You have seen him hit the highs and lows of comedy on the big screen during the last 30 years. In between there were those one or two films that tapped his potential as an actor, occasions when he didn’t have to look dim-witted on screen. But, Jagadish isn’t complaining. And he has now reached a point in his career where he realises that he has to reinvent himself. All thanks to his role in Jalamsham , scripted and directed by M.P. Sukumaran Nair.
The movie explores the socio-political changes in Kerala over a period of time. Jagadish’s character, Kunjukunju, is a farmer and father of three girls. He cultivates on leased land, but is caught in the political turmoil of the time and ends up as a murderer. The movie also explores his relationships with three women – Soshakutty, his wife, Savithri, his landlord, and Karumbi, a resilient peasant.
“It has always been my dream to work with committed filmmakers. So, when Sukumaran Nair sir offered me the role, I didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity. I give him the credit for moulding me as Kunjukunju. It is the non-linear narrative in the movie that impressed me the most. The film unfolds through the memories of different characters. So, it is definitely a challenge for the viewer. The role was challenging for me because Kunjukunju is a complex man. Even when he is a loving father and toils hard, he gets into relationships with two other women and fathers their children. And he has his justification for everything,” Jagadish says.
Now that he has explored a new phase of his career, he can’t wait to do more. “I came into films from theatre. Had I started my career with a film by G. Aravindan or Adoor, people wouldn’t have billed me as a comedian. But the film that gave me a break was Odaruthammava Alariyaam , an out-and-out entertainer. So, it was natural for me to get compartmentalised as a comedian, which I have little complaints about,” he says.
He believes that adaptability has been his strong point. He fitted with ease into the slot of the hero’s side-kick or into those blink-and-you-miss roles.
But in the present scenario, comedians aren’t integral to Malayalam cinema. “Earlier, the hero always used to have a friend who created the laughs. But it is different now. Any character can do the same thing. For me, comedy is not about packing in a lot of jokes. It should be something intelligent and informative as well,” he says.
An actor who knows the pulse of Malayalam cinema, he is all praise for the plethora of new talent.
“I just love the change that is happening and wish I could be part of it. But, I think they are not casting me because of my appearance. They are not sure whether I would be able to pull off the role of an aged or a serious character. I hope that outlook changes after Jalamsham . Now all I want to do is at least a couple of meaningful roles a year and I am ready to do any sacrifice for that. After all, I am not young any more!”
So, how old is he? “Well, let me put it this way. I am a five-year-old girl’s grandfather!” he signs off with a smile.
Social commentary
Award-winning filmmaker M.P. Sukumaran Nair is happy to have experimented with a different narrative style in Jalamsham . “In real life, thoughts flood our minds in a fragmented way. So I replicated that in my movie which is not just about Kunjukunju. It has its political and social undercurrents which are told through the character of Kunjukunju,” he says.
Choosing Jagadish for the lead role wasn’t a gamble, he says. “There are a lot of actors who haven’t got the chance to prove their potential. I am happy to have given such opportunities for actors such as Babu Antony, Kalpana and Jagathy Sreekumar in my films. In the case of Jagadish, the only thing I was quite apprehensive about was how he would look on screen as an aged man. He is one actor who doesn’t look old in spite of his age. However, we could pull it off with great success,” he says. The movie has Manju Pillai, Indrans and Alencier in the cast.
