Mohanlal- A role model?

August 30th, 2007

Is Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, a role model for Tamil heroes? The biggest star in Tamil films Rajnikanth has remade two popular Mohanlal films into Tamil- Muthu and Chandramukhi, both blockbusters and there are traces of Mohanlal’s 1989 film Naadu Vaazhikal in Sivaji!

Mani Ratnam, Ram Gopal Varma and Priyadarsan, three of the finest commercial directors in India are unanimous that Mohanlal is one actor who can make larger-than-life characters work in commercial cinema. And Tamil directors in private says if a Mohanlal remake has to work in Tamil, more heroism has to be put into the script.

Recently two of his films were remade into Tamil as Kireedam and Veerappu. The former was partially faithful to the original, while the latter was re-written to add more crass heroism. At the end of the day Veerappu proved to be a bigger hit than Kireedam, especially in B and C centres.

Now Sundar.C has signed to do four more films out of which two are based on Mohanlal films that he has “secretly” purchased the rights. He will restructure the films to suit Tamil nativity, with a lot more heroism. Another big star’s forthcoming film is based on Mohanlal’s recent smash hit Hallo, though the star denies it. A flop Mohanlal film like Ali Bhai remake rights has been purchased by an ageing hero, who says it has potential in Tamil!

Mohanlal’s Sholay remake Ram Gopal Varma’s Aag, is going to have a Tamil dubbed version. Says Kalaipuli.S.Thanu, who is distributing the film in Tamilnadu: “Mohanlal the actor and star has his own audiences in Tamil. In Ramu’s Aag, there is a scene where Mohanlal who plays an encounter specialist is trapped by Amitabh Bachchan playing the villain an underworld don who chops off his fingers! The way Lal sir has enacted the scene gave me goose pimples.”