Pranav Mohanlal's Peculiar Predicament

Varshangalkku Shesham Underscores Pranav Mohanlal's Peculiar Predicament

'Nepotism' is a tough tag to shake off when you're Pranav Mohanlal, writes Neelima Menon

When Pranav strolls into the frame, his face is half-hidden under a black pakol cap; a blue jacket contrasts with his bright red kurta. Clasping two bottles of alcohol, he casually flicks the cap away to unveil his face, lets out a shout, and proceeds to guzzle down the liquor against the backdrop of a cheering crowd.

Now here’s the catch: At that moment, an entire generation of '80s and '90s kids only sees a younger, adorable version of Mohanlal. For die-hard fans of the legendary superstar, it’s a walk down memory lane, with ‘Tu Badi Masha Allah’ (from His Highness Abdullah) playing in their heads.

So one can safely assume that the staging of Pranav's scene in Varshangalkku Shesham was a clever strategy. Director Vineeth Sreenivasan knows whenever there are hat tips to Pranav's legendary father, the balance will tilt in the son's favour.

It’s a fool-proof plan… till the likeness overstays its welcome. Once the nostalgia tides over, the reality hits the audience: striking similarity alone isn’t a lasting substitute for pure talent. If Abhishek Bachchan’s bane has been his unmistakable resemblance to Amitabh Bachchan, Pranav’s greatest blessing has been his similarity to Mohanlal. (Interestingly when it comes to Dulquer Salmaan, the fact that he looks nothing like his megastar dad Mammootty has been his biggest draw.)

If Abhishek’s talent has often been neglected owing to the universal veneration for his father, in sharp contrast, Pranav’s evident lack of talent has been muffled by the overwhelming love for his father. It’s a baffling theory but there has to be a reason why such a young and reluctant actor already had a fan club association in his name, displayed in the title card of his debut film.

It is of course ancient history now: how the sons of Malayalam cinema's biggest superstars made their debuts. If Dulquer made a quiet entry in an avant-garde action film (Second Show) helmed by a fresh crew, Pranav had a starry launch in Jeetu Joseph’s Aadi. If Mammootty smartly skirted all the conversations around his son, with the deliberate intent of softening the nepotism debate, Mohanlal unabashedly promoted his son’s career.

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Since his debut, Pranav has been part of four films, and they all have been cherry picked for him. If Irupathiyonnam Nootandu was helmed by a director who had just delivered a blockbuster, in Priyadarshan’s Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham (packed with star kids and stalwarts), Pranav played junior Marakkar to Mohanlal’s senior version. And then came Project Hridayam, where it was clear that nepotism had its benefits.

Produced by Vysakh Subramaniam, the scion of one of the oldest production houses in Malayalam cinema, and directed by Vineeth Sreenivasan, the son of actor-writer-director Sreenivasan who previously had several iconic collaborations with Mohanlal, Hridayam was more or less a home banner for Pranav. Not only did Hridayam gross over 50 crores, but Vineeth crafted a character that was tailor-made for the actor.

“I liked certain portions in Aadhi in which his eyes and smile were quite something. Actors are often judged on their last performance, while I try to see if I can extract something new from them. He has a similarity to Mohanlal from the '80s and '90s, whom we all love. This film required a charmer rather than just a good actor. Like Suriya in Vaaranam Aayiram and the lead actor in The Perks of Being a Wallflower... Pranav’s off-screen personality is fascinating. His walk, his nod,” Vineeth had told this writer before the release of Hridayam.

The urban, soft-spoken Arun Neelakandan’s coming-of-age arc was safe in Pranav’s hands, and Vineeth made sure that there weren’t any scenes that required heavy lifting as an actor. Pranav’s dialogue delivery was a grey area, and more than anything else, he lacked raw talent as well as passion. And to think that Pranav had earlier bagged the Kerala State Award for Best Child Artist (Punarjani, 2002). It did seem like the actor was keener on a role behind the camera when he assisted Jeethu Joseph in Papanasam and Life of Josutty (2015), and then his debut was announced.

Two years later when the same team resurfaced with Varshangalkku Shesham, the nepotism nexus had broadened. Vineeth had roped his younger brother, Dhyan Sreenivasan, to play the lead along with Pranav. It has to be noted that though Dhyan made his debut in his brother’s Thira, it took several years for the duo to come together. The film also carried all his regular favourites, including a superb cameo by Nivin Pauly.

The meta film revolved around two friends and was set in '80s Kodambakkam as well as the current Malayalam film industry. Dhyan played aspiring filmmaker Venu; Pranav was a freewheeling, unambitious musician. Unfortunately, their friendship, which seems to be the core of the narrative, fails to inspire, and a lot of it has to do with the poor writing and performances. Despite his best efforts, Pranav isn’t able to add any gravitas to his character (dialogue delivery is flat, for instance) and has simply done an encore of his Hridayam act. He particularly looks lost in the older portions, and so does Dhyan.

But Vineeth has flatly denied that Pranav is a reluctant actor, saying, "I think he is one of the most committed actors I have worked with. You give him scene 52, chart scenes 34 and 46 to read, and then say that you are going to start shooting scene 52, he doesn’t have to look at the paper once, he has it all memorised. He is that thorough. We were literally on the go. Actors might panic. He never panicked. He has a certain kind of sophistication that works with my character.”

To date, Pranav hasn’t appeared in a single interview and continues to dodge even promotional sit-downs, a modern-day necessity that even his father can’t say no to. It goes without saying that a Pranav Mohanlal interview can garner several million views more than even his father’s, online. Yet the young man has remained elusive. It’s a privilege that comes with his legacy. And no one seems to grudge him that.

The fact, however, remains: Pranav Mohanlal's litmus test has only begun.

Stream Aadhi on ZEE5

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