The Malayalis’ wait for 14 long years is finally over. Manju Warrier, one of the most popular Malayalam actors of all time, is all set to make a comeback, albeit through an advertisement film.
The actor, who created a niche for herself with just 20 films in a career spanning three years, broke many a heart when she got married and chose to restrict herself to family life, away from the glamour of tinsel world.
Expectations swelled when she returned to the stage with dance performances in October last year. The latest move has resulted in the anticipation over her eventual return to the silver screen soaring to a new level.
Her comeback could not have been bigger considering that she will be sharing screen space with the Big B of Indian cinema, Amitabh Bachchan, for an ad film of a Thrissur-based jewellery group.
It is learnt that the shooting will be in picturesque Goa. Besides Malayalam, the film would be shot in three different south Indian languages, a release issued by the company said on Friday. The release quoted Manju as stating that she felt blessed to make a comeback alongside a stalwart of world cinema. The ad film is being scripted and produced by V.A. Sreekumar.
While her professional career seems to be on the upswing, things are far from rosy in her personal life with speculations rife about her imminent split with actor-husband Dileep. People recently thronged a family court in Thrissur when news spread that the couple would be filing a divorce petition. However, it proved to be a hoax. Though rumours about the split have been doing the rounds for quite some time, both Manju and Dileep have not come out in the open about the status of their relationship.
Manju’s return to tinsel town seemed imminent when she launched her website earlier this month. The response the website received was yet another sign of her popularity.
The actor was in her prime when she chose to leave the industry around 1999 after getting married. Perhaps no other actor has received so much love and affection from the Malayali audience as Manju has through a few films. She performed at a level that enabled her to stand her ground even while sharing the screen space with iconic actors like Mohanlal in films such as Aram Thampuran and Kanmadam and the late Thilakan in Kannezhuthi Pottum Thottu .
She won the State award in 1996 for the film Ee Puzhayum Kadannu , which saw her paired opposite Dileep. Manju also won special mention of the national jury for her scintillating performance as a daughter avenging the brutal murder of her parents in Kannezuthi Pottum Thottu .
