Film director Shafi invites holiday crowds to go on a trip to 2 Countries, for “non-stop entertainment”. Starring Dileep and Mamta, the comedy, he says, is for the family audience.
It is true that he struck gold with two hits with Dileep ( Kalyanaraman and Marykondoru Kunjaadu ) and also made a string of hits till he hit a dull patch after Mary… . For two years now, Shafi has not tasted the kind of success that he enjoyed prior to 2010. So although 2 Countries looks like a movie that has been made for the box office, Shafi is still not willing to hazard a guess about how it will be received.
“It has all the ingredients for a complete entertainer. My elder brother Raffi has come up with a story about this young man Ulhas Kumar, a cheerful youngster who wants everything the easy way. We all know such chaps in our neighbourhood. Each of the characters in the film, and there are many, has been cast carefully according to the demands of the script. They are not merely props for the hero and heroine,” says Shafi.
So Mukesh, Aju Varghese, Ashokan, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Salim Kumar and Jagadeesh live it up in Canada. Raffi also has a role in the movie. Mamta Mohandas and Namitha Pramod play the female leads. But Shafi emphasises that it is not a reworked version of My Boss , in which Dileep and Mamta were cast together. “This is about Ulhas finding himself in a spot when he reaches Canada to marry Laya. That is when he realises he has to get his act together,” narrates Shafi.
The filmmaker remembers that Dileep did not take long to say yes to the role. “While choosing the leading lady, I wanted an experienced actress and Mamta came good as Laya, a Malayali girl brought up in Canada. Mamta and Dileep have a good rapport and they have proved to be lucky at the box office too. 2 Countries is a love story that is filled with laughter and humour. It is about a couple from two different worlds,” adds Shafi.
Shafi says he was lucky he worked with a cast who functioned as a team, whether it be someone senior like Mukesh or a youngster like Aju.
As the movie finds its way to theatres, the viewers will decide if the team has got it right this time.
