Ever since Manju Warrier was roped in to play Madhavikutty aka Kamala Das in the popular writer's biopic, the Malayalam actress has been receiving warning messages from many netizens on social media. In response to the comments by the actress' fans, who do not want her to take up the project, Manju, on Thursday, February 16, spoke about the movie.
Should Manju Warrier accept Kamala Das' biopic? Here's what netizens have to say
The Vettah actress, who finally confirmed being a part of director Kamal's most ambitious project, requested her well wishers not to fight on the matter as cinema is an art form, and that it should not be mixed with political ideologies. "I am getting ready to play as Malayalam's favourite writer Madhavikutty in her biopic. By now, a lot of debates have happened on the matter and let me make it clear to you that I am not acting in the project with any political ideologies. I request not to interpret it based on the controversies surrounding its director Kamal sir [translated from Malayalam]," Manju posted on her Facebook page.
Manju, who considers Kamal her guru, added that she is excited to team up with the filmmaker after 20 years. "Working with him in the movies Ee Puzhayum Kadannu and Krishnagudiyil Oru Pranayakaalathu are the greatest blessings of my life. My respect towards his talent and the chance to work with him again after 20 years are the factors that excite me now," she added.
The superstar of Malayalam also said that to portray the life story of the legendary writer Madhavikutty would be the dream of any actress and requested the audience to consider that she is just playing a challenging role without making it a big issue.
"I am a person who visits temple twice everyday, and even offer prayers when I am infornt of a mosque or church. Madhavikutty is a legend, and to portray her life onscreen would be a dream for any actress. Therefore, I request each one of you to consider Aami as a movie and mine as just a character. Cinema is an art form, and the people behind-the-scenes might have different political views, but when it comes to filmmaking, they all work together with a similar attitude. This will happen in Aami as well. The ones making this controversial might have some hidden agendas. I hope Aami will be a proud project for every Malayalee and for the world cinema. Requesting everyone to stand together for making it a good project and I expect the support of well wishers in me taking up this challenging role," reads her social media post
Controversies surrounding Aami
Bollywood actress Vidya Balan was initially roped in to play the titular role Aami in the upcoming movie. Vidya, who was impressed with the script of the project, had even announced that she was a part of the big project. However, a few days ago, the actress backed out of it claiming that she wasn't able to get into the skin of the character. Kamal, who was left clueless due to her last minute decision, had even called her step "unethical and unprofessional."
A few days later, the news of Manju replacing the Dirty Picture actress in Aami hit headlines, following which the fans of the Karinkunnan 6's actress started posting warning comments on her Facebook page for taking up the project, which is based on the life of a controversial personality.
The latest we hear is that the producer of the upcoming movie has decided to take legal action against Vidya for opting out of the project just days before the schedule of the movie begins.
Why is Kamala Das a controversial person?
Born as Madhavikutty to a Hindu Nair family with royal ancestry, the Kerala Sahitya Academy Award winner later converted to Islam at the age of 65 in 1999. She assumed the name Kamala Surayya and her conversion made her a controversial figure in Kerala.
Read the full Facebook post here:
