M-Town doesn't believe in action films: Babu Antony

Standing tall at six feet three inches, Babu Antony has been the favourite action hero of Malayalam films for almost 30 years. From playing a villain to intimidating dad and sports person, he has played a variety of characters. A choosy actor, he recently made a comeback to M -Town as the lanky, likable volleyball player in Karinkunnam Sixes. In conversation with the actor:
It's after a long time that M-Town got to see you in a film'
Yes, I have been selective about my projects for the past several years.As for Karinkunnam' its director Deepu Karunakaran approached me first for a guest appearance. My character Douglas was supposed to come in towards the climax. He is an international player who has been jailed and who tries to escape by scaling the tall prison walls. But I told Deepu that I'm not interested in doing a cameo, as I feel that's not what the audience would like to see me in. He said he definitely wants me to be part of the project, and 10 days later, gave me a call after reworking the script and making Douglas a major character.
Tell us your experience as Douglas
I enjoyed every bit of it, being a volleyball player myself, who has played the game at college level. In the film, Douglas is part of the prison volleyball team but isn't able to play in the final game as he leaves the prison just before that. However, the initial plan was to make him come back in the final game. While that would have been a mass scene, the director later decided to go for a class scene and focus on the emotions, instead. And I am a director's actor, so decided to go with it.
How was it working with Manju Warrier?
She was quite appreciative of my performance and we had a great professional chemistry. Due to my volleyball background, she used to ask me for suggestions and I used to help out whenever possible.
What keeps you busy in the US?
I teach mixed martial arts and I am having a gala time running a school dedicated to it. My school also has off shoots in Bahrain and Dubai. I also travel to give classes. Martial arts have always been a major part of my life. I still practice for two hours, at least three or four days a week. Teaching the art form takes a lot of energy, but I love it.
I have been watching diet for so long that I can't over eat. I eat everything, normally. I have never taken supplements or steroids in my life and the only luxury I allow myself is tea.
So are your kids too into it?
My younger son Alex, who is six years old, is a regular at my martial arts school. Eleven-year-old Arthur is at a place where doing anything dad does is uncool, but I'm sure he will come around (smiles).
What do you have to say about action films of our industry?
We don't make many good action films, and there are also not many good actors who can pull off such roles with 'lan, in our industry. If they don't know the techniques right, the production of such a movie will be expensive. A jump kick alone can cost a lot, if you don't know how to do it, by bringing in props like ropes and cranes. Shooting a scene alone can take an hour or two. It becomes a time consuming process, and time is money.
I do miss the time when I used to do action films. Here, there is a kind of mindset in which they don't really believe in home-made action films, though we have a big section of the Malayali audience who await this genre of films from Tamil and Telugu.
You have also spoken out often about how Mollywood is controlled by just a few people'
When I emerged as a hero, there were times I had continuous hits in Malayalam. I also tasted success as a supporting actor in other languages. But there was a collective effort from a group in the Malayalam film industry to flush me out, which affected my career. About 20 projects got cancelled and it was a huge loss to many in the industry. This has been my experience and I feel, talking out about it is the right thing to do. I survived only because of the audience and some genuine filmmakers.
It's been 30 years since you came into the industry'
Yes, the journey has been long, and good. I have no regrets, I could do a variety of movies. At some point I had to withdraw a bit because of certain issues in my personal life, otherwise I am happy. I cherish all the roles I have done and working with directors like Bharathan.
Tell us about your upcoming films
I will be part of a movie titled Zachariya Pothen Jeevichiruppundu, which has an interesting story with a good character for me. I can't reveal much at this stage, though.