Is Mohanlal's stardom waning amid Dileep-AMMA row? Actor's next film Neerali will be the litmus test

Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, who is the new president of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), the most powerful film body in Kerala, is under fire. After he became president, Mohanlal revoked the suspension of actor Dileep , the accused in the Malayalam actress kidnapping and assault case. This has created widespread backlash against AMMA and the president. The matter is still being fought in courts and AMMA, by reinstating Dileep, clearly seems to be trying to give him a clean chit. Four members of Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), an actress body and a pressure group within AMMA,  resigned from the parent body in protest. Soon political parties and social activists targeted AMMA for its decision to bring back Dileep in haste. Many political parties staged demonstrations outside Mohanlal’s house and his effigy was burnt as they feel an actor of his stature should not have revoked the suspension of  Dileep. [caption id=“attachment_4639341” align=“alignnone” width=“1201”]  Mohanlal and Dileep. Images from News 18.[/caption] After a long silence Mohanlal, who is away in London shooting for a Tamil film with Suriya directed by KV Anand, issued a wishy-washy statement. He says that there was no vested interest in reinstating Dileep and it was part of a democratic process. It was a unanimous decision taken by AMMA, which was not even conveyed to Dileep nor has it been implemented. At the same time Mohanlal’s delayed action-thriller Neerali (Octopus) directed by Ajoy Varma is finally set to hit screens on 12 July. However there has been a series of articles in local media which are highly critical of the stance taken by Mohanlal in the Dileep issue. Political parties that were once trying to cosy up to the star have now distanced themselves from him. Mohanlal’s much-talked-about TV reality show Big Boss Malayalam, which was premiered last month, is getting mixed reports.

Now with this anti-Mohanlal mood in Kerala, will Neerali see a smooth release? Has the larger than life star’s charisma been eroded?

The trade buzz is that Neerali is, after all, a commercial film and Mohanlal is undoubtedly the most popular star in Kerala. The actor has a very strong fan base and he still has the best opening among all the actors in Mollywood. There is a lot riding on the special effects laden Neerali, which is touted to be made at a budget of Rs 15 cr. Mohanlal’s last two releases as the main lead, Velipadinte Pusthakam and Villain, were lukewarm at the box-office. The challenge for the actor now will be that Neerali has to get the opening that one associates with a Mohanlal film, at a time when his off-screen image is at an all time low. Meanwhile, there are strong rumours circulating that claim Mohanlal is trying to talk peace with actors who left AMMA. He has already wooed back Prithviraj, who was seen as a strong supporter of WCC and has not been attending AMMA meetings. Mohanlal plays the hero in Prithviraj-directed Lucifer produced by the AMMA president’s right-hand man Antony Perumbavoor, for which shooting is slated to start on 18 July. Also read:  Dileep's return to AMMA highlights a problematic culture that protects perpetrators of abuse Mohanlal has also been able to keep Manju Warrier, Dileep’s ex-wife and one of the moving spirits behind WCC, silent. Last year in the actress assault case, Manju was the first to say there is a conspiracy behind the attack and was also in the forefront in the formation of WCC. She is now no longer an active member of WCC and there have been rumours that she has quit the organisation. Manju Warrier is staying away from all activities of WCC and is concentrating more on her career. Her last release ironically titled Mohanlal, where she plays a fan of the actor, has not performed well at the box-office. All eyes are on her big budget fantasy thriller Odiyan, directed by Shrikumar Menon, where she is playing heroine to Mohanlal. The grapevine is abuzz that Manju Warrier clearly knows which side of the bread is buttered and it will make better sense as far as her career is considered to distant herself from WCC. The coming days are going to be the most crucial in Mohanlal’s career. He has to salvage AMMA’s reputation, which is in tatters, bring all warring factions back into the fold and at the same time make his next release Neerali a hit at the box-office.