Paternal bliss for Biju Menon

The film directed by Khalid Rahman has an impressive cast that includes Renji Panicker and Soubin, the rising star in effortless comedy with his own individuality.

Biju Menon starts 2016 on a great note. After claiming solo hero success in 2015 with Salt Mango Tree, and regaling audiences with his deadpan humour in Madhura Naranga and Anarkali, the bankable actor is playing the role of a doting father in Anuraga Karikkin Vellam.
But then, he is not going to play the father of a child artiste; his son's role is taken on by Asif Ali, the young hero. The film directed by Khalid Rahman has an impressive cast that includes Renji Panicker and Soubin, the rising star in effortless comedy with his own individuality. If the movie is a comic caper, Biju has bigger plans for the year. He has just started shooting for Leela: The Never Ending Play, scripted by R Unni and directed by Renjith. The film, which had seen several actors being sought out to play the lead, is set to be a milestone in Biju's career.
Leela will also be a great opportunity for Renjith to get back to connecting with his loyal audiences - people who have been missing the director's true stamp of brilliance. With the superb success of Charlie, R Unni's credentials as a screen-writer are also on a high. The film is about the relationship between a mahout called Kuttiyappan, played by Biju, and an orphan girl Leela. It traverses many geographies and has several sub-texts that transcend the ordinary.

• South Stars