The Omani actor from Aadujeevitham, Dr Talib Al Balushi has become a star among the Malayali population across the globe. Everyone who went for the Blessy directorial masterpiece is curious to know more about the Omani actor. Expatriates in Gulf took it upon themselves to let the star know how well he is appreciated for his performance in the survival thriller.
During an Iftar gathering at Oman arranged by Metropolitan Ernakulam Oman Chapter at Ruwi commercial hub in Muscut, for the members of the committee, Dr Balushi was the chief guest. The host of the show let Dr Balushi know that Malayalis cherish their celebrities, and they now see him as one among their industry. When the host asked Dr Balushi to share his experience while shooting for the film, he started to narrate from the very beginning. How he met Blessy and bagged the role. He said it was a good chance for him to be a part of Aadujeevitham.
Balushi said his dream was to move out of his geographical border and work in international films. He said working in Zayana was a good chance for him. Zayana was an Indian-Omani production, and was the first Malayalam film of the Omani star.
Balushi said, Blessy, the maker of Aadujeevitham, is not only a god blessed person, but also a “perfect human” in the world.
When Blessy offered him the role, the Omani actor said it was his pleasure. He added that he had no idea who Prithviraj was back then, but was following some Malayalam films. He added that in Gulf regions, the most watched Indian films are usually from Bollywood. He said he know all the actors from Bollywood, like Darmendra, Hema Malini, Amitabh Bachchan and Amjad Khan from the movie Sholay.
The “Kafeel” in Najeeb’s life said that he hopes the film will be released in Oman after Eid. He said it was a good chance for him that he got to work with Prithviraj, a big name in the Malayalam film industry.
Dr Talib Al Balushi shed some light into the strive behind the making of the film. He shared how Blessy started working on the script for 16 years, and how everyone else started to work for the film from 2018, and he started to work from 2019, got stuck during the Corona pandemic, and resumed the shooting again in 2021.
Dr Balushi shared his experience from watching the film from Kerala the day it hit theatres. He recalled about a woman from behind his seat in theatre grumping as his character appear on screen during the climax. “She said, “oh god he returned back”, because she was feeling very sad about me beating Prithviraj in the film”, said Balushi. The Omani star said he turned back and looked at the woman and said “don’t worry, I am right beside you, not very far”.
Dr Balushi further said that he was “surprised” to see the huge media presence outside the theatre and following the film release. He said it was the first time he saw media waiting to take interviews, as such things does not happen in his country. He said they do make big and short films, and he have been acting since 1974, but never witnessed such scenario. Dr Balushi said there is good chance that he could do more films in the industry. The actor then added to the audience that after watching the film, “don’t hate me please. I am a good man”, invoking laughter among the audience of the gathering. Dr Balushi once again said that Blessy is a really “blessed guy” and called the filmmaker a good teacher. He also added that he hopes the film will get Oscar.
Dr Talib Al Balushi voiced his admiration for Cochin. He said Cochin is a nice place and “I have too much friends there”. He said that most of them are producers, and added a funny note and said that he don’t know how many producers are there in India. In Oman it is very difficult to find a producer and have to search for one, said the actor. Dr Balushi ended his talk with Ramadan Mubarak and Eid Mubarak.
Dr Balushi was speaking at an Iftar gathering arranged by the Metropolitans Ernakulam Oman Chapter. The event was arranged for the members of the organisation and was attended by president Siddique Hassan, General Secretary Chandrashekaran and other committee members and families.