Vijay Babu is riding high on confidence these days. The year 2015 promises to be big for him, both as actor and producer. “It is going to be a make or break phase. Till now, I had the freedom to tell my director ‘please do take care of my acting’. But now I can't do that because I have been in the industry for two years and have acted in 12 movies. So I guess the honeymoon period is over,” he says with a laugh during a tete-a-tete at Hotel Hycinth.
He has four films up for release in the first half of the year – Lal Jose’s Nee–Na in which he plays the lead, debutant Khais Millen’s Akashvani with Kavya Madhavan, Midhun Manuel Thomas’ Aadu Oru Bheekara Jeeviyanu, a home production, and Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Double Barrel.
Having made a successful switch from a corporate career in the mini screen industry to acting in and producing movies, Vijay says it was all destined to happen.
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“I used to be a weekend actor, doing films when I could take time out of my busy schedule as a television honcho. I did flicks such as Three Kings and 22 Female Kottayam.
The turning point was my role as a police commissioner in Ayalum Njaanum Thammil.
“A few days after the shoot, Lal Jose called me with the lead role in Nee–Na. I was shocked and surprised. Jomon [Jomon T. John, cinematographer] had suggested my name. The story of Neena and Nalini, played by new face Deepthi Sathi and Ann Augustine respectively, is more about mind games, the complexities of the heart. Lal sir told me that the movie wouldn’t start very soon and therefore I had time to get into shape. I was 95 kg then!” he says. Akashvani, the shooting of which had brought him to the city, is about Akash and Vani, a corporate couple, who seem to be an ideal pair, but have their share of ego clashes and conflicts. “Khais has already made his mark with his short film, Lipstick. As for Kavya, she is a great friend and we have been wanting to work together. It is probably for the first time that she is playing a corporate woman,” he says.
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While in Aadu…he explores his funny side, a first for him, with the character, sub-inspector Sarbath Shabeer, Vijay admits that he has little idea about the storyline of Double Barrel. “I did what Lijo asked me to do He is a friend and I had missed out on working with him in Amen,” he says.
Cinema and acting have been a passion since his childhood. In fact Vijay debuted as a child artiste in Sooryan, the one-off movie produced by his father, Subhashchandra Babu.
Although he was active on the stage during his student days, once he left Kerala for higher studies, his artistic inclinations got buried in his studies and corporate career.
“When I joined Asianet Middle East, I got to interact with a number of Malayalis. I also worked in Asianet Sithara, but when I couldn’t stay away from Kerala, I resigned and joined Surya TV where I worked for over four years,” he says.
That tryst with television helped him make up his mind. “I felt there was nothing more I could do on television. It was a right decision, because now I have started smiling more. Since I was buying movies for Surya TV, I came across many scripts and decided to become a weekend actor. But the call from Lal Jose sir helped me decide about my future,” Vijay says.
Working with seniors such as Mohanlal has really helped, Vijay says. “He was the one who taught me how to act looking into the camera. Also, I actually look different in all the movies I have done, with subtle changes in my look.”
Being a producer
Becoming a producer was a conscious decision, for he felt, “acting alone won’t be enough to survive.” Once he found the “right partner in friend Sandra Thomas” Friday Film House was launched, which made movies such as Philips and the Monkey Pen, Zachariyayude Garbhinikal and Peruchazhi.
“I enjoy being a producer more than an actor. We always go by our plan, where cost cutting and proper management of different aspects of filmmaking are very important. We also have a back-up plan. An advantage is that, we both are well aware of what is happening on sets, right from the script and the scenes to be shot on a particular day to the equipment needed,” he says.
And this planning applies to his life as well. “I always plan my five years. The current plan is on till 2018!” This includes producing movies in other languages, films with Mohanlal and Mammootty, and projects with the Philips and the Monkey Pen team and one with Lijo Jose Pellissery.
“I wish I could bring Naseeruddin Shah to Malayalam or at least share screen space with him even in a guest role. I would also love to do a role rooted in rural settings…”
I used to be a weekend actor, doing films when I could take time out of my busy schedule as a television honcho