Malayalam film industry lacks active producers

New Delhi: His smouldering looks and towering frame have endeared him to Malayalis all over the world for over two decades. Babu Antony, after having made a mark in almost all Indian languages, including Hindi and English, is now all set for a second innings in Mollywood.

The actor, who was last seen on screen in the super-hit film 'Christian Brothers', is now eyeing the Malayalam film industry in a big way with mega projects like Lal's 'Cobra' and B Unnikrishnan's 'Grandmaster' in his kitty.

"No, it's not a comeback," he says. "I was busy with many films in other languages. I was lucky enough to get an important role in the superhit Tamil film 'Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya' and its remakes in four languages, including Hindi (Ek Deewana Tha)," he says.

The villain-turned-hero says that this year he will be busy with two mega projects, the Mammootty-starrer 'Cobra' and Mohanlal-starrer 'Grandmaster.' "I feel great to have got crucial supporting actor roles in 'Cobra' and 'Grandmaster' as both films are expected to be big hits. I am very happy to get roles that are as important as the hero's."

Also he's delighted that the Tamil film industry accepted him so warmly. He's presently doing quite a few big budget Tamil movies. "The shoot is on for Amir Sulthan's 'Adi Bhagavan'.Fifty per cent of the shoot has been completed. Last year, Raghava Lawrence's horror movie 'Kanchana' was a big hit where Sharath Kumar donned the role of a transgender. I have been offered its Kannada version. The latest Tamil movie, Gokul's 'Rowthiram', was also a tremendous hit," he says.

Comparing the Tamil and Malayalam film scene, he feels that the latter must be more adventurous in their subjects.

"The Tamil film industry scenario is completely different from Malayalam," he says. "There are many sensible film-makers in Kollywood and they always try to experiment with newcomers. During these two decades, I have done all kinds of characters there," he adds.

"The Malayalam film industry lacks active producers. They should be willing to invest in the film industry. The important thing is not how much money goes into a film. It is about how that money is used," he says.

He believes that every film must be able to connect with the audience, if it hopes to be successful. "One such film was 'Salt N Pepper' and it turned out to be a big hit," he says.

He also feels that films these days are being made keeping an eye on satellite rights. This prompts producers to increasingly turn to subjects that are TV-friendly.

The actor has a lot on his plate at the moment, but that isn't stopping him from taking the big plunge into direction. Yes, Babu Antony will soon be directing a film called 'Piano,' a musical love story, scripted by John Paul.

Babu Antony's Russian-American wife Katrina will lend her voice for a song in the film. 'Piano' will follow the traditional way of film making, says Babu.

Often these days, one hears of how scripts are written keeping the star in mind, or according to the actors’ demands. But Babu promises that for his film the casting will be done only after the script is ready.

The film he says is a love story that will have a great musical score. It will also have pure action based on martial arts.

"All the characters will be heroes in my film. It's a beautiful love story. In fact, the story has been with me for many years now. It has been a passion for me to be a director. I think the subject will appeal, because everyone carries a love story in their heart," he says.

The film is expected to go on floors in August.