‘Mammootty didn’t charge a bomb’

Prithvi Raj Kapoor, Rajnikanth, NTR, Amitabh Bachchan and Chiranjeevi have all been here and done that.
Now, Malayalam superstar Mammootty is set to join this elite list of stars who���ve dazzled audiences in a Sandalwood film. The trade circuit has it that film-maker K Manju has roped in the Mollywood biggie for his next untitled film. To be directed by newbie Abhay Simha, who drew critical acclaim for his debut movie Gubbachigalu, the project is expected to go on the floors in January 2010.
���I���ve grown up watching Mammootty���s films. When I began penning the story of this movie, I felt nobody could fit the bill better than Mammootty,��� says Abhay. The FTII graduate���s small-budget flick Gubbachigalu did the rounds of various film fests. ���But I didn���t want to get stuck in the art film category. So, I decided to enter the commercial field,��� shares Abhay. So, how did a youngster like him who���s just a movie old manage to secure the dates of such a huge star? ���I was equally apprehensive when I approached Mammootty. And I didn���t even have a producer back then. It was in early January that I texted him and told him about my background. He reverted and asked me to e-mail him the film���s synopsis. The next morning he summoned me to Cochin and in three days, it was all done,��� explains Abhay.
And the script that impressed the star deals with two parallel themes ��� one, a modern-day software subject, the other is a story set in the pre-Independence era. ���It���s about an unknown freedom fighter in Karnataka,��� says Abhay.
The veteran will essay a double role in the film to be made in both Kannada and Malayalam. ���We haven���t zeroed in on a female lead yet. But we want someone who can match Mammootty���s personality and enact the double role ��� both modern and traditional ��� efficiently,��� says Abhay.
A big project, an even bigger star ��� so, is the remuneration a staggering amount? ���That���s where you���re mistaken. In Malayalam, if an actor likes a script, he���ll even do a film for free. Mammootty has quoted the most nominal price; he hasn���t charged a bomb,��� smiles Abhay.