Vidya Balan says none of the Hindi stars would be able to play a gay man like Mammootty did in 'Kaathal'

Vidya Balan says none of the Hindi stars would be able to play a gay man like Mammootty did in ‘Kaathal’

Vidya Balan expressed her belief that leading stars would be unlikely to portray a gay character akin to Malayalam actor Mammootty’s role in Jeo Baby’s film ‘Kaathal: The Core’. The actress elaborated on why she deemed such a portrayal quite impossible in the current Bollywood landscape.

The actress said on Unfiltered with Samdish that they have to accept that it’s a more literate audience in Kerala. She stated, “We have to accept that it’s a more literate audience in Kerala. That’s a big difference. The texture of the lowest common denominator is very different in Kerala. I’m not taking away from him (Mammootty) that he did. But maybe it’s a bit easier there. It is a reflection of his society. I think they’d be more open to something like this. And they revere their actors like anything in the South. They worship them, especially the male superstars. So it’s that much more creditable that he went ahead and did it. He didn’t think it’d be a reflection on my machismo. He’s a much more secure actor.”

Vidya Balan revealed that after watching ‘Kaathal: The Core’, she reached out to Dulquer Salmaan to pass on her compliments to his father, the superstar Mammootty. “For the biggest superstar of Malayalam cinema to not only act in it, but also produce it, I don’t think there’s a bigger show of acceptance or support to the community, and then opening others’ minds to the same. Unfortunately, I don’t think any of our Hindi stars would be able to do a film like Kaathal,” added Vidya.

‘Kaathal: The Core’, directed by Jeo Baby, known for “The Great Indian Kitchen,” is significant as it marks the first collaboration between Mammootty and Jyothika. In the film, they portray a married couple, with Jyothika’s character seeking a divorce due to her husband’s homosexuality.

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