From Thoovanathumbikal to Thanmatra , Devasuram to Drishyam , Mohanlal has had quite a few versatile characters to play over a career spanning more than three decades. The actor has now embarked on a quest to retrace the journey and revisit some of those immortal characters through music, and to bring them alive on stage through a show performed by his new band ‘Lalisom – the Lal effect’.
While still in the early stages of production, the first performance of the show is slated for early 2015, the actor said at the press conference held at Jose Thomas Performing Arts Centre (JTPac), which is also producing the show. The planned two-and-a-half hour performance will have Mohanlal and a team of around eight musicians performing some of the most popular songs from his films, with the actor narrating his experiences from each film and also singing some of the songs. Another highlight of the production is the planned use of holographic projections of Lal’s characters from the films alongside him while the songs are being performed.
The musical component of the show is spearheaded by music director Ratheesh Vega, who collaborated with Mohanlal in the film Run Baby Run . The actor’s rendition of the song ‘Attumanal payayil’ for the film was a chart topper. The production will also be assisted by directors Priyadarshan and T.K. Rajeev Kumar, and will be taken to multiple venues across the globe. Jose Thomas, director of JTPac, said the scale of the show requires it to be staged at large venues. The first performance is slated to be held in Kochi or Thiruvananthapuram in early 2015.
Lal explained that he considers the performance to be a travelogue of sorts. “I have been fortunate enough to have had immense support throughout my career and as a performing artiste, this is a gift I offer in return. It is a journey through the memorable moments, revisiting characters and the memories associated with them,” he said.
While the performance will recreate some of the greatest hits from Lal’s movies, Ratheesh informed apprehensive attendees that the soul of the original songs would not be tampered with. “We will present them in a format that goes well with current audiences, but there will not be any alterations beyond that,” he said.
The actor signed off by saying that teams from abroad would be roped in to work on the holograms and that further details about the show and its venues would be announced shortly.
