Neeraj Madhav: Gearing up for mature roles

Take this confession from Neeraj Madhav with a pinch of laughter. "It's my first romance before the camera." In his fourth year in cinema, Neeraj coolly admits he is a first-timer to emote love for a girl on the big screen, for Pipin Chuvattile Pranayam. In all these years, he conjured up an image of sorts among his fans with hip-hopping curly locks, high-octane dance moves, innocuous smile and an easygoing screen presence. He feels it's high time he stepped into the shoes of maturity. So he is donning the roles of a protagonist and screenwriter.

The rib-tickling teaser of his about-to-be-released Lava Kusha just came out when he was speaking to us. If a teaser is anything that appeals to senses, this short video does exactly that. The idea does exactly that. The idea came from who else but Neeraj, the scriptwriter-cum-actor. "The movie involves a lot of vision. While writing the scritp, I had in mind Aju Chettan, Biju Menon and myself for the three.

The teaser has in store a little more suspense, to break open when the film hits the theatres in September. Aju and Neeraj play the title roles and Biju Menon comes in an equally prominent character. Neeraj feels a unique chemistry works magic between the trio. “Because we have an off-screen camaraderie, our three-men combo gets acceptance. Lava Kusha is about how two friends act complementary to each other when they set out for something together. I imagined how it could have been if Aju chettan and I were positioned thus. That togetherness is explored in the film. This is the third movie in which I am acting with Biju Menon, after Madhuranaranga and Kunjiramayanam. My next, Rosapoo, will make it four,” says he.

Though he plays the hero in Pipin Chuvattile Pranayam, in Rosapoo he and Biju share the lead actor’s space equally. In recent times, Neeraj has been associating a lot with debutant projects. Pipin Chuvattile... director Domin D’Silva, and Vinu of Rosapoo are freshers in the scene. “My method is not just to listen to a script. I indulge a lot in discussions with the director. A passionate filmmaker will surface in the first 30 minutes of talk. Their involvement and practical know-how of cinema get reflected within that short span. At the end, if I feel like ‘this person can pull it off’, I agree to act. After all, there is a comfortable energy zone while working with new people,” he observes.

Deep down, Neeraj is a director. “My dream was to be an actor and director. After my post-graduation in School of Drama, I came straightaway to cinema. Direction is a huge responsibility. Only if I can set aside about four to five months do I commit to direction. I have not planned it yet. Choreography happened to me. Dancing is my passion only and I have no intention to make a career out of it. I may continue writing,” he says.

As the year 2017 inches towards an end, it was so rewarding for Neeraj. His transformation from the boyish to manly look happened the same year with Oru Mexican Aparatha. “The year has been big for me. Oru Mexican Aparatha helped me prove myself as an actor capable of doing serious roles other than comedy. Also, it was a movie in which I got a makeover. Now I am doing screenwriting and playing leads. I am equally tense and excited that Lava Kusha is up for a release,” he says. For the time being, Neeraj won’t sport his signature curls. That’s part of growing up, too.