Satheeshan, like the rest of the villagers, is wary of the new stranger in town. But he watches him from a distance, discreetly sizing him up and even attacking him upfront once. Satheeshan is the quasi-narrator in Rorschach (2022), the one who objectively tries to make sense of Luke Antony’s (Mammootty) motives. Actor Sharaf U Dheen blends so seamlessly into the milieu that he could very well be any random villager who passes your home after a day’s work. There is a sloppiness he brings to Satheeshan that doesn’t seem deliberate. Look at the ease with which he carries his tool bag while manoeuvring around. His complex liaison with the two women is also interestingly staged. If he is infatuated with Ammu, his relationship with childhood pal Sujatha has long gravitated towards friendship.
Earlier this year, the actor played another ordinary man in Priyan Ottathilanu. But unlike Satheeshan who has shades of grey, Priyan is a genuinely kind soul who finds it difficult to look away when he sees people in distress. The actor easily establishes that empathy and an uncontrollable urge to help others seems embedded in him. That along with his appealing boy-next-door charm makes him an easy sell on screen.
When Girirajan Kozhi appears out of nowhere in a canary yellow shirt and goggles with some Arabic mumbo-jumbo in Alphonse Puthren’s Premam, we are as unprepared as Mary at the diaphanous spontaneity of the character. He strikes a pose and proceeds to impress Mary harping about his lonely childhood in Ras Al Khaimah with “a business-minded dad and a mom who loves dancing and partying”. It was such a brilliantly improvised comic set piece that it instantly catapulted Sharaf into the spotlight. And he repeated the hilarious charade in other places in the film too. Take the superb scene at a cafe where he comes on a horse and looks around for valet parking. Once seated, the character’s roving eye keeps resurfacing as he tries lamely to flirt with the attendant. Sharaf made it all look so easy-peasy.
That he came to cinema with a group of friends did help his entry, which was in Alphonse Puthren’s Neram. If you look at his career graph he was mostly featured in brief and lengthy characters layered with humour (Ohm Shanthi Oshana, Homely Meals, Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol, Aadhi, Pretham), and his growth has been organic.
Manu Krishnan in the middling comic caper Happy Wedding could easily pass off as that pest we keep a mile away from. He has an obnoxious sense of humour and openly derides women. But Sharaf makes you ignore Manu’s intrinsic creepiness. You can witness a nice jugalbandi between the actor and Grace Antony in that scene where he attempts to rag her.
In a career spanning a decade and 30 films, except for Priyan Ottathilanu, he has mostly fallen back on interesting sub-characters that explored his relatability factor. I can’t think of any other actor among the younger lot who pulls off deadpan humour with such flair. Look at that endearing little monologue his nurse Yesudas exchanges with Nivin Pauly as to how he met his lover at a hospital in Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela. That’s dry humour at its finest.
But it was Amal Neerad’s Varathan that really helped him break his mould. It’s the kind of a role any actor would give an eye and teeth for, especially if they have had only comic roles in their oeuvre. Josy K Baby is the vulgar rich boy who is also Priya’s (Aishwarya Lekshmi) school mate. His distinct memory of her collides with his heightened sense of perversion and the actor brings it out with an understated chilliness. “My brief to Sharfu was that if Girirajan Kozhi (of Premam) had a negative side, that would be this guy. He is an intelligent actor and I prefer to work with actors who don’t need constant briefs or references, which can be a tedious process. Sharfu was able to get it instantly and identified all the details precisely. He hails from the interiors of Aluva and was able to pick up that slang, with a bit of Idukki, Perumbavoor and Thodupuzha slang as well. Also, he can embody a local boy wearing a mundu with swag,” recalls Amal Neerad.
The way Josy’s eyes bore into Priya’s, his slow smile and the impression he gives of invading her personal space are enough for any woman to run for cover. It’s easily one of the most spectacular image-breaking acts in the last decade. Amal picks the scene where Josy recounts his school trip with Priya to his brothers as his favourite. The actor recounts it with such a vicarious thrill that you instantly feel a fear creep inside you. “He makes you feel that way,” adds Amal.
Though the stalking subtext in Neeyum Njanum is problematic, Sharaf’s Yakub Mohammad who falls heads over heels in love with Hashmi (Anu Sithara) makes for an endearing watch. He keeps it very relatable, witty and doesn’t try hard to turn on the charm, which makes the otherwise uninspiring track watchable. There is a lovely bit when Hashmi minces no words and makes it clear he is being a nuisance and Yakub looks like she struck him.
Anjaam Pathiraa was straight up dark zone for the actor as Dr Benjamin Louis, a serial killer on the loose. Though he appears for hardly 10 minutes, Sharaf is impactful as someone who views the world through a cold logic and remains unremorseful about his doings.
Perhaps in Sanu Varghese’s Aarkkariyam, one can say that he stepped out of his comfort zone. Roy lives in Mumbai with his partner. Though the sophistication or the slang (of a Malayali who has lived outside Kerala) do not sit that easily on him, Sharaf’s sensitive, serene and empathetic Roy, who comes without a shred of ego, is an evolved feminist. The way he works in tandem with his partner is one of the most pleasant sights in the film. “I have seen him only in Premam. I had no idea about his body of work. When I met him, I found him to be a diligent actor, ready to walk the extra mile for a role,” notes director Sanu.
Another less discussed but superbly nuanced act has to be Thoufeek in Zakariya's Halal Love Story. Thoufeek is this orator, writer and scholar who screens ‘meaningful films’ in schools. He is also a pious and conservative Muslim, which is what primarily helps him bag the coveted job of coordinating a crowdfunded telefilm for a cable channel on Eid.
Senna Hedge’s 1744 White Alto is Sharaf’s next release, in which he plays the lead role. He seems to be self-aware as an actor, picking his roles with caution, breaking away from roles that are beyond black and white characters, and unafraid to dabble in grey. That could keep him in good stead.
Neelima Menon has worked in the newspaper industry for more than a decade. She has covered Hindi and Malayalam cinema for The New Indian Express and has worked briefly with Silverscreen.in. She now writes exclusively about Malayalam cinema, contributing to Fullpicture.in and thenewsminute.com. She is known for her detailed and insightful features on misogyny and the lack of representation of women in Malayalam cinema.