Clearing the misconceptions, Mohanlal said he turned down a few young directors only because their scripts offered nothing new.
Published Sep 11, 2024 | 11:40 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 11, 2024 | 11:40 AM
Mohanlal says he is open to working with young filmmakers. (X)
Malayalam actor Mohanlal is soon making his debut directorial with Barroz. The film’s release, originally slated for 3 October, has been postponed for technical reasons. Meanwhile, the superstar is also reading scripts for new projects.
In a recent interview, Mohanlal noted that there has been a misconception that newcomers or young directors cannot approach him for their films. “It isn’t true. Many new directors have narrated stories to me in the past.”
When asked if Syam Pushkaran and Dileesh Pothan approached him, the veteran actor revealed that they did discuss a few stories with him but he wasn’t impressed.
He mentioned that he is open to working with newcomers and young filmmakers, but had turned down a few scripts only because they didn’t offer anything new.
Mohanlal observed that most of the new directors come up with storylines inspired by his old films. “Sometimes they also come up with stories that are connected with my stardom. In such cases, I can’t do something creative.”
Further, the actor said he prefers to do unique films. “For instance, my upcoming movie L360 with young director Tharun Moorthy took eight years to take shape,” he pointed out.
He noted that he worked on small films like Neru (2023), which was based on a rape case and its legal proceedings. The movie directed by Jeethu Joseph entered the ₹100-crore club.
Interestingly, Mohanlal’s experimental film Malaikottai Vaaliban (2024), directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery, failed to do wonders at the box office.
Meanwhile, he will be next seen in L360 and Prithviraj Sukumaran’s L2: Empuraan.
Mohanlal recently faced criticism for not standing up against actors who were accused of sexually assaulting women in Malayalam cinema.
He resigned from his post as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). The executive body members of AMMA followed suit.
The mass resignations came after sexual assault accusations were made against the top office-bearers of the organisation, including Siddique and Baburaj, besides actors like Mukesh, Jayasurya, and Maniyanpilla Raju.
(Edited by Y Krishna Jyothi)
