In his quarter-century career that counts more than one hundred films, playing Iyob in ‘Iyobinte Pusthakam,’ was certainly memorable, said actor-director and producer Lal.
“Amal [Neerad, director] is a fantastic narrator and while listening to his story, I understood the defining traits of Iyob. Generally characters are either good or bad, but Iyob comes with variations in his character. That transition had to be brought out cautiously without any jerky feel,” explained the three-time Kerala state award winner. Lal also received a Special Jury award at the National award level in 2012 for ‘Ozhimuri.’
“Amal knows how to exploit the strength of his actors and he has brought out a powerful image of Iyob,” added Lal, who did not dye his hair for some time to lend Iyob a silver mane.
A Prem Nazir fan, Lal began his journey as a mimicry artist; his joint ventures with director Siddique such as ‘Ramji Rao Speaking,’ ‘Godfather,’ and ‘In Harihar Nagar’ bring a smile even now.
Lal, who has worked in other south Indian languages, is currently shooting an untitled Tamil film directed by Sargunam, where he plays father to the heroine. “Another powerful role,” he says.
Beyond that are two projects with Srinivasan. Next year, he’ll direct a film based on old buddy Siddique’s story. Now that’s something to look forward to.
