Getting a break in the Malayalam film industry nowadays is no mean task. The list of wannabe filmmakers waiting for actors to sign their dream projects is growing long.
With even seasoned directors complaining that the lead crop of artistes in Malayalam are refusing to even pick up their calls, the hopes of newcomers getting ready to make baby steps in the industry seem to have shrunk.
A young filmmaker confessed that it took nearly two years before an actor agreed to meet him at a film location for a story narration. “I was lucky as many others continue to wait outside his caravan without even being able to meet him. Most of them have left plum jobs to pursue their silver screen ambitions,” he said.
A senior producer admitted that an actor, who turned producer recently, was not even taking calls from a director who had given him one of his biggest career hits. “Earlier, they used to at least give a patient hearing to new filmmakers and their story ideas. After a hit or a flop, the actors turn anxious. They will never commit to a project as the pressure of delivering another hit or avoiding a flop goes up. There is insecurity among lead actors in Malayalam today,” he said.
A popular actor recently went on record stating that many of his friends in tinsel town were not in good terms with him after he turned down their scripts. This included directors with whom he had worked in several projects. The actor was candid enough to admit that he had turned selective after hitting the box office gold with some of his latest releases.
Actors are asking new producers to invest in their home productions rather than taking up an assignment under a new banner. While some investors agree to undertake such projects, many turn away fearing they will have only a minimal role to play.
G. Krishnakumar
