DUBAI – Ajith is a superstar who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the other celebrity actors, only if he was not just 2 feet tall. Aged 27, he is the shortest actor in India, who is likely to be included in the Gunnies Book of Records and possibly act in a Hollywood fantasy movie of an American township of little people, planned by the celebrity director Ron Howard. Undapakru who is getting international attention for acting as the main character in a move with 300 dwarves, is a regular visitor to Dubai for stage shows. Currently the Charlie Chaplin of Malayalam movies, the man with restricted growth wish to grow big in Hollywood.

Having shaken the macho hero image in the Indian movies dominated by the six feet handsom Mamootty and Mohanlal, Unda Pakru, as he is popular among his fans who watch him keenly in the TV shows and films, is looking forward to his maiden Hollywood movie, which may be an English remake of Athbhutha Deepu (Wonder Island). “I got a call from the Hollywood director who asked me about my English knowledge. It seems he plans to make a fantasy Hollywood movie in which an entire township or country of dwarves would be presented,” Ajith a Post Graduate and Inter University talent during his college days, said. Albhuthadweep" director Vinayan announced recently that Hollywood filmmaker Ron Howard is keen to remake his Malayalam film "Albhuthadweep", a wonder island and has 300 dwarfs acting in the film. It is the large number of dwarves who acted together in the move that attracted the Hollywood directors attention. “A lot of people appreciated my role as the heir apparent in the Dwarf kingdom,” he added. Having become a dwarf due to a medical negligence, he plans to have a stage show only for dwarf people. He was in the cover story of many film magazines in Kerala, he is also the subject of TV talk shows. The unprecedented move was a hit with families, especially small children and received wide media attention.

“Most of the short heroes in America are 3 feet and above, one feet taller than me. In India I am the shortest hero,’ he claims. “In Hollywood there is shortage of dwarfs with acting talents. I am happy to be noticed internationally. Acting in the lead role was risky because the directors could not arrange dupes for horse rides at 60 kilometers per hour and thrilling stunt scenes and rope rides. “There were specially trained horses for me and many of my friends sustained injuries, while shooting stunt scenes with gigantic rivals of six to seven feet,” says Ajith, who formed the Small Mens Association of Kerala during the move shooting. There are as many as 11,579 dwarfs in Kerala alone and other states have associations for them and they used to act as buffoons in circus.

By V.M.Sathish
Story from Emirates Evening Post