Vivek Ranjith about Mohanlal.

"Whoever got me the video cassette of #Chithram at the age of 4 sealed my fate then only. I fell in love with the movie and became a fan of this man who made me laugh and cry just when I had just started knowing what the language called Malayalam is. I learned to read and write Malayalam alphabets looking at his movie posters on newspapers and on roads even before they started teaching Malayalam at school. I went into depression thinking he actually died at the end of #Unnikale_Oru_Kadha_Parayaam and refused to eat food until I was convinced that he was still alive. I wrote fanmails to him while I was just 5 or 6 and even got a reply in the form of an autographed photograph from the sets of #Ulladakkam' thanks to a friend of my father. Started writing stories keeping him in mind along with other comic book and cartoon heroes in my notebooks. Learned his songs by heart. And all this was before even realizing his acting skills. Several years later, I decided that my career had to be in films and the first film I worked on, #Innathe_Chinthavishayam, as an assistant to cinematographer Alagappan Sir had him as the hero. What more could I ask for! I spent 30 days working as well as observing this man in awe and not once I had the courage to go and speak to him. I finally managed that only on my last day on the sets. I heard that 'Mone' vili which the whole industry and people who know him are so fond of, for the first time.

Later I shot for a TV episode of #Melody for Surya TV assisting my granduncle Krishnakumar and could work very closely with him and had a ball listening to the man sing from his heart and putting up a great show for us. Much later, I got a chance to write a screenplay for this movie called #Kili_Poyi, with my best friends, all of us who are die-hard fans of his, the movie had clear influences of him and his films all over. And after joining the industry, I began hearing and knowing much more about the man from people around me which only increased my awe and admiration for him. Friends even make fun saying that I walk with a slanted shoulder, which happens quite unknowingly to me. And now, today on his 53rd birthday, the best way to pay tribute to my all time favorite actor is to shoot an episode of a show I do on TV and talk about one of his all-time best peformances ever - #Iruvar, which would probably come on air this weekend. And yes, hoping that I would get to actually write a film or make a film with him soon. (Athimohamaanennariyaam, but still...) 

PS - Turned out to be quite a long post. Might be a silly fanboy talk too. But ya, felt good to type it all out.

By: Vivek Ranjith (Screenplay Writer)