Mollywood actors take to the small screen

TOI does a line up of cinema stars who have been grabbing TRPs on Malayalam television
The big screen might be one space where single young women and superheroes rule the roost. But not so with the small one. Big screen equations turn topsy turvy here, and more often than not, it���s those who have been written off by the industry who take over. Prime example is the ���police commissioner��� of Malayalam filmdom, Suresh Gopi, who has turned the reigning king of TV today, with Kodeeswaran ��� the Malayalam version of Kaun Banega Crorepati, being one of the most watched shows on TV.The actor has always been known to like interacting with the public and the show seems to have given him the right platform. The TRP ratings for the show are quite high, reveals channel authorities, and they are hoping viewers will prefer Suresh Gopi over Amitabh Bachchan who will soon be back with the next season of the same show.
Not far behind is Shwetha Menon, whose daily show Verutheyalla Bharya is getting high ratings too. While one assumed the Rathinirvedam actress would bid goodbye to showbiz post marriage, Shwetha only seems to have grown more popular. The show features couples as participants where the husbands are made to do chores which the women usually do; the ones who do it best, stand to win. The ease and confidence displayed by Shwetha has won her more hearts among viewers than what her films did.
The same channel also airs a celebrity chat show Kathayithu Vare, hosted by Poornima Indrajith, which is also getting good ratings, point out channel authorities. Friends and relatives of the guest celebrity are invited to the show; but the celebrity is kept in the dark about who is coming.
At the same time, the choice of personality and the directions of the programme producers are of extreme importance for the success of a show. Quite naturally, not all big screen stars are hits on the small screen. Kayyil Oru Kodi, yet another reality game show, anchored by Mamta Mohandas, wasn���t received as well, although Deal or No Deal, a similar show which preceded it, hosted by Mukesh, proved to be a hit. The channel plans to rope in actress Jyothirmayi for one of its shows shortly.
Other film personalities who have upped the TRP ratings on channels are Vidhubala, who hosts Kathayallithu Jeevitham, a show which tries to solve marital problems; Revathi, host of Kanamarayathu, a show which tries to trace missing children; Jagadeesh, one of the judges of Comedy Stars besides several other judges for dance, music and comedy reality shows.
���The actors are creating a new and better image of themselves through their TV avatars,��� says Sleeba, an ad film maker and industry expert. ���People are now getting to know the actual person behind the superstar image. There seems to be more emotional involvement with the public through these shows than through films. Both Suresh Gopi and Shwetha Menon have a better image now than while they were big screen actors.���
Malayalam film stars are also slowly breaking out of the stigma associated with the small screen, he adds. ���In other languages, top stars have no qualms about being on TV. Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Sooriya and many others are now doing TV shows. It is the various associations which have prevented many others from entering TV,��� says Sleeba.
Well, one thing is for sure, if TRP ratings are anything to go by, film stars are here to stay on TV. It���s a win-win situation, with the channels, the stars, viewers as well as the sponsors getting a good deal.
Ban on stars Once in 2002 and later in 2010, the Kerala Film Chamber asked all film artists, singers and technicians not to appear on television for doing shows. A reason they cited for the move was that people did not go to theatres to watch movies because the stars were available on TV. The drop in theatre collections affected the stake holders of the chamber. However, in both instances, the request had no impact, as no actor took it seriously.
Other non-filmi superstars of Malayalam telly
Ranjini Haridas: Anchor of Idea Star Singer
Lakshmi Nair: Anchor of Flavours of India
Kalesh: Anchor of various cookery shows
Asha Sharat: Kunkumappovu, a soap opera
Rimi Tomi: Celebrity chat show
Srikantan Nair: Host of Samadooram