Popular Mollywood actor Mamitha Baiju, who is basking in the success of her recent movie Premalu, spoke about her experience of working with Kollywood director Bala for Vanangaan.
Although Mamitha Baiju had signed up to play the female lead in Vanangaan, she quit the project later, say media reports.
In an interview clip that has now gone viral, the actor recalled that Bala used to beat her and scold her during the shooting.
"There is something called Villadichampaatu (also known as Villu Paatu, this is a musical-story telling art form) in the movie. So I asked the director if my character had been doing this for a long time or trying it for the first time. The director told me this is something that the character is well-versed in."
Mamitha Baiju said Bala then pointed to a woman (a Villadichampaatu artiste) and asked her to observe her. "He immediately told me to start the shoot. I wasn't exactly ready. I had no idea what they were singing. I learned to do it in three takes. I was repeatedly rebuked by the director during the shoot."
She said the director had warned her that he would be scolding her during the takes, but she shouldn't be taking those seriously. "He used to beat me from behind," the actor revealed.
When asked how her co-actor Suriya reacted to this, she said Suriya was familiar with Bala's style of functioning as they have worked with each other previously.