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| Dileep went on a strict diet and even pierced his ears to portray Mohini. |
(Film Star) "Dileep has always strived to widen the borders of creativity by taking up “different” roles. Most often than not, his gambles have paid off too; his roles of a hunchback, transvestite and mentally challenged characters have stayed in people’s minds and got him critical acclaim. His latest one is perhaps the most challenging so far; that of a seductress in the upcoming Mayamohini, which is releasing today."
Film lovers who remember his portrayal of the effeminate character Radha in Chandupottu may assume that the role of a woman would be a cakewalk for Dileep but he asserts that the role of Radha was a huge impediment in playing Mohini. He says, “The first two days of the shoot were the toughest; there was this conflict between the characters of Radha and Mohini.
At one point of time, I even wondered whether it was a mistake to have taken on the role. I had to be careful not to let any trait of Radha creep into Mohini, who is completely female in her mannerisms and figure. Ultimately, Mohini triumphed on the third day!”
The inner transformation was as difficult as the outward one. Roshan who did Dileep’s make-up reveals that Dileep was given an option to use fake eyebrows but the actor decided to pluck his eyebrows and pierce his ears. Ask him about that and he says, “I wanted Mohini to be as natural as possible,” before adding, “Parents are normally present at the ear piercing ceremony of their child but here my daughter was there when my ear was pierced.”
We all know a little about the next part of the process:
"To maintain a flat stomach, Dileep went on a strict diet and ended up losing seven kilos. The shoot which lasted for two months made him miss a couple of good offers but Dileep is unfazed. “The entire film rests on Mohini’s shoulders and I wanted to give my complete attention to the role. This is a part of the experimenting process and I hope people accept this.”
The transformation had its moments of mirth, too! Dileep says he was even pinched on his stomach by someone in the crew who could not stop himself! Acquaintances who came to see Dileep took some time before realising that the ravishing woman standing in front of them was the star himself"
And the fun part:
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His co-stars Biju Menon and Baburaj often told him that they kept falling in love with him. Dileep cheekily remarks that he now knows the pleasure women derive when the people shower their attention on them.
Talking about his family’s reaction, he says, “Manju wanted to know how I got such beautifully plucked eyebrows and even called up the beautician. My daughter was present from the beginning, so she had this ‘been there, seen all “expression.”
Nice!
