Siju Sunny, better known as Mukesh of the blockbuster film Romancham, is savouring the moment with the recognition and requests for selfies. He welcomes the requests for selfies — a payoff of being an actor — a dream he has chased since he was in Class 11. Praise has been pouring in as much for the cast as for the film helmed by newcomer Jithu Madhavan.
“We knew people would like the film, but the response is beyond anything we expected!” says Siju over the phone, excitement noticeable in his voice. The journey was not easy for the 28-year-old who hails from Pathanamthitta and was active in drama at school and college art festivals.; it included the mechanical engineer quitting his job in West Asia in the hopes of making a film and attending numerous acting auditions.
Romancham is his third film, his first film was Vishudha Mejo released in 2022 and the due-for-release Velarippattanam.
Siju Sunny | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
“The day Romancham was released, we kept checking booking platforms to see if the shows were fully booked. In no time the film picked up the pace and became a hit.” His take as Mukesh — the least ‘responsible’ of the seven roommates — is among the film’s memorable performances. His costumes were simple, “Just three lungis — blue, green and red — and one jacket. Jithu told me that Mukesh is not particular about cleanliness. As preparation, I stopped clipping my nails, grew my hair… It is not the most glamorous debut but it does not matter, it is how ‘glamourous’ the role is.”
The more unkempt he began to look, the more people, including family, wondered what he was up to. Apprehensive that the film may not work out, he had not shared it with his family initially. “It is cinema, you never know, there can always be a slip between cup and lip,” he says
The cast was hired without auditions, most were chosen for their work on social media such as Reels, YouTube videos and others. This is where his Instagram Reels came in handy. He had started making Reels during lockdown mostly uploading comic content, which garnered quite an online following, including Jithu who calls himself a fan. That’s how Jithu picked Siju for the role. “With Jithu picking most of his actors based on our online content and the film succeeding ought to give confidence to producers. That they can choose actors from social media.”
“As prep for the film, we attended a five-day acting camp at Aluva where Jithu kept filming the rehearsals at the end of which he had an idea of what each of us would be in the film.” The time spent together helped the cast bond with each other.
Memories with Soubin
While Romancham was being filmed, Facebook threw up a memory from five years ago (2016-17) — a photograph with Soubin Shahir. The photograph was clicked when he attended an audition for Parava, directed by Soubin. “Soubikka obviously didn’t remember since he would click photos with so many fans. But it seemed like a lucky sign!”
Congratulatory calls have been coming in, as have the offers. Some offers are a reboot of Mukesh, which he is not keen on. He wants to try varied role and explore every emotion through his acting. He has come a long way from a 15-year-old who thought Kochi and the film industry were far away.
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