Yes, my travels through the Kerala landscapes was fast and furious as I moved with my team from one location to the other and from one hillside to the top of another valley. We maintained our shooting schedule for 8 days non-stop. But there was one thread in our conversations that stood out and that was about the Malayalam Film Industry that I aptly call Mollywood. We discussed the legendary acting skills of Mohanlal and Mammootty. “He was amazing in Company. Mohanlal plays the commissioner of police and there is this dialogue he says to Vivek Oberoi, yeh saab terry dande ki jaat hei.”
Even our locations at the falls were filmy. Many Bollywood movies had been shot under the majesty of the Athirappally Falls. Movies like Asoka, Raavan and even Dil Se. It was the favourite place for many directors of the south. Even in the sphere of music, Kerala has many firsts like A.R. Rahman and Ilaiyaraaja. The great character actor K.K. Menon is also from Kerala. Films are huge in this part of the world and they have their own stars and local movie celebrities. Kerala film industry is the fourth largest in India and has more than 1100 single screen cinemas. So it has mass reach into its hinterland. Even the big hit Vinod Khanna film called Dayavan was a remake of a famous Malayalam film with Kamal Haasan in the lead.
The spices, the ocean and the boats along with the film and music make this place a great vacation. Not to mention the variety of aroma, oil and massage therapies that one can get into to relax the body. I love Kerala for its fish, its mutton cutlets and its greenery. Not to mention, I also enjoyed some Kerala rains as we trekked up hills and through falls to get the perfect location to shoot for our videos.
We even witnessed a live song sequence being shot at the falls. It was Mollywood all the way.