Donning new roles

The directions were clear — the farthest room towards the left of the corridor on the first floor of the studio. On the recliner adjacent to the dubbing suite sat the little man, who welcomed the visitors with gleaming eyes, cheerful smile and a warm handshake. Ajayakumar, better known by his stage name Guinness Pakru, was in good spirits. “It’s a happy time of new roles,” says the actor, sporting a wide grin.

After donning the hats of a senior mimicry artist, director and a Guinness record-holder for being the world’s smallest actor, Ajayan has now become a producer with Fancy Dress and is awaiting the release of Ilayaraaja, in which he plays the lead role. “I play a struggling middle-class guy who takes care of his family. It’s a realistic movie. It’s nothing like I have done so far,” he says, adding that it is one role that has upgraded his potential as an actor.

 When director Madhav Ramadasan, known for his content-driven films Melvilasom and Apothecary, approached him with the role, Ajayan was taken aback. “I was in shock. Here was a director who has made films with big stars like Suresh Gopi, Parthiban and Asif Ali offering a role to a tiny me. But when he narrated the story, I realised that the role was tailor-made for me. His earnest narration style carried me away. It was for the very first time that a director was narrating to me the whole script, without taking a break."

Impressed and intrigued, Ajayan joined the film’s shooting in Thrissur. “It was a month-long schedule. Many scenes were shot at the Swaraj Round. In fact, I have never been to the place when there wasn’t Thrissur pooram. For me, it was a huge discovery to watch the people there... the common man selling tea, peanuts, sleeping under the tree... Shooting and observation of lives were a great experience for me. Even now, while passing along the spot, I look for my character who might be sitting somewhere there,” his eyes, like his thoughts, wander as he recalls those moments.

Set in Thrissur, the film, interestingly, doesn’t have Ajayan speaking in the famous dialect. “Madhav sir was very particular about it. Speak the way you do, he said,” he says. The film has a stellar cast including Harisree Ashokan, who makes a cliché-breaking appearance, Gokul Suresh, Deepak Parambol, Kavita Nair, Jayaraj Warrier and Thampi Antony. Ajayan adds, “I don’t know how he decided on the cast. All of them are perfect fits for the roles.”

The metamorphosis of Ajayan’s filmography is very impressive and inspiring. When he started off, the characters that came to him demanded just buffoonery and body shaming. But as his career grew upwards, he gave amazing performances in serious roles, like the bank manager in Punyalan Private Limited. “Sometimes, unexpected avenues open for us. That was one such role. I was on rest with a severe back injury when the bank manager role was offered to me, but with the support of director Ranjith Sankar and Jayasurya, I could pull it off well. These roles are all the result of that.”

A person who acts in, directs and writes comic matter, Ajayan is well aware of the shift in trends. “For long, I have been part of films’ humour quotient, always becoming that person who falls, gets teased, thrashed and humiliated for making a scene funny. Over the years, the treatment of humour, filmmaking style and the audience’s approach have changed. Someone who laughed at a scene in a movie where I am ridiculed for my height might not be hilarious any more. When a character in a film tells that one bucket of water is enough to drown a person like me, the audience who split their sides years ago might find it offensive now. The quality of approach and appreciation is changing. It's great to see that,” he says.

On venturing into production, Ajayan says it was an unplanned turn of events. Fancy Dress has been in the pipeline for seven years. When director Ranjith Skaria narrated him the story a long time ago, it was a big budget movie set in Mumbai with a bank heist part of the script. Ajayan was to pen the script, but for several reasons, it got delayed. The director, however, was adamant despite Ajayan's attempts to dissuade him and urge him to take up another movie. “After Ilayaraaja, I felt I should fund his dream and with the help of a few friends, launched Sarvadeeptha Productions. Since I am a small guy, the budget too had to suit me. The setting and budget were trimmed down. Mumbai became Kerala and bank robbery became little frauds. But like a wedding plan, the budget and the cast became bigger again," he smiles.
 
In Fancy Dress, Ajayan plays a major role in a different getup along with Shajohn, Shweta and Harish Kanaran. The rest of the cast include Bala, Sudheer Karamana, Saju Navodaya, Bijukuttan and Ponnamma Babu.

Six years have passed since Kutteem Kolum; why isn’t he directing again? “Plans are there. Discussions are on for the right script. This time, I would direct another actor placing him against a very different backdrop. Also, I wouldn’t act or be part of the scripting in my next directorial. It would be a family entertainer with comic elements both kids and adults would love. If all goes well, everything will fall into place by the end of 2019," he hopes.  

Ajayan is also well aware of the changing audience. “Evoking laughs is a huge challenge. What we write to make people laugh might not work when enacted or screened. Each year takes the laughter out of many acts. Long ago, Prem Nazir used to play an impostor by just placing a black spot on his cheek. Back then, it was a serious scene, but now, it’s hilarious for us. Trends keep changing. We just have to go with the flow.”

 A scanning through Ajayan’s social media accounts shows how he has been promoting talents and staying away from commenting on social issues, unlike many of his peers. “I feel that social media reflects one’s personality. I don’t comment on social issues or controversies not because I have no opinion. I just don’t want to tell the world if I don’t like something. When I like an act, I appreciate it. When I don't, I keep it to myself. Why upset others,” he asks.

 Even when Malayalam film industry witnessed an imbroglio when the actors’ guild A.M.M.A. failed to take a stance supporting their wronged members, Ajayan wasn't seen commenting. “Again, that’s not because I don’t have a stance. For an association, it’s the representative who speaks. As long as I am not authorised for it, I don’t have to comment on any such matter. But as an individual, I air my opinion in my friends’ circle. Any misunderstanding needs to be sorted out through discussions. And if someone feels that something they said was uncalled for, just apologise. Sometimes, a simple sorry can solve issues,” he smiles.

Now that Ilayaraja is set for release in March and Fancy Dress, in April, Ajayan is a bit tense. “I feel like I am in Heathrow Airport waiting for ground clearance to land. If the weather clears up, my films will land soon.”