By George! Look who's acting in Malayalam film

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 4 (IANS) Leading Kerala opposition legislator P.C. George is set to don the greasepaint for the first time for a Malayalam film, but he won't have to look too far for inspiration.

George, 52, has been signed up in the film titled "K.K. Road", which is a complete political thriller incorporating current political events in Kerala. It begins shooting Dec 1.

"I was told by those behind the film that they require a full-fledged real life politician to act as the opposition leader. Even though I have no previous acting experience, I decided to go ahead as it had to do with politics which I am comfortable with," George told IANS.

Action hero Babu Antony, who began his career in the Malayalam film industry as a villain, approached George and persuaded him to act. Antony plays the hero in the film.

George formed his own political party (Kerala Congress-Secular) last year after splitting his parent party Kerala Congress (Joseph) and hopes to revive the fortunes of his party through the film.

An outspoken politician, he has crossed swords with several political leaders from the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) over the years by bringing out detailed reports of corruption against those in power.

His running feud with Revenue Minister K.M. Mani is close to two decades old and reports indicate that a character called 'Mani' will play a key role in the film.