From scripting ‘Traffic’ (a big grosser in Mollywood this year) to writing ‘Casanova’ (early 2012 release, pegged as the most expensive Malayalam film till date), the rise of the Sanjay-Bobby team has been meteoric in 2011.
Though hit films often get the script right too, it is rare that the script hogs the limelight for a hit. Flawless adaptation of multi-narrative technique in ‘Traffic’ (hitherto untried in Mollywood), catapulted the siblings to fame beyond the tiny world of Malayalam films.
With Kamal Haasan coming forward to make the film in Tamil, Endemol India acquiring the Hindi remake rights, and a Telugu version also on the cards, Sanjay and Bobby are definitely going places. And the news does not end there. The brothers are also planning a Bollywood debut with Vashu Bhagnani, and plans are also afoot for another film with Kamal Haasan.
Sanjay and Bobby, who started their careers in Mollywood nine years ago, have had just three releases. Right from their first film, the low-budget ‘Ente Veedu Appuvinteyum’ to ‘Notebook’ and cash-rich ‘Casanova’, their scripts boast a variety that very few writers can dream of. “We write scripts that we would like to see on screen,” says Sanjay. “Films with a positive outlook and social impact. Except for ‘Casanova’, all our stories deal with real issues.”
The women in their films have also attracted special attention. They are well-delineated, strong, and individualistic, with significant roles. Says Sanjay: “We discuss the portrayal of women with the ladies in our family which helps us to provide a more realistic picture. Our stories portray the ‘real woman of today’ in Kerala who are educated with a mind of their own. They are, sometimes, even stronger than men.”
With ‘Casanova’, it’s time for sweet anticipation. Five heroines — Shriya Saran, Roma, Laxmi Rai, Sanjana and Dimple Rose — keep the glamour quotient high, along with foreign models, exotic locales, swanky cars and bikes, gadgets and games in this Mohanlal-starrer.
“‘Casanova’ will be a visual treat,” says Sanjay. “Totally Flamboyant!”
The brothers hail from a family with cinematic links. Jose Prakash, one of Mollywood’s famed villains, is their uncle, while their father, Prem Prakash is a producer and character-actor.
Post-‘Traffic’, life has turned hectic work-wise. However, the duo is wary of taking up too much work at one go. “We like to write at our own pace, which is pretty slow,” says Sanjay. “Also a concept has to be interesting for us to work on it.”
Well, working at their own pace seems to be working just fine for the talented siblings.