The chocolate boy in Tournament has become mature. He now has a beard and a serious mien, perhaps reflective of his intent to outgrow his image. A bit tired of the lover boy tag, he wants to try diverse, even diametrically opposite roles. His last performances were in Friday and Double Barrel. Manu says he has given his full time commitment of films even though he does not have to his credit that many films to brag about, but the few he has done have been memorable.
“For me what matters is performing a character I can pick rather than doing every role that comes my way. I want to be able to establish a character when I act. So I prefer to do few, but memorable performances,” says Manu, who has been in the industry for half a dozen years. His upcoming movie is Mexican Aparatha, directed by debutant Tom Emmaty. Manu talks about his role, even as he is wrapping up his shoot near the Maharaja’s College in Kochi.
“I play a role with grey shades named Krishnan. The entire story line revolves around Krishnan’s character, who appears very innocent on the outside. Rest is suspense, and the movie is a political thriller, with bits of love and comedy thrown in.” Manu is also playing an important role for IDI scriptwriter Arouz Irfan’s direction debut which is yet to be officially announced. When serious roles started knocking at Manu’s door, the actor says he wants to shift his course.
“I want to try more of villain roles and change the lover-boy tag. I want to give more versatile performances in my career” he says. As his career in films is taking this visible shift, Manu insists his experiences are making him a better performer. “The first time when I acted in Lal sir’s movie, I was challenged in every way possible. Each film I acted is a school by itself. Sometimes I have had to wait for two or three days to finish one shot alone. That endurance and wait by itself makes me better as an actor.”
