Younger directors encourage you to improvise: Actor Saiju Kurup interview

Ahead of ‘Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan’, his big solo hero release and his 100th film, Saiju talks to TNM about how he chooses roles, his discomfort with comedy roles and the kind of films he loves to watch.
Saiju Kurup in Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan
Saiju Kurup in Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan
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It’s difficult to believe actor Saiju Kurup when he says that he is not really good with humour on screen. Ever since he did the role of a shady film reporter in Trivandrum Lodge (2012), who not only sexually exploits women with the promise of roles but also has no qualms in openly propositioning the new resident, Saiju Kurup has always reigned whenever his characters exhibited a dopey sense of comedy. That turned out to be his calling card in Malayalam cinema.

Saiju’s thick arched eyebrows and big round eyes have an uncanny likeness to Mr Bean. Though he modestly gives credit to the writing, it is known that pulling off any form of comedy is hard work for any actor. And Saiju does deadpan comedy even better. Sample that cameo in Rockstar for proof. Or an Android Kunjappan. Or Driving License. As Saiju gears up for his big solo hero release, he tries to explain in a chat with TNM what makes him tick.

“If you count Jubilee (2007), this is my second titular role. But yes, that film didn’t give me much visibility. For Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan I was the third option. Jayan is a temperamental chap who has to arrange his sister’s wedding. Gunda Jayan is unlike anything I’ve done before. People are terrified of him. He loves his family but the shadow of gundaism still lingers,” he tells me.

It’s also your 100th movie. Has acting become easier now?

I think it will be, since I have the experience of acting in 99 movies now. But since I’m not doing the same character every day, I won’t say it’s easy but my confidence has improved. Gunda Jayan is new for me and there was no reference. Whatever the director fed me, I executed. His situations are humorous, but the man isn’t. So I couldn’t make him loud.

Do you feel more secure as an actor now in the industry?

Yes. Now I’m more worried about how I will approach a character than about getting my next project. Like every actor, a film’s box-office results are a matter of concern. As for getting films, I’m not really worried as I have no worries about asking for roles.

In fact, that was my next question. You have always maintained that you don’t understand the indignity in asking for roles since you’re not borrowing money. When did you reach that point?

The only time I didn’t ask for roles is before Mayookam (laughs). My first movie happened by chance, and I got my second film, Lion, because I went to Joshi sir’s house with Hariharan sir to invite Joshi sir for his daughter’s wedding. I think I’ve always asked for roles. I have got some, lost a few. So that security is always there. Either I have the option to ask for roles from the filmmakers I have worked with, or I can always approach new people. In fact, I keep tracking new film announcements on social media.

Do you get to read scripts? Or just briefings? Also, do you get the space to improvise?

Once I like a story, I read the script, and once I commit, I keep the soft copy with me. If we don’t ask for scripts, they will think we’re not interested. In earlier days we were scared of asking for scripts. We would just get a brief about the scene half-an-hour before the shoot. And those days we didn’t have the freedom to add anything to a dialogue or scene. One had to follow the dialogues verbatim. But now movie-making has changed, the younger lot encourages you to improvise and give your own spin to a character. Such a democratic space helps actors to thrive and evolve.

I think a spot of comedy in your characters brings out the best in you.

I don’t think it’s deliberate. It just happened that I got well-written characters and I could execute it well. I’m not comfortable doing comedy. Perhaps the most relatable and easy character I did was Dr Roy in Ann Maria Kalippilaannu or in Guardian. Humour characters are also very dicey.

If you have to pick 5 films that shaped you as an actor, which ones would you choose?

Let me put it this way. When I did my first movie, it wasn’t difficult as I had no intention of continuing in this profession, so I just followed Hariharan’s instructions. Also, after that, I didn’t have anyone to guide me and so I just did what I thought was right. It was during Mulla that I felt I had found some rhythm in my dialogue delivery. Even Karma Yogi, Doubles, and actor Vishal’s Tamil film directed by Ameer, which I shot for more than a year, helped in polishing my craft.

I didn’t create humour in Trivandrum Lodge. It was all written. I’m a more serious person in real life. If you ask me to handle the comedy part or generate comedy, I can’t but if it has shades of humour and the space to improvise, then I can do it. Vedivazhipadu was a well-written character, and any actor could have performed in that space. My only struggle was to appear just in underclothes and so they changed it to boxer shorts.

That’s difficult to believe when we saw how well you pulled off the dim-witted Arackkal Abu in Aadu Oru Bheekara Jeeviyalla.

For Aadu, I got so much help from Jayasurya, Midhun Manuel and Vijay Babu. The script had a lot of comedy, with enough scope to improvise. And then I had this wonderful co-star like Jayasurya who would voluntarily help to make my character better. Remember those punchlines (Aatukattathinu aulouse unda ruchi indavuo Shaji etta,” “Shajiyetta ivale angu?” and “Nammal Polum Ariyandu Adholakam) – they are all his contributions. He even predicted they will go on to become popular memes.

Even that “Ultimate Pucham” dialogue in Driving License was added on the spot by Jean Paul Lal. I told Jean it won’t work after dubbing as I didn’t get the humour. But see how wrong I was.

You were supposed to do Sharfuddin’s role in Aarkkariyam, but you ended up doing the friend’s role. Was it the collaboration that made you agree to take the relatively smaller role?

That is there. I wanted to work with Sanu Varghese. But he also said if you don’t do that friend's role, it will be difficult to find another actor who could speak Hindi like a non-resident Keralite. That character required proficiency in Hindi, English and Malayalam.

What if you discovered that what’s been promised in the narration isn’t getting converted on screen?

It happened earlier. Not anymore. It’s a much better space now.

Why would you say no to a film?

I would probably say no to a film that won’t entertain me in any way. Entertainment can be through many ways. It should either scare or thrill me, or make me laugh or cry. Also, if the character is repetitive, I won’t do it. I’m doing Gunda Jayan because it has no shades of Arackkal Abu. And I’m doing the third part of Aadu now.

Since you brought up Aadu 3, how do you sustain the interest as an actor?

Because the film is like a celebration to all of us. As Jayasurya says, Aadu is our oxygen. When we have a bad time, we do an Aadu and get energised. It has lots of comedy and the characters are quirky. Besides the situations change, so it will be fun. It was difficult to crack Arackkal Abu, the doctor in Njandukalude Naatil Oru Idavela and Gunda Jayan. If you watch me perform, you might think it was easy. But trust me, it was a thin line.

Which is that one piece of advice from Hariharan sir that you carry throughout your career?

After he saw one of my films, in which I was saying a punch dialogue with my mouth wide open and the frame in mid-shot, he told me to understand the frame and then act. He said when you are closer to the frame, be less expressive.

What are the kind of films you love watching?

I remember tearing up and being thoroughly entertained watching Akasha Doothu. Same goes for Suryamanasam and Thalavattam. I used to love the horror films from the Ramsay brothers. Or it can be In Harihar Nagar or Nadodikattu for the humour.

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.

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