Famous director and cinematographer Shaji N Karun is still in awe about the fabulous acting skills of Mohanlal. It was Shaji N Karun who had directed the film Vanaprastham for which Mohanlal had won the 3rd national award of his career. Shaji N Karun says that Mohanlal’s acting is par excellence and no one in India or may in this whole world can perform like or act like Mohanlal. Specially the performance he had given as Kunju Kuttan, the Kadhakali artist in Vanaprastham was just like a heavenly one.
Shaji N Karun says that the film had showed in the official section of Cann film festival and they had a doubt that with Mohanlal’s big size how can he do justice to the role of a Kadhakali artist..? But Shaji N Karun said that with that physique he had made it look the perfect and no one can better it any more. But after the completion of the show of the film everybody including great film makers, technicians and viewers from all around the world stood up from their seats and applauded that majestic performance of him. Shaji Said that it was the first time in history that a Mollywood actor had got Red Carpet welcome in Cann Film festival and Mohanlal had earned it with his fantabulous performance.
Shaji says that when he was acting in Vanaparastham his commitment was astonishing and at the same time he had a fear in his mind to act Kadhakali in front of great Kadhakali masters like Kalamandalam Gopi, Kalamandalam Keshavan, Kalamandalam Appu Kutti Pothuval etc. But the fact is that they had the same fear that how could they act in front of such a great actor like Mohanlal.
Shaji was 100% confident that Mohanlal can do justice to that role and he believed only Mohanlal can. Because he saw this man’s beyond the world talent while he was cranking the camera for Hariharan’s film Panchagni which had Mohanlal in the lead. Shaji said that Mohanlal’s timing was super when he done that Kadhakali performance in the film and his talent was God given as he had mastered the art of Kadhakali for that film in just 6 months of time which usually take years for a Kadhakali artist.
