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29 March 2024

UAE journalist is a busy film star in Malayalam movies

A scene from Bunty Chor (SUPPLIED)

Published
By VM Sathish

With ten movies behind him and six to eight new films being shot currently, K K Moideen Koya is a busy star in the making.

As a kid, Moideen Koya KK, aspired to become a superstar like Prem Nazir -  the evergreen hero of Malayalam movies. But it took him more than three decades to set on the journey towards his dream.

Koya is a well-known journalist and media personality in the UAE who has launched and developed many Malayalam radio stations, worked with leading television channels, edited film magazines and anchored TV programmes and  stage shows too. At present he is a media officer with the Abu Dhabi-based UAE Exchange Company.

However, his heart lay with celluloid. Beginning with small roles, he has essayed significant roles such as in 'Arabikatha' and 'Diamond Necklace' - which highlight expatriate life in the UAE.

Speaking to Emirates24|7, Koya said, “2013-14 seem to be good for my acting career. I have at least eight films that are being currently shot. My role as principal Ravi Menon of a self-financing college in 'Red Wine' with Malayalam superstars such as Mohanlal and Fahd Fazil has been well received. I am appearing in about three crucial scenes in the movie.”

Remembering his school days, Koya recollects an incident when a teacher, living in his neighbourhood, predicted he would become a superstar like Prem Nazir. Years later, when he was working as a freelance reporter with the Malayalam Manorama in Calicut, he was fortunate on getting a cinema beat, which led to a small role in the movie 'Gandhari'.

"I was one of the journalists sitting at a press conference. Nobody could even notice me, but my mother was over the moon, as she believed the  teacher's prediction had come true," he reminisces.

"In my second movie, '3 Dots', I got to essay a lengthier role, again of a reporter, which was close to my real-life," he said.

In 'Mussafir', released earlier this year, Koya plays a TV News anchor, a role he has been essaying in real life for several years now.

In '48 hours', he plays the role of Koya Sahib, a business tycoon. "About 95 per cent of shooting will be in the UAE and is scheduled for a November  release," he added.

"'Persiakkaran' is being shot simultaneously in Tamil and Malayalam, in which I play a social worker, Ansari. Other movies in the pipeline include  'Santaclaus'; 'I am 21 years'and a movie by E Satheesh, an Indian journalist in Dubai.

Recently released 'Bunty Chor' has Koya playing a villain named Deva Raja Varma. "After that there has been no looking back. "I ensure that my shooting schedules does not hinder my official duties. In fact, my bosses BR Shetty and Sudhir Shetty are very encouraging."