Dressed in a light blue shirt and silver zari mundu, there is nothing reminiscent of the chubby National Award winning child actor of Ente Veedu Appunteyum in Kalidas Jayaram. Instead there is a charming , articulate young man; the little boy of Ente Veedu... has grown up and become Gauthaman of Poomaram , and now the hero of Mr. & Miss Rowdy and the soon-to-be released Argentina Fans Kattoorkadav. After the much anticipated Poomaram , which met a mixed response at the BO, Mr. & Miss Rowdy , which released yesterday, is his second Malayalam film, as a grown up.
After a rather long wait for the release of Poomaram , in 2018, this year begins well for Kalidas with two releases in a span of a week. “I was not desperate,” he says of the wait for Poomaram to release, “I am serious about working in films. I don’t want to keep doing films for the sake of numbers. Only if I am satisfied with the script and the whole team I do the movie. Poomaram is special to me. Some liked it and others didn’t. We should try to make films that more people like – I am trying to find that balance.”
Edited excerpts from a free-wheeling chat.
‘Mr and Miss Rowdy’...
It is a light-hearted family entertainer. When I got a call from Jeethu (Joseph) sir for a narration I was expecting a thriller or an action movie. I heard the story and was surprised because from start to end it was a laugh riot. My character is very different from Gauthaman of Poomaram , the mood of the film is different. I was very relaxed during filming, I just went with the flow. It was a good team, which made work easy. It is about a few youngsters, everywhere there are people like these – who are going through a rough patch.
- Mimicry- Is my first love. I got my first movie offer because of it. I learnt how to behave on stage, stage presence - I am grateful to mimicry for what it has given me.
- Attention from the girls - I will be honest, I love the attention but it should not only be the girls who are enjoying my work, everybody should.
- Being his parents’ son - There is pressure, but I enjoy it and that is what keeps me going.
- Tamil or Malayalam - Both are equal. Only the language is different, the emotions are the same. Tamil films run more than a 100 days here, vice-versa.
- Awards - As we grow up we realise that awards are not everything, I am focussing more on people appreciating my work.
- Next up - After Argentina Fans... there is Santosh Sivan sir’s film and a Tamil film that I am working on.
How was it working with Jeethu Joseph?
It was fun. But, initially, I thought he would be strict since he has directed actors such as Mohanlal sir and Prithviraj —we are just beginners. We were very nervous on the first day of shoot, but he made us feel comfortable. He created a conducive atmosphere on the sets – it is important, I feel, for humour that one is comfortable. Only then can you deliver, probably that was his plan all along. (Laughs)
A director’s actor or not.
I am definitely a director’s actor, after all it is his vision that we are trying to put forth.
One thing that would make you say yes to a film.
It would be my character in the film. As an actor I need to make sure my character is essential to the film, see if I can perform in it. Hero, character role or anti-hero or even if it is just two scenes I look for the scope for performance.
The kind of film that would interest you.
Right now, at the space I am at, I enjoy entertainers as far as films go. It wasn’t so five years ago, today it is different, I am different so are the people who step into theatres. They are also looking for entertainment. That said there is another set which appreciates another kind of cinema. I am trying to find a balance between both kinds.
You must have to say no a lot.
Oh yes! As an actor you need to learn to say no. At the end of the day you can do a lot of films, but there is something called consistency. You should have the courage to say no if you want to be consistent. For me cinema is more important than anything else so I am more than happy to say no and at the same time agree to a film so long as the script is good, irrespective of who is directing it.
Something about Midhun Manuel’s ‘Argentina Fans’ ...
It is totally different from Mr & Miss... I don’t know what genre it might fall into...but, for an actor certain roles offer a sense of satisfaction and this film did that.
Are you critical of yourself as actor?
As an actor one has to be critical of oneself, only then will you grow as an actor. When I see my films, though I avoid watching my films, I analyse my work in the particular film. It helps one improve.
My sister (laughs) . She is my biggest critic, if she is okay with the work I am doing then I am on the right track (laughs) .
