In the testosterone-filled world of Malayalam cinema, heroines usually play second fiddle to larger-than-life heroes and their stories. The Meryl Streeps, Jane Fondas, and Angelina Jolies of Hollywood would be hard put to find roles in Malayalam cinema. In today's Mollywood, once in a while female-centric movies do make a mark, but those are few and far in between, and are the exception rather than the rule. Looks like Mollywood would have to wait for some more time for a ‘Bridesmaids' to shake up the industry.
For now, here is a film that promises to focus on the heroine in Malayalam cinema. Aptly titled ‘Nayika,' the movie, says its director, Jayaraj, is a kind of tribute to the heroines of Malayalam cinema, especially those in the black and white era and the seventies and eighties, many of whom, he feels, never got their due.
Jayaraj says his ‘Nayika' is a sensitive exploration of a female actor's place in tinsel town, the grime behind the glitz and glamour, the short life span of a leading lady and the emotional turmoil that she is often forced to endure.
“This was a film that scriptwriter Deedi Damodaran and I had planned to work on two years ago. But then Mallika Sherawat wanted to see if it could be made in Hindi and the film got postponed. Then I decided to turn Deedi's script for ‘Gulmohur' into a film. But Nayika was always there on the back of my mind and last year we got working on it,” says Jayaraj.
Heroines in the spotlight
He explains that the movie is not the story of any one particular leading lady. It is a tale that weaves together many stories, real and reel, about the heroines who graced the silver screen. “Initially, it might look like the story of Rosie, perhaps the first heroine of Malayalam cinema,” says Jayaraj. The story of ‘Nayika' trails the footsteps of the unfortunate Rosie and then takes a detour and moves on to other incidents in the life of the protagonist, Gracy.
Yesteryear star Sarada plays the lead role of Gracy. Undoubtedly it's a casting coup for Jayaraj, who managed to persuade an initially reluctant Sarada to accept this role of a heroine who walks away from the glamour of tinsel town and becomes a recluse.
For Jayaraj, it was a long cherished wish that came true when Sarada donned the greasepaint for his ‘Nayika.' “Of all the many characters she has breathed life into, what stand outs is her poise and powerful screen presence. Be it her roles in ‘Thulabharam' or in ‘Murapennu,' Sarada's innate grace and dignity were evident in her portrayals. I had seen her work in Bharatha ettan 's [film director Bharathan] ‘Oru Minnaminunginte Nurungu Vettam.' To see Sarada work was a lesson in itself. This movie would not have been made if she had not agreed to give life to Gracy,” gushes Jayaraj.
It was quite an emotional moment for Sarada when the initial scenes were canned at Udaya Studio in Alappuzha for it was here that she made her debut in Malayalam cinema with ‘Innapravukkal.' Sarada is supported by an impressive cast that includes KPAC Lalitha, Jagathy Sreekumar, Jayaram, Siddique, Padmapriya, Mamata Mohandas, and Sabida.
Padamapriya, returning to Malayalam cinema after a short interval, plays the younger version of Gracy.
Living the role
“I had a make-man, Anees, who did my hair dos (such as the bouffant) for my role. I am a great fan of Sharada and I have seen many of her films. So I was quite keen on this role. When Jayaraj approached me for the role, I was set to go abroad. But, as things turned out, I finally did enact Gracy. I have done a couple of songs and some scenes but I really worked hard to get it right,” says Padmapriya.
Jayaram plays the chocolate hero (Anand) to perfection to Padmapriya's Gracy. Says Jayaraj: “Jayaram is superb in his take of Prem Nazir. He is someone Jayaram has idolised for long and the actor simply lived his character sans any melodrama or overacting. Similarly, Siddique, as an old-time producer (Stephen Muthalali), was marvellous.” Jagathy Sreekumar plays a veteran dance teacher and KPAC Lalitha, an old-time companion of Gracy.
Mamata has been cast as Aleena, the granddaughter of the producer who introduced Gracy to filmdom. In fact, it is through Aleena that Gracy's story unfolds on the screen. Aleena plans to make a documentary on the pioneers of Malayalam cinema and she stumbles on to the story of Gracy, the queen of the marquee who disappeared suddenly. Aleena sets off to trace her and that is when she decides to make a documentary on Gracy.
To accentuate the old-world feel of the film, ‘Kastoori manakkunnaallo…,' a golden oldie, has been reworked and sung by K.J. Yesudas himself. The movie has also revived the unbeatable duo – Sreekumaran Thampy and M.K. Arjunan. “In fact, when I decided to rework ‘Kastoori manakkunnaallo…' an evergreen hit from the film ‘Picnic,' we had discussions on who should sing it and whether we should just use the original song. Finally we decided to record it anew in Yesudas' voice and it is already on the top of the charts,” says Jayaraj.
As the film reaches theatres today, viewers will decide if Jayaraj is on song again.
