He was born Paul Michael in Kochi, but gained fame by the name Lal as a cine personality. A daring one, for two reasons. One, Lal as a standalone name sounds incomplete, abrupt. Two, there was already a better known Lal around — or that’s how star Malayalam actor Mohanlal is even today called by his fans, colleagues and close friends.
But then this Lal, now 50, began as a mimicry artiste. His native coastal city had anyway groomed many of them in a troupe called Kalabhavan, and quite a few among them switched turf to gain name in Mollywood. By the late 1980s, Lal tried his luck as an assistant director under filmmaker Fazil. Soon he teamed up with screenwriter-director Siddique. Their 1989 blockbuster Ramji Rao Speaking lent Siddique-Lal a big name.
Lal parallely continued his trysts with scriptwriting, and in 1996 even produced a film: Hitler and, a year later, Superman. Well, both Malayalam films. It looked like Lal’s power to play with names was spreading. The same year, in 1997, he did that as well: acting. As the sinister villain Paniyan or the Kerala Iago in Kaliyattam, which was a Malayalam adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Othello. Since then, he has acted in some three-dozen films — some of them Tamil and Telugu as well. Lately, he took the plunge as a solo director — 2 Harihar Nagar also became a hit.
Last week, the Kerala government saluted his histrionic skills. His portrayal of a police constable in Thalapavu fetched the state film award for the best actor. The multifaceted versatile artiste was inundated with calls and grand bashes were being planned. But Lal chose a quiet celebration. He went to Kochi’s Pullepady area where he grew up — to join his uncles, aunts and
acquaintances from his childhood. “When they saw me they were moved,” he says. “They did not expect me to come during this exciting time in my life.”
Soon, there was bonhomie and banter, and passionate singing sessions. And when his uncle John gave him a prized crystal candlestick, Lal started crying. “I returned home at 2 am,” he says. “I realised it is important to stay in touch with my roots.”
When a person becomes affluent and successful, he usually goes out of touch with his relatives. He makes new friends, starts speaking differently, and develops new habits and modes of behaviour. “One day, this polished look solidifies on the face and you lose touch with your soul,” says Lal. “For a while I suffered from this.”
It is to avoid this that Lal tries to stay in touch with his old friends. “With them we are constantly reminded of who we are, and where we come from,” he says. “Otherwise, we tend to float on the clouds of self-delusion, before reality intrudes with a lighting bolt, and you are defeated.” Lal, on the other hand, has had many filmi real-life victories. So how does he get it right so often? “When I listen to a story and look at the people
involved in the project, I ask myself one question,” he says. “Do I want to go and see this film in the theatre? If the answer is yes, I take part in the project.”
He says that for a film to be successful it needs some essential elements. “In every good film, the hero should be facing a villain,” he says. This could be in the form of a person — a criminal, politician or the police — or it could be against society or a natural calamity. There has to be several complications in the storyline, to ensure suspense and excitement, but, ultimately, the hero must win. “When the movie fulfils these expectations, I assure you it will do well,” he says.
So how does Lal manage these multiple tasks, including the film production and distribution company, Lal Creations? “I tend to focus on one thing at a time,” he says. So, when the 50-day shooting schedule for 2 Harihar Nagar commenced, he switched off his mobile. “Even my family was not allowed to get in touch with me,” he says.
In his absence, Lal’s wife looked after the business. He also has the same single-mindedness when he is a producer, an actor or a distributor. But not all these tasks are easy to do. “The director’s job is the hardest,” he says. “The 150 members of the unit are dependent on me to do a good job. If the film is a success, then everybody gets other opportunities.”
Compared to direction, he finds acting a breeze. Unlike most actors, he does very little preparation for a role. “Once I hear the story, I have a clear idea of how I will play the character,” he says. He also has a clear idea on how to be a producer: hands-on presence. If the shoot begins at 6 am, Lal will arrive on the set at that early hour and will only leave when the session is over.
Interestingly, for all these different jobs, Lal adopts a different mindset. “As a producer, I will never interfere in the director’s work,” he says. He gives an example: when his friend and former directing partner Siddique was making Hitler, he never made any comments about the direction, unless he was specifically asked for an opinion. “As an actor, I obey the director at all times, even if he is a first-timer,” says Lal. In his role as the owner of Lal Media, a successful sound and visual studio, he says, “I hire good people, and delegate responsibility.” At this moment, he is euphoric.
His future projects could include a Tamil and Hindi version of 2 Harihar Nagar, as well as acting roles. “I don’t plan anything in life,” he says. “By God’s grace, things happen at the right time.”
— shevlins@gmail.com