Vidya Balan says none of the Khans will play a gay man like Mammootty in Kaathal: ‘It’s quite impossible to do it here'

9 days ago | 17 Views

Vidya Balan is of the opinion that no leading star of Bollywood – particularly, any of the Khans – will play a gay man, like Malayalam superstar Mammootty did in Jeo Baby's Kaathal: The Core last year. On the podcast Unfiltered with Samdish, Vidya explained why it's “quite impossible” for that to happen.

What Vidya said

“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,” said Vidya.

Vidya said when she watched Kaathal: The Core, she messaged Dulquer Salmaan to convey her compliments to his superstar-father. “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.

She did, however, say that she's hopeful of the new generation to break that notion. She took Ayushmann Khurrana's example, who played a gay man in Hitesh Kewalya's 2020 romantic comedy Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan.

About Kaathal: The Core

Directed by Jeo Baby of The Great Indian Kitchen fame, Kaathal: The Core marks Mammootty and Jyothika’s first film together. They play a married couple, where Jyothika's character asks for a divorce on the grounds that her husband is gay.

Penned by Adarsh Sukumaran and Paulson Skaria, the film was produced by Mammootty Kampany and distributed by Dulquer Salmaan’s Wayfarer Films. The movie also features actors Joji John, Jisshu Sengupta, Muthumani, Chinnu Chandni and Sudhi Kozhikodein key roles.