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Mani is back

VIJAY GEORGE

Kalabhavan Mani is back in the reckoning after `Ben Johnson.'

MAN OF THE MOMENT: Kalabhavan Mani has struck gold.

Teenyboppers may not be enthusiastic fans of Kalabhavan Mani, but that has not affected the success of his latest release `Ben Johnson.' It has been a while since Mani donned the hero's role. His rendition of rustic `naadan pattu' (folk songs) is quite a rage, a fact not many people acknowledge. Kalabhavan Mani, however, is not bothered.

"I feel that down south, only Rajnikanth can be called a real hero, in every sense. Even the announcement of his film can generate hysteric reactions from every quarter. In our films, Mammootty and Mohanlal have proved that they are a cut above the rest," says Mani, who essays the role of an "an auto-driver who eventually becomes a gutsy district collector," in the forthcoming film, `Lokanathan IAS.'

Real-life incidents

In real life too Mani has done a variety of jobs, including that of an auto-rickshaw driver. Have incidents from his life reflected in the films that he has acted in?

"Of course. For instance, the death scene of my older character in `Ben Johnson.' I have taken people who have consumed poison to the hospital in my auto and have been witness to some of these people dying," Mani says. Before he was noticed as a `toddy-tapper' in `Sallapam,' Mani had appeared in some `blink-and- you-miss' roles in a few films.

Reminisces Mani, "In `Aksharam,' I was chosen to essay the role of an auto-driver. During the shoot, I told the hero of the film, Suresh Gopi, that it was my profession in real life too, though I was by then active as a mimicry artiste." Some time later, Sunder Das, the associate director of the film saw Mani perform in a stage show and offered him a role in `Sallapam.'

Keen observation

He says, "Mani is a keen observer of people and can handle any role with conviction. And more importantly, his dedication is amazing." Das has seen Mani grow from a `sidekick' to a main protagonist and feels that "he has not changed a bit as a person and is extremely level headed."

Mani made quite an impression as a blind street singer in Vinayan's `Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njanum.' Although he occasionally dons the hero's role, he has all along been a comedian, villain or a character artist. He is considered hot property in the Tamil, Kannada and Telugu film industry after his performances in films such as `Gemini,' `Puthiya Geethai' and `Durga.'

With the flurry of films that have come in quick succession, has he done away with two of his known possessions, his trademark chortle and his `naadan paattu'?

"I have given a break to that style of laughter, but my collection of `naadan paattu' never ends. In fact, it is not conventional folk songs that I sing, but perhaps it was I who brought back that kind of music from oblivion," says Mani. He says he has inherited his style of singing from his father.

As music director Deepak Dev, for whom Mani had sung the super hit `Sona Sona... ' from `Ben Johnson' puts it, "Though he was mainly known for his folk songs earlier, we now know his versatility, that he can handle any tune. He had sung for himself in it and I want to use his voice more often, even for other actors."

Now that he is a hit, he is encountering a different set of problems. Posters of films that he had acted in earlier are now projecting him as the hero. "I had worked for less than a week in them but they are promoting those as my films, which is quite unfortunate. These projects have been lying in the cans for all these years," Mani says.

"I always tell Mani that he is one of the actors who would have been featured very often by directors like Bharathan, if they were making films now," says director Anil C. Menon. Mani was the lead actor in two of Anil's films (`Malsaram' and `Ben Johnson').

"He is eloquent before the camera. It may sound clichéd, but Mani is a natural actor," smiles Anil.

Mani says with a grin, "I am 34 and I have told my wife that this stint of living out of suitcases may go on till I am 40, if all goes well. From then on, I have promised to spend more time with my family and do only the best of roles that are offered to me."

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