Aju going behind the camera

One of the most-shared trolls on social media a few months back was the post that compares actor Aju Varghese with ‘Kumbidi’ in Ranjith’s Nandanam, as the actor was part of almost all films which were in the theatres that time. Aju, who was judged as the integral part of Malayalam cinema for the  past two years, was not seen in any key roles in 2016 releases.The actor, who appeared in pivotal roles in hit films — Two Countries and Adi Kappyare Koottamani, was later found in guest roles in Puthiya Niyamam, Hello Namasthe and Jacobinte Swargarajyam, which all reached theatres this year.

When quizzed about this break, Aju says, “It was not a break or gap. The decision to assist Vineeth was taken when the project was in the planning stage itself as the majority of the members in the crew are my friends. And interestingly, I did not get any call to films during the production of JSR. “Unlike other assistant directors, Aju’s aim while assisting the director was not to become a filmmaker, but to spend more time with his college mates and to roam around Dubai. “Like Vineeth, our producer Noble also was my college mate. And many of our friends were settled in Dubai, where the film was shot. Most of them have acted in JSR, especially in that Onam song,” he says, adding that the career of an assistant director is tougher than that of an actor. “Out of four assistants in Vineeth's team, only Ganesh Raj was the experienced one. The rest three, which includes me, were freshers. So, to be frank, it was a hard job for Ganesh and associate Baby chettan to put us on the right track. But, at the end of the day, it was a great experience,” says Aju, who appeared in a small role along with his twin children.

“It was Vineeth’s wife Divya who suggested the director to make them act in the film," he says. After a brief sabbatical, the actor is back on action with three films — Unni Mukundan-starrer Oru Murai Vanthu Paarthaya (OMVP), Udaya’s Kochavva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho (KPAC) and Boban Samuel’s Shajahanum Pareekuttiyum. “I am really glad to be part of these films. Both OMVP and KPAC are being produced by the production houses which had brought many super hit films. OMVP is produced by Kokker’s films after a gap of six years. In the film, I act as an astrologer,” says the actor, who is all set to act as ‘Major’ in Shajahanum... “As of now, I cannot talk more about the role or film. All I can say now it will be a laugh riot,” he sums up.