‘Ente Mezhuthiri Athazhangal' is my best work: Anoop Menon

Anoop Menon's new movie Ente Mezhuthiri Athazhangal has him donning the writer's cap once again after a gap of four years. The romantic drama stars him along with Miya George, Dileesh Pothan, Alencier Ley, Lal Jose, Baiju and others.

On whether the movie is an old-school romance, he says, "When it comes to romance, there is no such thing as vintage or contemporary; the emotion is the same. The treatment, however, can be different. Something like Student of the Year can exist in the same space as Cheeni Kum or Black. My scripts Beautiful and Trivandrum Lodge were a step ahead of time. So, I won't do a regressive film tantamounting to a stale romance (laughs). Mezhuthiri will have some contemporary elements which will appeal to the sensibilities of the current generation. "

In Beautiful and Trivandrum Lodge, the actor had paid homage to director Padmarajan. A similar homage won't show up in Mezhuthiri, confirms Anoop. "The films of Padmarajan, Priyadarshan, and Kamal made a strong impact on me in my formative years. I saw Padmarajan's Thoovanathumbikal when I was in the sixth grade. Similarly, Priyadarshan's Thalavattam and Kamal's Ulladakkam have influenced me a lot. For me, these directors come before a David Lean or a James Cameron. So naturally, you feel inclined to honour them in your work."

Some of Anoop's scripts have characters belonging to two categories -- one embracing old values and the other embracing new. "This dichotomy is ubiquitous. There are two sides to every person. We may listen to Justin Bieber or Adele, but we stop for a Mohammed Rafi song or get romantic over a Yesudas song. So we have to maintain that beautiful balance."

Anoop believes that anyone who likes the romance genre will find Mezhuthiri to their liking. "I believe it's the best film I've made. It's a strictly personal opinion; others may disagree with it. So far the response from the previews have been very positive."

Mezhuthiri is directed by Sooraj Thomas and produced by Noble Jose under the banner of 999 Entertainments.The film will be hitting theatres this Friday.

Aside from this film, Anoop will be also seen in an extended cameo as a paranormal investigator in the upcoming supernatural thriller, Neeli, starring Mamta Mohandas.