Mammootty looks forward to first film production

After a very productive 2010 with four hit films and a best actor award, Malayalam superstar Mammootty will in March this year launch the first film under his production house -- a sequel to his 1990 acclaimed film "Mathilukal". The new year will also see his hospital project taking shape.

His production house Playhouse will formally enter the business of filmmaking with "Mathilukalkkappuram", sequel to Adoor Gopalakrishnan's celebrated film that won him one of his three National Awards.

"The year gone by has been a great one and thanks to god for that. My first production will be launched on March 1 and it would be an extension of the film 'Mathilukal'," Mammootty told IANS over phone from Puducherry where he is shooting new movie "The Doubles".

"Besides me, it would have Nayantara in the lead role and Ravi K. Chandran would wield the camera while Resul Pookutty would handle the sound," the actor-producer said.

Mammootty, who has acted in more than 300 films in the past three decades, said he has quite a few projects lined up for the coming year as well.

"Success brings more responsibility and looking into the projects lined up for the present year, it appears there are quite a number of films that are interesting and challenging. I wish and hope everything goes off well," he said.

Apart from the film world, he is also upbeat about a boutique hospital in Bangalore of which he is the patron. But Mammootty prefers not talking about the business venture, which is to be inaugurated Jan 12.

"See, I am not even a director in the hospital project in Bangalore, which has been named 'Motherhood'. This is owned by my son, daughter-in-law and two other NRI investors. My role is that of a patron and we have planned this to be a chain of Motherhood boutique hospitals across the country in the near future," said Mammootty, who is in his 50s.