Dileep on why Prince and Family worked: ‘Young actors can get away with repeating the same kind of roles but…’

For actor Dileep, the accused in the actress abduction and assault case, a hit has been a long time coming. Though he has had several releases post pandemic including big budget ventures such as Bandra, his latest film Prince and Family is probably the only film that has resonated with the audience.

Prince and Family, which is still running in theatres, is gearing up for its OTT release on ZEE5, available via OTTplay Premium, from June 20.

In an exclusive interview with OTTplay, the actor talks about the reception of the film, which is helmed by Binto Stephen and also has Dhyan Sreenivasan and Johny Antony as part of the cast.

Dileep on Prince and Family’s success

“I am obviously thrilled. When Pavi Caretaker had released, we didn’t get a lot of theatres,” says Dileep. “Plus, there’s a general notion that prevents people from going to theatres to watch my movies anymore. I believe that has changed with this film. More than it being a commercial movie, it also addresses a relevant subject about the influence of social media in our lives. I think that’s what has struck a chord with the audience.”

The actor also says that he believes Prince and Family “worked in theatres purely because of mouth publicity”. “I could see that response in theatre visits,” he adds.

Ask him how much having a fanbase contributes to his film’s success and how it differs from that of relatively younger actors, and Dileep says, “That’s an unfair comparison. It’s like when new cars arrive in the market, you want old cars off the road. That’s often not a plausible solution. Old cars, as long as they are in good condition, will function. Just like that, when veteran actors get good characters in good films, those movies will work. I hope I keep getting those good roles.”

Also read: Prince and Family review: Dileep is back with a hearty family entertainer that tackles a relevant subject 

Dileep on challenges faced by stars such as Mohanlal, Mammootty

Dileep goes on to further explain the challenges actors of his as well as the previous era such as Mohanlal, Mammootty and Suresh Gopi are facing. “I have been working as an actor for the past 30 years and the reason I have been able to stay active is only because of the characters I have done. When young actors perform an iteration of a role they have already played, the audience is willing to accept it, but when we veteran actors do the same thing, they are critical, point out the repetition and ask us to do something new. That’s the challenge we face. At the same time, when there is something interesting that we offer through our movies, the same audience is extremely supportive of that - the success of Prince and Family and Thudarum for Lalettan (Mohanlal) is proof of that,” he says.