(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) While several Indian expatriates have burnt their fingers by venturing to film industry to become overnight celebrities, Joy Mathew has a rare success story.
Mathew, who returned to India four years ago, has acted in 85 movies and the end of 2017, he will cross 100 movies, a remarkable achievement for any expatriate entrant to the Malayalam film industry.
Last week Joy returned to Dubai as the chief guest of a cultural programme organised by a leading Malayalam daily from Dubai, for its 12th anniversary celebrations in Dubai.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, he said: "How can I forget Dubai, which gave me a red carpet welcome for the world premier of my first movie Shutter. This city has taught me many good lessons and if I could transform my life, into a success story, Dubai's role is important."
Mathew came to the UAE as a temporary drama teacher with a few rupees in his pocket and over Rs2.5 million debt. He returned to Kerala after 10 years in the UAE working as a teacher, artist, journalist, editor and TV star who made a wide network of friends and well-wishers.
Mathew says he learnt many good and bad lessons from Dubai before returning home to lead his successful film career that he left several decades ago. "I could overcome my problems because I had a smooth life in Dubai. Part of the debt was repaid by selling the family property but Dubai gave the mental strength to overcome all the problems.."
"An average Keralaite who is unemployed and indebted has two options, either to kill him or go abroad," he told audience present in the cultural programme. "I chose for the second option and initially struggled a lot to get a job.."
"A few friends from Dubai helped me complete my first movie, Shutter, which was initially planned as a short film. While living in Dubai, I used to discuss several movie ideas with friends. I had to abandon 27 movie ideas before starting the first movie, Shutter, for which finance came from a Dubai-based chartered accountant, Suresh Kumar, a good friend and well wisher."
"Part of the money for the movie came from my wife, who was working in Dubai. Her brother who works in the USA too helped financially to complete Shutter. My elderly mother, brothers, many friends also helped me with finances for the movie, which was commercially successful."
Acting in more than 80 movies within a short span of 4 years is not a mean achievement. Besides, the maiden movie got many awards and is dubbed into many Indian languages. Efforts are on to make Shutter in Arabic too. He has also written 22 dramas in Malayalam.
Now he has assumed a near celebrity status as a film director, script writer and prominent actor. He fills the void created by the demises of ace character actors like Thilakan, M F Varghese, and Narendra Prasad.
Joy Mathew, in his 50s, started his acting career as the hero of Amma Ariyan, a 1986 Malayalam movie by John Abraham, a non-conventional film director, who took movie making to the common man.
What is the biggest tool of an actor?
Let's ask Joy Mathew, the director of Shutter, which got many awards and is dubbed into many Indian languages, what is the biggest tool of an actor.
"Observing people is an important learning tool for an actor. I keep on observing different people - a driver, a doctor, a businessman, a policeman, an advocate or anyone else. When I am asked to play a specific role for a movie, I will recollect such a person who came across my life."
"Dubai is a unique city in which you come across people from over 200 countries. Majority of expatriates too hail from different parts of Kerala and I could easily observe people from all parts of Kerala living in Dubai."
He adds, observing people is an easy way to learn acting.
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