The hero of the masses

Dileep tells that 2 Countries, starring him and Mamta Mohandas, which is releasing during the Christmas holidays is a complete entertainer.

Mamta Mohandas and Dileep in '2 Countries'

It is the season of vacations and Dileep, the leading man of entertainers, leads the charge of the movie brigade with

2 Countries , a lavishly produced flick shot in Canada and Kerala.

Rain or shine, Dileep is that rare actor who has never been seriously affected by his flops. This star of the masses has always bounced back, usually with a mammoth-leave-your-brains-behind entertainer that makes every one happy – his producers, director and fans. However, in 2014, Chandrettan Evideya proved to be the only film in which the super star was able to flex his muscles at the box office. In spite of working in some interesting movies such as Love 24 x 7 and Life of Josutty , the films could not woo the box office in a major way. But Dileep has moved ahead and is all set for the release of Shafi’s 2 Countries , which has been produced by M. Renjith. Shafi had directed two of Dileep’s hits – Kalyanaraman (2002) and Marykkundoru Kunjaadu , both comedies.

“ 2 Countries is also a laugh riot,” says Dileep about the film that sees the star and Mamta Mohandas get together to revive the magic that made My Boss a super hit. In his characteristic tongue-in-cheek manner he adds: “It is about ‘two countries’. One is from India and the other is from Canada. There are country bumpkins everywhere! Certain people hate to strain their body or mind. My character, Ulhas Kumar, is like that. When he finds it a little difficult to stay on in his village, he decides to leave for Canada and that is when he meets Laya, enacted by Mamta. That is when the story really begins,” laughs Dileep.

With a huge cast comprising some of the finest actors in Malayalam,

2 Countries , written by Raffi, narrates what happens when Ulhas tries to understand and adapt to the Canadian culture and lifestyle. Mukesh, Jagadish, Vijayaraghavan, Asokan, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Aju Varghese, Lena, Namitha Pramod (who acted with him in

Chandrettan... ) and Isha Talwar are some of the actors in the movie.

“It is always a pleasure to act with Mamta. Not only is she an excellent actress, she is also hassle-free. One can discuss scenes with her, make suggestions to improve a scene or change a dialogue. She has no complexes at all. Mamta is a team worker and a professional. So when we work with an actor with whom we share a comfort space, naturally, it will reflect in that work as well,” gushes Dileep.

The actor feels that to be at his best, he needs a peaceful ambience and not a stress-filled one that is filled with competition and one-upmanship.

Speaking with the experience gained as actor, producer, distributor and theatre owner, Dileep says he plans to put his money on entertainers. “That is what the audiences want. I also plan to act in movies that are an enjoyable ride. One has to understand how the movie industry works. Viewers vote with their money if they like a film. It is that simple. I know there are many filmmakers and actors who enjoy working in realistic films. But, at present, my forte is entertainers,” he explains.

If there was a lull in 2015, the new year should see the star back in action with a couple of big releases. At present, he is dubbing for King Liar , being directed by none other than the pair of Siddique-Lal. “It is about this guy Sathyanarayanan who finds it almost impossible to tell the truth. My heroine is Madonnna Sebastian of Premam fame. Then there is Welcome to Central Jail and Kammara Sambhavam .”

In the middle of his hectic schedule, he found the time to participate in ‘De Chef’, a cookery-based reality show on Mazhavil Manorama. His participation ensured that the show became more than just another culinary show on the small screen. With his banter and affable mannerisms, he was able to have the contestants eating out of his hand. “As everyone knows, I had worked on a series of comedies for Asianet and I have always been at home in this medium. But now time is a constraint and not everyone is happy about leading actors take part in television shows. This was a one-of-a-kind appearance because of my interest in food and the restaurant business. I have also acted in movies like Spanish Masala and Mr. Butler . So viewers have already seen me at home in the kitchen,” he explains.

Whether it be on the big screen or the small screen, Dileep has the last laugh as his act spells success at the turnstiles.