The guy's a talent! A master of his craft. And one needs to credit Mohanlal in that respect. Without stifling the freedom of what his other personality traits he chooses by free will. This will only help his creativity bear more expression not feel hindered or burdened by a social and public pressure.
Recently his film "Devasuram" was playing again on TV, and I noticed how the character typically also kept a white handkerchief in hand. And guess what, I found myself uninhibitedly holding one myself after that! Years before when I saw this movie, and noticed the character had his watch tied to his right wrist, it'd peaked my curiosity and I began tying the watch to my right wrist. I must admit I still prefer it to this day, although most work-days it's still on my left hand. This character of Neelakantan, in performance and embodiment, was done really very well by Mohanlal. I'm not sure even he realizes. A masterful, well-developed character!
In another film "Varavelpu", I'd noticed how he kept touching his shirt pocket. This is a very typical, unconscious habit of Indian men, who in days of old when money was short, used to keep some cash in their shirt pocket. It was a way of checking that the money's still there! I'd seen my father and many others doing it unconsciously at various times in the day. And this fit so well with Mohanlal's characters in the film; a man who's insecure, having started a new private bus business recently.
I'd watched "Ravanaprabhu" when I was in the Infosys Mysore Guest House. And I distinctly remember the spring in my step when going for dinner later! The action-oriented character was played with such energy, you couldn't help but grasp a little of it yourself.
Then there was "Aham" where his bearded look, and deep, intense performance made me feel he was dissolving some pain from even deep within himself. I began loving the slightly bearded look in this film and in "Nirnayam", on Mohanlal and even myself, though never really got to learning how best to keep a beard groomed. And couldn't adopt one for myself...
I'm sure there are many other such roles where Lal's personality traits in a film have caught the viewer's attention. Or maybe just the fan's attention. But these are ones that come immediately to my mind right now.
Hats off to to the master-performer.
Recently his film "Devasuram" was playing again on TV, and I noticed how the character typically also kept a white handkerchief in hand. And guess what, I found myself uninhibitedly holding one myself after that! Years before when I saw this movie, and noticed the character had his watch tied to his right wrist, it'd peaked my curiosity and I began tying the watch to my right wrist. I must admit I still prefer it to this day, although most work-days it's still on my left hand. This character of Neelakantan, in performance and embodiment, was done really very well by Mohanlal. I'm not sure even he realizes. A masterful, well-developed character!
In another film "Varavelpu", I'd noticed how he kept touching his shirt pocket. This is a very typical, unconscious habit of Indian men, who in days of old when money was short, used to keep some cash in their shirt pocket. It was a way of checking that the money's still there! I'd seen my father and many others doing it unconsciously at various times in the day. And this fit so well with Mohanlal's characters in the film; a man who's insecure, having started a new private bus business recently.
I'd watched "Ravanaprabhu" when I was in the Infosys Mysore Guest House. And I distinctly remember the spring in my step when going for dinner later! The action-oriented character was played with such energy, you couldn't help but grasp a little of it yourself.
Then there was "Aham" where his bearded look, and deep, intense performance made me feel he was dissolving some pain from even deep within himself. I began loving the slightly bearded look in this film and in "Nirnayam", on Mohanlal and even myself, though never really got to learning how best to keep a beard groomed. And couldn't adopt one for myself...
I'm sure there are many other such roles where Lal's personality traits in a film have caught the viewer's attention. Or maybe just the fan's attention. But these are ones that come immediately to my mind right now.
Hats off to to the master-performer.
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