Hard to believe, but there are people in the world who have never heard of Mammootty. Caroline Bech, a Dutch stage actress, was one of them — until she landed the lead in this weekend’s Malayalam film, Salam Bappu’s Maanglish. In it, Mammootty plays a fish auctioneer, Malik Bai, from Mattanchery harbour in Kochi. Bech plays an English tourist, Michelle. Bappu’s second film, produced by Haneef Mohammad and scripted by K.P. Riyas, “is a fun film with humour,” promises the director. tabloid! caught up with the graduate of the UK’s East 15 Acting School to hear about her Indian experience.
Q: How did this role happen?
A: Musthafa Mohammad, a Dutch-Indian producer who lives in Holland, but is originally from Kerala, approached me with this role. I had worked with him before on a television commercial, which was seen by Salam Bappu. I really didn’t know what to expect. I had never been to India before and never heard of Kerala, Mammootty or the Malayalam film industry. But I’ve always been attracted to the unknown, getting to know new countries and cultures and challenge myself. I felt it would be an interesting experience as an actress to work in a different environment. I did some research and was impressed by Bappu’s previous film Red Wine. I also learnt that Mammootty is one of the most experienced and talented actors in India. Here was an opportunity to work with brilliant people and grow as an actress.
Q: Tell us about your character.
A: I play Michelle, an Englishwoman who visits India for the first time. She explores Kerala with her boyfriend, but soon she gets into trouble, and her boyfriend leaves her. She could have decided to take the first plane back to England, but she doesn’t and tries to overcome her problems. Michelle is a passionate and strong character, who makes mistakes but doesn’t give up. She meets Malik Bhai (played by Mammookka) who tries to help her, but the cultural differences and language barrier come in the way. Just like me, she comes from a different culture, which doesn’t always make it easy for her. It was not very difficult for me to relate to her, because my situation was quite similar. I did not know Malayalam and on the sets, not many spoke English. I believe that in acting, it is mostly about working together and developing an imaginary life. I was lucky that Mammookka was willing to help me just like Malik Bhai did for Michelle.
