I have not mimicked Achuthanandan: Thilakan

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 24 (IANS) Thespian actor Thilakan, who plays a chief minister in the latest Malayalam film 'Aayudham', said Sunday that he has not mimicked Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan.

'Any mimicking of a real life personality is an insult to the person. All I did was to observe Achuthanandan and I have just copied some of his mannerism,' Thilakan told reporters here.

Directed by politician turned film director M.A. Nishad, political developments in Kerala have been woven in the film in which superstar Suresh Gopi plays with ease the role of a police official named Rishikesh.

Incidentally, the name Rishikesh sounds quite like Rishiraj, the inspector general of police who as a trusted officer of Achuthanandan was instrumental in bulldozing illegal buildings at the picturesque hill station Munnar last year.

'I have certain principles in life and hence I do not insult people. I watched closely the way Achuthanandan conducts his press conference and makes political speeches. All that I did was to polish the mannerism of Achuthanandan. Believe me, I am really happy that I have done a good role,' said Thilakan.

He said Achuthanandan way of speaking was really tough to adapt.

'Even though I do not know him personally, I know him since I was a kid. Achuthanandan is one politician who has really come up from the lowest strata of the society and I do respect him,' said Thilakan.

The film also delves deep into the factional feud of the Communist Party of India-Marxist in Kerala.

'This is my third film, and the previous two were on social subjects. Since I did not want to be branded, it was a conscious decision to do an out and out commercial film,' said Nishad.

The cast includes Bharathy, who became a sensation in Tamil film industry with 'Ammuvagiya Naan'. She enters the Malayalam industry playing the female lead of the movie.

Also in the cast are Karthika, Jagathy, Rajan P. Dev, Bala, Aadhitya, Keerikkadan Jose, Baburaj, Sidheesh, Biju Pappan, Seema, Suvarna, Urmila Unni and Shivaji Guruvayoor.