KOCHI:The boy with brown eyes and an alluring smile has held Malayali audience captivated since 1989. And nothing much has changed for Vineeth Kumar who bagged a state award for the best child artist in his debut year itself and now he is entering his 26th year in Mollywood. The boy next door, who entered the industry as a child artist and then transformed into a senior artist, music album director, ad filmmaker and others has now donned a new hat. At the press meet held here the other day, the artist was all ecstatic with his directorial debut ‘Ayal Njanalla’ drawing good response at the box office.
“It feels good that my directorial debut is getting a good response. If I have to thank anyone for its success, it is none other than director-cum-writer Ranjith, who inspired me to do this film. Initially, it was him who told me that being a director would suit me well. It was my long cherished dream to become a director and I am happy that my debut venture has turned out good,” said Vineeth Kumar.
According to him the script handover by Ranjith was very risky since reality and metafiction were woven together in it.
“The moment I read it, the only face which came to my mind to portray the character Prakashan was of Fahadh Fazil. More than a close friend, Fahadh is an actor of excellent caliber. I think he has done an excellent job in the film,” said Vineeth.
To Keep Genuineness!
When asked about why he opted for a child artist from outside Kerala, Vineeth said that he has been asked the same question several times. “The decision to look for a child artist from outside Kerala was entirely based on the script. As per the script the lead character’s (Prakashan) childhood has been spent outside the state. This is why I began search for someone who could speak Hindi or Gujarati,” he said.
He also added that it was by sheer accident that he saw a show of Akshat Singh, a reality show by a famed dancer. The moment I saw him, I made up my mind to cast him but remained skeptical about whether he will accept the offer or not, said Vineeth.
“I searched for him and got the phone number of the school Akshat is studying in. I talked with the principal of the school and to my surprise I came to know that the parents’ day function was on at the school. I talked with Akshat’s father and received his consent to cast him,” said Vineeth.
When asked about his future plans, as to whether he would opt to become a full time director or an actor, Vineeth said that cinema is his passion and his ultimate objective is to be part of a good film. “This means I might become an actor or a director as and when situation demands. I have many stories in my mind which I wish to put in the canvas. Wait and see,” the actor-cum-director said.