HE may be a prominent figure in Malayalam cinema playing leading roles in over 200 films over the past 23 years, but Siddique would like you to know that he has remained down-to-earth, has avoided the trappings of stardom and has remained true to his values — even on screen.
“I am proud to say that I have never been part of ugly movies and will never be,” said the Malayalee star who began in light comedy films but has since become a more powerful character actor. “A good film is the one that can be shown to everybody. If a producer is determined to not barter his dignity and values for money, he will not make degrading films that arouse base feelings.”
Some of Siddique's impressive performances come in films such as “In Harihar Nagar,” “Mimics Parade,” “Nandanam,” and “Sathyameva Jayathe.” His 1991 film “Godfather” — loosely based on Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet" — was one of the longest-running films in Kerala. His latest film “2 Harihar Nagar” (the sequel to “In Harihar Nagar”), which features Indian starlet Lakshmi Rai as the lead heroine, revolves around the never-abandoned mischievous behavior of the four heroes even after married life in the fictional south Indian town of Harihar Nagar.
Siddique was in Jeddah recently on a promotional appearance at the inauguration of Al-Noor Medical Center, where he also took the opportunity to perform Umrah. The Malayalam actor took time from his busy schedule to speak to Arab News about his life inside and outside of the limelight. The actor emphasizes the positive role that movies can have as a medium of entertainment.
Movies, he said, don’t need to celebrate violence, voyeurism or prurience to be entertaining. His films stick to the time-honored tradition of virtue over vice.
“But some producers include ugly scenes that arouse base feelings of people thinking that it would make their films more crowd-pulling, but they are wrong. Films can play a big role in disseminating the values of truth, justice and morality,” he said.
Siddique said that education plays a role in addressing the moral deficiencies of societies. He points out that family-friendly movies have by definition two advantages: more people can watch the films and the films gain valuable reputation among the audience seeking family entertainment.
“Such movies will only have the highest success rate in terms of revenues and reputation,” he said.
Keralites have more discerning tastes when it comes to films, he added. “We can see 500 Hindi films made of 10 stories, but Keralites want a new story in every film.”
Speaking about the challenges facing the industry, Siddique said media piracy is a major issue. “Pirated CDs are the main problem, because people produce such CDs within a week after the release of a film, thus affecting revenues at theaters,” he said. “We are trying to overcome this problem by applying new technologies and techniques to prevent taking copies and enhance impact of watching films at theater.”
Siddique has made remarkable progress in his profession but was humble to say he was still learning.
“I have not yet achieved total satisfaction,” he said when asked which was the film that made him fully happy for playing his role in the best form. “That film has yet to come, because I am still learning and making observations to reach perfection.”
When asked about his compatriots in the Kingdom, Siddique said he had a feeling that guest workers in Saudi Arabia were enjoying more peace of mind than their counterparts in other Gulf countries. In the UAE, he pointed out that many foreign residents have lost big on real estate investments.
“Saudi Arabia is more mature compared to other Gulf countries,” said Siddique who worked in Riyadh from 1981 to ྐ before turning to the film industry.
“Many expatriates in other Gulf states are fearful about their future, especially because of job insecurity and the global economic recession. But I have never heard people in Saudi Arabia express such fears. People in the Kingdom are modest in living and spending, and they don't boast about their cars and other living facilities.”
The Malayalee film star ridiculed those who compete with one another in constructing the world’s tallest building or the tallest flag post, in order to boast before others.
“We don’t see such ridiculous behavior in aristocratic countries like Britain. I am delighted to see that Saudi Arabia has maintained its aristocratic culture and stature in this respect. As a result people here enjoy greater peace and happiness.”
During his brief visit to the Kingdom, Siddique visited the Grand Mosque in Makkah twice, including once to perform Umrah.
“It was an unforgettable experience. I have never thought that the visit to the Grand Mosque would have such a tremendous impact on my mind. I have never felt such a peace of mind in my life. My friend Abdul Aziz V.K. told me that I could ask God anything from this place. But I could not ask anything. I just thanked Him for his immense bounties, which he gave me without asking. When I was at the Haram I forgot everything, even my family. I knew that the world is nothing and that we are all living here with the support of a superpower, the Almighty God. I usually avoid crowds, but in the Haram I was moving with huge crowds with total peace of mind.”
