Niranj Maniyanpilla Raju loves cars. Among his current favourites are BMW M5 and Mercedes Benz AMG C43. “I want to buy fancy cars, but that doesn’t mean I am going to indiscriminately choose films with the sole purpose of making money to buy one. I don’t think I will ever make films for money,” he says. Neither is he in a hurry to ‘make it’ nor is he hung up on the size of his role in a film and its budget.
The 29-year-old understands that he has time on his side. “I don’t have to rush into things!” During the course of the conversation ‘I want to be a part of good content’ comes up several times, almost as if he is manifesting it. Dear Vaappi, written and directed by Shan Thulaseedharan, is one such film that he immensely liked and is happy it had turned out even better than he expected.
The film pivots on a father-daughter pair essayed by Lal and Anagha Narayanan of Thinkalzhcha Nishchayam. “When I was called for the role, I was told it is a ‘female-oriented’ film. I am comfortable playing such roles, for now, I don’t want to be the centre of the action. At this point in my career, I want to be a part of good films — I can be a villain or a supporting actor. And if female-oriented, why not? I really like such films.”
Against labels
He adds as an afterthought — “Why label films ‘female-oriented’? Why not just refer to them as films? The term is redundant. It should just be movies, no gender involved!”
He understands that films today don’t need big names, just a well-told, solid story marketed well. With films like Dear Vaappi, he says, “Marketing matters because people have to know about the film, and the first three days are crucial. Get people into the theatre, if 40-50% of them like it then word-of-mouth publicity will take care of the rest.” Niranj mentions his last release, Kaakipada, a small-budget film that did well at the box office. “And none of us was a big star in it.”
He mentions Bullet Train and Everything Everywhere All at Once, starring Brad Pitt and Michelle Yeoh, who won the Golden Globe for Best Actress. “Big names are not necessarily acting huge roles in these films. Of course, there are those kinds of movies too…but generally what we see now is not so much the size of the role!” he says. He can’t stop gushing about Michelle Yeoh in Everything Everywhere...
Niranj credits his elder brother for getting him hooked on films when he was in class seven. “I was this restless kid, looking for the next thing to do when he told me to watch a couple of films with him. He introduced me to films from across the world…one of the first films I watched was No Country for Old Men. I developed a taste for films.”
He wanted to be an actor, it started out with wanting to be a superstar. He now wants to be known as a good actor, “as you grow older you want people to say that about you.” He made his debut in 2013, right out of school, in Black Butterfly following which he took a hiatus to complete his education.
Carving a niche
With the number of films being made and new actors his age, coming into the business, carving a space for himself has not been easy. “What is destined for me will come to me. Have I carved a space for myself in the industry? Not yet, but in my mind, I have made that space and I will work towards it.”
He understands that he needs to be doubly selective because some of the films coming his way have been ‘hand-me-downs’ of established actors.
Niranj comes across as being secure about where he is right now. No film is too small, and money is not the criterion. Is it privilege that makes him say that? “No. I need the money, I am now married and I have expenses, including my student loan. It is not that I don’t need the money, but I am not in a hurry. I don’t want the kind of things that will make me want to do films for money alone.”
His kitty is filling up, among his future projects are Nammukku Kodathiyil Kaanam, a series by Philips and The Monkey Pen director Shanil Muhamed, a cameo in Madhuram Manoharam, and another that he might be part of as producer as well.
So, actor or star?
“Actor, always. Even if stardom comes, I want to be an actor and I want to be able to buy those cars!” he signs off laughing.
Dear Vaappi releases on February 17 in theatres
