Actor/scenarist Bibin George has wanted to be an actor even as a school boy, “Who doesn’t?”, he asks. It was his ambition all through, the Oru Pazhaya Bomb Kadha actor confesses, only that he took the script-writing route to the screen which started with television. His latest release is Shylock .
In the film, he is younger to Mammootty. He is upbeat, and in awe of his co-star Mammootty. “He is another level!”
One of his earliest memories of watching a film, in a theatre, is of Mammootty’s Valsalyam . He wasn’t meeting the veteran for the first time, he had met Mammootty when he and friend/co-writer Vishnu Unnikrishnan went to meet Dulquer Salman for the Oru Yamandan Pranaya Kadha narration. “But he is Mammootty. I wouldn’t act familiar with him, when it comes to him, it is all respect,” he says. Bibin acted in the film, one of his bigger films, in the negative role.
Bibin is best known for his collaboration with Vishnu – Amar Akbar Anthony , Kattapanayile Hrithik Roshan , and Oru Yamandan Pranaya Kadha .
- Working with Vishnu comes naturally. We have been collaborating for years now and we know each other very well. If we have a plot in our mind, we discuss it and develop it together. We create the story together.
- Acting is my interest, one is recognised — in the literal sense. While we were working in television we were anonymous, as actors we are no longer unknown. That said, the creator of content — cinema or television — connects with the audience.
The duo is now working on their next script. It is a relationship that goes back to when they were in Class 6, which grew into writing scripts for comedy shows for television channels, as 17 year olds. “Mimicry and comedy is our thing – Comedy Cousins , Rasika Raja , Thillana Thillana and Badai Bungalow – for which we wrote the script,” says the 31 year old. The contacts and connections they made on television led them to films, first as scenarists and now, actors.
Small roles came his way, and one of them, in Welcome to Central Jail , landed him Role Models and eventually his lead role in Oru Pazhaya Bomb Kadha . “Raffi sir [director Role Models ] who gave me the break. One film led to another and to Oru Pazhaya Bomb... ” the 31 year-old says.
The film did well at the BO, running more than 100 days. His turn has Sreekuttan, a man with physical disabilities who plots revenge, with a friend, against a cop was appreciated and got him noticed.
He is grateful to the writers – Sunil Karma and Binu Joseph – for the script and the opportunity. The response was unexpected, “Being a hero in a film! It was a dream come true.”
Bibin doesn’t see his being affected by polio as a problem or a shortcoming, “Acceptance lies in the eyes of the audience, if my work is good they should not notice any thing else. Finally it boils down to how good I am at my job,” he says. He is only too glad if he inspires people to aspire for more and not be limited.
Although he got into the business of entertaining at 17, he managed to complete his post-graduation in education and earn an M.Phil in Hindi; he also taught temporarily at a school. “That was just to put my parents at ease, for them a secure job or rather being qualified enough for a job is big deal.”
