis who support my efforts to popularize Mani spoke nostalgically about Malayalam ‘Ponmudipuzhayorathu’, ‘Olipporu’, Kalabhavan Mani, the singer-poet, is credit- Malayalam folk music,” he remarked. Mani, cinema of the past when filmmakers like ‘Crocodile Love Story’, ‘Amen’, ‘Tourist Home’, ed with reviving the near-extinct Malayalam known for his down-to-earth personality, is Lohitha Das, Padmarajan, Sibi Malayil or ‘Ayalum Njanum Thammil’, ‘Husbands in folk music genre. He penned hundreds of folk also involved in various charitable activities. Priyadarshan made movies that had the Goa’, ‘Bachelor Party’ etc are some his notable songs, lent music to them and popularized Mani has so far acted in four languages. ‘smell of the soil.’ “There was a natural exquis- movies. them through his films and CDs. Soon he will be making his foray into iteness about Malayalam films when films “My friends used to tell me that I’m better “My father was a farmer. He used to sing Bollywood as well. Three of his Tamil movies were made against the backdrop of a rural as a villain. I’m also quite comfortable doing folk songs as he worked in paddy fields. I and five of his Malayalam movies including milieu. They used to tell stories of village life negative characters when I get spontaneous learned folk songs from him. When Malayalam ‘Yathra Chodikkathe’ and ‘Chakkara with people as central characters,” he said. energy,” Mani said. folk music was about to die, I extended my Mambazahm’ are set to release soon. “The success of a movie is determined by “I’m a good father to my daughter, a good Berlin film festival to honour Ken Loach

he 64th Berlin film festival in Loach is one of Europe’s great a director and greatly admire him ing non-professional actors in February will award veteran directors. Over his almost 50-year for how he reflects on social stories of grassroots struggle. TBritish director Ken Loach an career, he has shown an extraor- injustices with humor in his He won the Palme d’Or top honorary Golden Bear prize for dinary degree of continuity, while films.” The retrospective will fea- prize at Cannes in 2006 for “The lifetime achievement and present remaining innovative at all ture 10 Loach pictures including Wind That Shakes The Barley”, set a retrospective of his work, times,” Kosslick said in a state- his 1966 docu-drama “Cathy during the Irish war of independ- organizers said yesterday. Festival ment. Come Home”, 2002 drug-trade ence and its ensuing civil war. The director Dieter Kosslick said the “His profound interest in peo- expose “Sweet Sixteen”, and Berlin film festival, Europe’s first event would pay tribute to ple and their individual fates, as 2009’s “Looking for Eric” with for- major cinema showcase of the Loach’s brand of humanist cine- well as his critical commitment to mer French football star Eric year, will be held February 6-16 ma portraying the lives of work- society, have found expression in Cantona. Loach, 77, is well-known and open with the world pre- ing-class Britons and his outspo- a variety of cinematic approach- for his social activism and films miere of Wes Anderson’s “The ken political engagement. “Ken es. We are honoring Ken Loach as about labour disputes, often cast- Grand Budapest Hotel”. — AFP