Today we continue our series of episodes on star kids. We’re looking at nepotism, power structures, and connections (family or otherwise) in the Malayalam film industry, this time with Malayalam cinema’s most conventional star kids: Dulquer Salmaan, Pranav Mohanlal, and Fahadh Faasil. A reminder that, as always, there are spoilers! Please do check out the films we talk about before you listen!
Episode 8 Highlights:
[00:00:36] Spring season
[00:00:54] Canadian flag colour tulips
[00:02:08] Malayalam cinema’s most conventional starkids – Dulquer Salmaan, Pranav Mohanlal, Fahadh Faasil
[00:04:46] Srinath Rajendran, the debut director of Second Show
[00:05:47] Mammootty’s distance from Dulquer’s career
[00:07:27] The role of fan clubs in an actor’s success
[00:10:17] Second Show as a savvy debut for Dulquer.
[00:12:47] Usthad Hotel is a more conventional debut film.
[00:13:52] The two kinds of DQ characters – spoilt rich kid and darker roles – in his early choices.
[00:16:03] He doesn’t have a darker image compared to Fahadh despite doing a lot of dark roles. (Somehow edited out that Fahadh was originally supposed to be the lead in Theevram. Oops!)
[00:16:58] Could he had done Shine Tom Chacko’s role in Love?
[00:19:30] Dulquer cannot play rural, rooted roles in the same vein as Fahadh.
[00:20:12] Mammootty isn’t as popular in rooted roles either despite being from a farming family.
[00:20:53] Mohanlal and Mammotty’s different appeals as actors.
[00:23:05] Academic article about representations of masculinity.
[00:24:00] Can Dulquer Salmaan do different regional Malayalam accents?
[00:25:00] Fahadh Faasil and his family.
[00:25:41] Fazil’s movies get remade a lot in Hindi.
[00:26:21] Aniyathipravu led to Fahadh’s debut.
[00:26:58] Trying to follow Kunchacko Boban’s lead in romantic films.
[00:27:20] The styling and artistic choices of Kaiyethum Doorath is actually Fazil’s fault.
[00:29:40] Fahadh’s career after a stint in America and he felt he had to earn the audience’s trust.
[00:30:53] The small roles Fahadh got attention in – Mrityunjayam, Pramani, Tournament.
[00:34:34] The template of the Fahadh Faazil roles set in Chaappa Kurishu.
[00:35:24] Katherine did not like 22 Female Kottayam.
[00:36:35] Harsha became a FaFa fan with Oru Indian Pranayakatha.
[00:37:16] The first time Katherine saw a theater crowd cheering for someone other than the Big Ms is Fahadh in Bangalore Days.
[00:38:59] The Bangalore Days phenomenon Harsha experienced in India.
[00:39:53] Katherine points out that Nivin’s opening dialogue in Bangalore Days is an allusion to Amitabh Bachchan in Amar Akbar Anthony.
[00:40:53] Fahadh Faasil in the pandemic streaming era.
[00:42:00] Trance is Katherine’s favourite Fahadh film.
[00:42:46] Maheshinte Prathikaaram is Harsha’s favourite Fahadh film.
[00:43:34] FaFa is a graceful supporting actor.
[00:43:49] He transforms in every role and his physicality can be a surprise.
[00:45:37] Fahadh’s career took a dip after his marriage to the beloved Nazriya Nazim.
[00:47:07] Nazriya Nazim was in Pramani too.
[00:47:50] Harsha speculates wildly about Nazriya and Fahadh’s relationship.
[00:48:39] Nazriya is back now working in films and Fahadh is probably relieved.
[00:49:04] Pranav Mohanlal is our last entry in this episode.
[00:49:24] When did Katherine first hear of Pranav?
[00:50:06] Pranav also has a famous Tamil film lineage from his mother.
[00:50:53] Does Pranav know he has the option to not do films?
[00:51:18] The online hype about Pranav even before he debuted.
[00:52:15] Pranav Mohanlal is good looking and has a lot of rich kid hobbies.
[00:53:06] ADing for Jeethu Joseph.
[00:53:32] Pranav had a relatively late debut.
[00:54:26] Mohanlal overwhelms Pranav’s debut and career thus far.
[00:55:53] Pranav is good at parkour!
[00:56:41] He has resting crying face.
[00:57:45] Pranav as the Abhishek Bachchan for Malayalam cinema.
[00:57:53] How can he separate himself from his father?
[00:59:38] This was recorded before Hridayam came out. Harsha is not excited about it.
[01:00:21] Katherine is skeptical about Pranav’s ability to do romance.
[01:01:07] Vidyut Jammwal detour by Harsha.
[01:02:03] Pranav could make a space for Hong Kong-style action movies in the bigger Indian cinema industry.
[01:03:30] Can Pranav be bothered to find his niche?
[01:06:24] Reviewing our next episode about Keerthy, Kalyani and Kalidasan.
Article: Malayali young men and their movie heroes
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