New Delhi: The code to make an exuberant comic entertainer is not easy to crack. But for the duo of Rafi and Mecartin, making a comic drama is not something they sweat over. In fact, it's a challenge that they are always eager to take up. The writers-turned-directors are coming up with a new movie this year, their third flick with Mohanlal.
"Our next directorial venture will have Mohanlal playing the lead role, the shooting of which will commence this year end. It will be a comic entertainer like our previous ones," says Mecartin.
Meanwhile, the shooting of 'Mumbai Dosth', scripted by Rafi and Mecartin with Prithviraj and Jayasurya playing the protagonists will start by May first week. "'Mumbai Dosth' is directed by debutante Fazal. The movie is like a travelogue that will unfold in a funny manner. Hyderabad and Kochi are the main locations where the shooting will take place," he says adding that both these movies will have quipster numbers to tickle the funny bone of the new gen viewers.
How would they define this new-gen audience?
"See, Malayalam cinema is in a transformational phase. The new gen viewers, especially those under 20 have a very different taste on comedy. Mere slapstick situations or idiotic behaviour of the characters will not make them laugh. Here the greatest challenge for the scriptwriters is to get updated themselves with the change in the flavour of the viewer," Mecartin adds.
He also points at the change in the concept of love over the last ten years. "If you recall successful comedies and romantic movies like 'Ramji Rao Speaking' and 'Aniyathipravu', that were some of the most profitable films of all times, the comic elements and love track was always there. But it was never loud. Situational comedy and silent love were the key features of such movies. Now, in this cell phone era, even love has turned noisier. Cell phones play a crucial role in maintaining the bond between the lovers. Likewise is the role of social networking sites like Facebook, where even close friends say hi, sitting next to each other," he adds.
Even while being cued into the taste of the younger generation, the duo has no plans of diverting too much from their trademark style. "Nobody is expecting an experimental genre from our team. So we are not planning to move away from our way of story-telling. Our prime focus will be to keep the viewers engaged, and we need to make quality work," Mecartin adds.
Increasingly, the Malayalam film industry is learning not to look down upon these entertainers, as they realise this is where the moolah lies.
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