I first met up with Siddique at Alappuzha Beach when I had gone for an outing with my family. Lal and Fazil accompanied Siddique. Fazil spoke to me first. It was then that they doled out the invitation for me to act in the film ‘Ramji Rao Speaking’. Siddique briefed me on the essence of the story. I instantly liked the story. I agreed to act. We left on the condition that they would call me when the shooting begins.
But the call came 35 days after the shooting began. Siddique then said my role was one of the three villains in the film and that it was the title character.
I was very happy and thrilled to have got the role that was also the movie’s title character. He narrated the story in detail at the location. Siddique is like that. He would tell you the whole story, no matter what character you are playing. Even if an artiste has to enact only a single minor role, he would follow the same method. I had never seen him getting angry at the set.
The second memory that comes to my mind is that related to the movie ‘Godfather’. Siddique entrusted me with the task of making my father agree to act in it. But I couldn’t get his consent despite pleading persistently. Finally, I told him, ‘Father, you please hear the story first; then we can decide’. Thus, he agreed to hear the story.
Siddique came to our house at Olassa and narrated the story. His storytelling skill astonished my father. And Siddique supported him throughout the film, not only while acting, but even during dubbing. At times, while delivering the dialogues, the lip movement of my father won’t sync. For that, Siddique found a way out. He would prod my father when my father had to deliver the dialogues. And then everything would fall into place. After that, my father used to say, he had four children, including Siddique.
Padmarajan, Bharathan, and Adoor Gopalakrishnan are all widely revered for introducing a new trend in Malayalam cinema. Similarly, Siddique was one who set a new trend when it comes to humour.
