Amitabh Bachchan was forced to speak a few lines in Malayalam for the film Kandahar, which stars Mohanlal too, says a media report.
Bachchan had gone to Ooty to shoot for a guest appearance role.
The film has him playing a North Indian who marries a Malayali woman. Hence, Bachchan was not required to speak a word in Malayalam.
The only reason why he agreed to be part of a Malayalam film was because he was supposed to play a North Indian character and was not expected to speak the language. But the director of the film, Major Ravi had different plans.
On reaching Ooty, director Major Ravi informed Bachchan that he would have to speak Malayalam in the film, even though the script had no such specifications.
Always wary of acting in regional films, Bachchan protested the director's decision, but not for too long though. He recalled speaking one line in Kannada when he made an appearance in a film called Amrithdhare, in which he played himself.
But the lapse into memory was temporary.
Back from his shooting scehule in Ooty, Bachchan says, “ This film was different. I play a North Indian man married to a Malayali woman. So, speaking a bit of the language was natural for the character. Malayalam is a tough language for me. But I managed.”
The only respite for Bachchan was, it seems, shooting with Mohanlal, an actor he admires tremendously.
The two actors bonded over Utthapams and steaming cups of coffee. Bachchan adds, “Earlier, I did Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag with Mohanlal. But this time I got to know him better. He's a humble, multifaceted human being.”
Big B seems very impressed by Mohanlal. “Mohanlal is a singer, stage and theatre performer and philanthropist. He also holds a colonel's rank in the army,” he says.
