Yes, Mammootty is scared of the language and tries to avoid it all costs, and speaks in a unique Cochin accent! No… not in real life, of course – in his new movie Manglish, directed by Salam Bappu and costarring the lovely Dutch actress Caroline Bech.
Bappu cleared up a misguided rumor that has been spreading through the media suggesting that Mammootty’s character speaks in broken English in the movie and that’s the comic fodder. Apparently, when his character, a whole sale fish merchant meets the foreign tourist played by Bech and a friendship forms between the unlikely pair, the inevitable miscommunication because of the language barrier becomes the theme of the hilarity that ensues.
Caroline, whose first time this is in Kerala, got familiar with the land and its movie via the internet beforehand and is admittedly now a fan of her multiple national awards winner and much respected costar.
“It was after watching his movie Ambedkar that I made up my mind to join this project,” she added. So far, the actress is not regretting her decision and is in fact, growing to love the culture and the cuisine in Kochi, where she has been filming.
Mammootty himself seems to be relaxed and enjoying the shoot, and as though to prove it, the passionate foodie cooked his signature mutton biriyani for the whole cast and crew last month at the location… and served it himself!
Interestingly, according to sources, Caroline is not paired opposite the megastar in the flick but rather ‘with’ him. Looks like Manglish might be an ‘original’ entertainer after all…