Movie goers in Malayalam is different from other language audience: Honey Rose | Interview (2024)

Honey Rose, who made her film debut with Vinayan's 'Boyy Friennd' in 2005, is stepping into a new milestone in her career by playing the title role in Abrid Shine's latest film, 'Rachel'. The teaser of the film, released recently, has sparked significant interest.

In a candid interview with Mathrubhumi, Honey discusses her role in the film and addresses the social media trolls.

Playing the lead role in 'Rachel'

I am delighted to play the title role for the first time. ‘Rachel’ is a good movie with a good character. The film has a great team behind her. The story is written by Rahul Manappattu and directed by debutant Anandhini Bala. ‘Rachel’ will be a terribly refined raw film. And when you look at Abrid Shine movies, you can see something special. Similarly, the movie will be a very realistic audience pleaser.

As you can see from the poster of the film, Rachel is not a character that I have any connection with. Unlike the characters that I have done before, this is my first time in such a costume. It's a new character for me anyway. The response from the audience is also very positive.

18 years of film journey

Eighteen years is a very long time. A lot of changes have happened to me as a person and as an actor. I entered the cinema at a very young age. I did my first film, ‘Boyy Friennd’ when I was studying in ninth grade. Every phase of my growth has been in this industry. I grew up watching the people here. I have not been able to go to college. I have only done distance learning. Therefore, I have only a very few people whom I can call friends. This industry is my world. This journey was not easy. There have been ups and downs. Hard work and hope kept me going.

For me, having hope and desire is a big deal. Cinema is a very competitive field. Staying in the cinema is my only desire. I must prove to myself that I will not leave this industry soon. I am working hard for it. I was hoping that a good opportunity would come knocking soon. There were many people around who said that I would not get opportunities and that my future in cinema was over. This is not just my experience. A hundred thousand people will be around to say and judge in any field. It is up to us to prove that we can do it.

How important was the movie ‘Boyy Friennd’ in your career?

If ‘Boyy Friennd’ had not happened, I still would have reached here through some other film. The movie itself was my desire from a long time ago. It is because of that desire that I came to act in ‘Boyy Friennd’. Dance is something I'm not comfortable with. I have been scolded several times by the dance masters in the first film because of it. I have cried a lot. I still haven't got the hang of dance. But it has improved.

I hail from a very rural household. I just learned some classical dance. But that's not enough for the film industry. One’s body should be very flexible. Hasn't the culture of our Malayalam cinema changed? How many song and dance movies happen here? But this is not the case in Telugu. At least six songs are mandatory for a Telugu film. And it should also be great dance numbers. When I did 'Veera Simha Reddy', I suffered a lot. Having rehearsals and such helped a lot.

Malayalam and foreign language audience

Malayalam and foreign language audiences are very different. Here, there are audiences who see and review the film as very authentic. But the vibe is different in Telugu. Their cinema means celebration. 'Veera Simha Reddy' is a big-budget mass film. And so is the audience's take on it. The reception you get when you go to programs is very huge. After this film, I did several inaugurations there. What I saw there was a kind of 'worship'. There is a big difference between that and the audience here.

Balayya, Mammootty, Mohanlal - legends

Balayya sir is a very simple, hardworking person. His passion for cinema is worth learning from. They have dedicated their lives to cinema. Be it fight or dance, the effort they take is huge. It's not something that we can do, even at this age. He loves to tell us old stories like this. Our characters in the film were also full of trolls. The movie mostly featured mother-son roles. Many other scenes were removed in the final edit. The role of mother was a challenge for me due to the heavy makeup. And the age difference with Balayya sir must also be felt. But it was a great experience.

Similarly, if we talk about Malayalam, it is every actor's wish to act with Mammootty and Mohanlal. I was able to do both. It was also a great experience. Acting with them is a great learning experience. As mentioned earlier, both legends are synonymous with hard work. They have become superstars not only by luck and talent but also by hard work.

Trivandrum Lodge and Dhwani

My career would not be complete without mentioning Trivandrum Lodge. Dhwani Nambiar was my big break. Trivandrum Lodge takes place seven years after my arrival in cinema. Until then, I had nothing to call a hit film. We will be marked only by being part of successful films. Dhwani was a very strong character. The movie was also very successful, widely discussed, and made a big impact. In the sense of a new-generation movie, it brought a lot of change. I am lucky to be a part of it.

The social media trolls

I enjoy all the fun trolls with a similar mindset. The funny comment I saw when Rachel's poster came out was, "I thought it was a butcher's shop inauguration at first"...I've laughed at similar funny trolls. Similarly, a selfie shared by Transport Minister Jack Chambers during my visit to Ireland went viral. No, it should be said that the Malayalis made it viral. I was there for ten days. I saw several comments from Malayalis in the post shared by the Minister. Apart from this, there were good comments.

I have taken all such funny trolls with the same mindset. But when the tone and language change, it affects us. It is up to us to decide whether we want to be affected by it or not. Let the naysayers say what they want, just go ahead with our work. Ten out of a hundred messages will be like this. If only the remaining ninety messages are given importance, the problem is solved. And the interesting thing is that most of those who leave such comments and messages do not have their own identity.