Directors turning actors is not a new phenomenon in M’town. The Malayalam film industry has several times witnessed filmmakers moving to the front of the camera; majority of them could establish themselves as good artistes.
Renji Panicker, Ranjith, Lal, Lal Jose, Major Ravi, Shyamaprasad and Aashiq Abu have acted on screen after wielding the megaphones. As a new addition to the list, Yakshi Faithfully Yours director Abhiram Suresh, son of award-winning filmmaker Suresh Unnithan, is making his entry as an actor through Sunil Ibrahim’s Y.
Even when he was dreaming to call the shots for his directorial ventures, Abhiram was ready to try his hands on acting. But he did not seek a chance from any of the directors, including his father and friends.
“One day I saw the Facebook post of director Sunil Ibrahim, who was my friend from the past few years. It was a casting call for his next directorial. As he was my friend, I shared the post. It was later during a chat with him, I told him about my interest in acting. He instructed me to attend the audition, adding he would give me chance only if he finds that I am apt for any of the roles,” says Abhiram.
Though he had experience in conducting auditions, he had never attended any such camps. “Attending the audition of Y was a great experience. When I reached the hall where the audition was happening, Sunil ettan briefed me certain scenes and I performed according to instructions. At the end of the day, he said, ‘You are in’,” says the actor, who essayed the role of an auto driver named Shyju in the film.
“The film is treated in a realistic manner. It goes around certain incidents happening in the capital city on a single night. As of now, I cannot talk much about the film or my role,” says the actor, who is not ready to bid adieu to direction. He is currently in the pre-production of two projects. The first film will be an anthology produced by Revathy Kalamandir, where he works as a teaching faculty.
“I am really happy to director a film for one of the pioneer production houses in Malayalam. My film will be of 30 minute duration and the rest of the portion will be directed by students and other faculties of our institute. I am planning to narrate the love story of a deaf and dumb couple,” says Abhiram, who is in discussion with yet another production house for a film titled Danger Biscuit which has the screenplay written by his Adi Kappiyare Koottamani scribe and classmate Abhilash S Nair.
