The guffaw shook his whole frame as the talk took us to interesting situations that a Muslim artiste faces during the month of fasting. “Acting in feast scenes is the biggest challenge during fast days. You roll a huge ball of boiled rice mixed with a range of curries and bring it close to your open mouth before the director cuts that scene. The next one is a close-up of facial expressions reflecting the whole gamut of taste. They make you do that again and again as you chew and relish an imaginary menu. And burping on an empty stomach is the most difficult scene to act…” the last words were barely audible as they were mercilessly engulfed in another wave of laughter that filled the room and the minds of his friends who sat listening like kids around a storyteller.
“At times, there are numerous retakes. And each time you fill your hands with rice, it is a tussle between mind and body. I don’t think anyone other than Muslim actors faces this interesting dilemma. Isn’t that so?’’ he asked Mammootty, as he fought another bout of laughter. “True, very true,” said Mammootty to those of us who had gone to his room to invite the star to inaugurate an Express event.
It all began when Mammootty said he wanted to be excused for five minutes during the inaugural to break his fast. Haneefa took this simple everyday situation to knit some memorable moments for us.
“Then there are situations where you don the role of a Christian farmer or a Hindu vendor. At Magrib, you proceed to break your fast in the same attire. Isn’t that a perfect photo-op for a poster on secularism?’’ he asked even as he rewound and replayed many such instances for us.
During the month of Ramzan, the support crew is always ready with dates and tender coconut water. That is the normal practice. Everyone on the set joins in and shares the dates. “The pre-Ramzan schedules are real hectic as work on the finishing touches is on to ensure that the movie is released on the eve of the festival day. But I do enjoy playing the role of a glutton. And little does the audience realise that this poor man is running on an empty stomach to give them some light moments,” he gestured adieu as the words faded into the echoes of another roar of laughter that scares a lingering ribbon of cigarette smoke. “There are more stories to tell, but later,” Haneefa said as he walked up to the door with Mammootty to see us off. That broad grin flashed once more before the heavy door closed between us. Forever, as it happens, for we never met after that.
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