Attempting the forbidden has been his forte as a script writer. From the unconventional ‘Pakal Nakshatrangal’ to the cult-setting ‘Cocktail’ Anoop Menon has been exploring tabooed territories in Malayalam cinema. The themes he attempts are not alien to the industry, but the narrative finesse and unapologetic boldness make them stand apart from the box office-oriented M-Town productions.
With his latest, ‘Beautiful’ garnering rave reviews, the actor-turned-script writer proves you don’t have to bank on larger- than-life entertainment variables to cull out a hit. The uber-cool style and sensibility prompts one to believe that the film is a Hollywood remake, but Anoop rubbishes that suggestion.
He says the film is inspired by a real life incident, the persisting memory of a quadriplegic childhood friend. “The school sequence in the film is a reel out of my life. As in the film, I was slapped by a teacher and I simply recreated the moments. Also the film is a trip through Indian cinema chronicling many a landmark film. How can such a film be an adaptation?” he asks.
Slightly offbeat, bold and highly engaging, ‘Beautiful’ has no frills to inflame the entertainment quotient. Also, the film never resorts to technical wizardry or the brashness of stardom. “A good film remains green in your memory while others pale into oblivion the moment you step out of the theatre. At the end of the day what counts is the quality. It’s a neatly made film and good films have always been crowd pullers,” he says.
The film unreels in idyllic frames the unlikely friendship between its lead actors played by Jayasurya and Anoop Menon. There is an undeniable chemistry between the two actors and Anoop says it springs from his personal camaraderie with Jayasurya. “We both share an intense passion for cinema and Jayasurya’s commitment to this medium is highly infectious,” he says.
Moral anarchy is the religion of his characters as they come out with volatile statements regarding marriage and loyalty. The casual reference to marital infidelity mouthed by a female character in the film may irk many, but Anoop insists that he was just being realistic while penning the lines.
“Even the films that come under the realistic tag hardly handle such subjects in honest and transparent manner. We camouflage the reality with flashy elements so that you don’t have to confront it openly. All my women characters are bold and I believe today’s women are daring enough to discuss such stuff,” he says.
Anoop says one cannot blindly assume that an average Malayali lives in a moralist utopia. “There are people who are still strung to obsolete principles of morality, about what should be welcomed and what should be ostracised. But we too have changed with time and the average Malayali too is aware of the switch in social scenario. The Malayali who has read OV Vijayan and VKN knows about all the shades of life. Only a minority sticks to the format of primordial morality and the rest are ready to face life as it is. For me ‘Beautiful’ is a revolt against the moral norms set by this minority,” he says.
Anoop who has also penned the songs for the film says his lyricist avatar was no mused act, but an accident. “Rateesh Vega, music director of the film, was ready with tunes but there were no lyrics. So I came out with some dummy ones and all the three songs were composed in one stretch sitting in his car,” he says.
Though his scripts have strike the right chord with cine-goers, Anoop says acting is his first love and he has absolutely no plans to turn a full time writer. “Acting is more of a comfort zone compared to the troublesome exercise of scripting. I have immensely loved my roles in films like ‘Thirakkatha’, ‘Traffic’ and ‘Pranayam’ and acting will always remain my primary indulgence, says Anoop who has a string of releases lined up.