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| Dileep went on a strict diet and even pierced his ears to portray Mohini. |
From the "
Deccan Chronicle":
(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:
"
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!
This story from "Gay Star News" says it all! A documentary about drag queens in Southwestern China is premiering in Amsterdam soon:
