One thing Anoop Menon is sure of is that he has no qualms about his future or what was left behind in his past. An LLB rank holder, he left a promising legal career to become one of Mollywood’s versatile actors. Ask him if he has ever thought of going back, he sincerely answers, “It is not an easy profession; I can’t abandon what I do now and enrol in the court. It is a profession that demands skill, knowledge, research and commitment. Even though I was a gold medallist in law, that won’t happen.”
Now, switching from one role to the other, Anoop has become a celebrity who is on a roll. In his latest release Pa Va, he portrays an octogenarian, and before that, a role opposite Manju Warrier in Karinkunnam 6s. “Initially, I had only two scenes in Karinkunnam 6s. In fact, I was all for a guest appearance, but later, director Deepu Karunakaran added more scenes to the story. I am happy to play the character who encouraged Manju’s character to bring out her best.”
The actor also reveals that the roles in Pa Va and the upcoming 10 Kalpanakal were his most challenging works till date. “In Pa Va, I got to play an 80-year-old with all the mannerisms and body language. I could experience the fun. I knew a lot of planters in Coorg and to do the role, I was inspired by their lives.”
Anoop’s look in Pa Va
So, how much preparation goes into the roles as he runs from one set to another? “When it comes to Malayalam, you can’t afford too much time for preparation. We shuttle between locations, put on makeup and go by the character as the directors explain. There is no special time-frame for an actor to prepare. In fact, Malayalam cinema doesn’t have the time or financial backup to run the production of one film for long,” says Anoop.
The actor is looking forward to the release of Don Max’s 10 Kalpanakal, in which he plays the main role along with Meera Jasmine. “It will be very good thriller. In the contemporary society where so many atrocities happen against women, this movie will be an answer to the miscreants. Meera plays the role of an investigative officer and I play the role of a forest officer. We both get embroiled in the same case; it is a murder mystery.”
Remembering a mystical occurrence in the set, Anoop says that the final shot of the climax felt like a divine intervention for the crew. “The climax has the introduction of a suspense character. We actually wanted a light from above because it was raining heavily, but the cameraman was not able to place the light due to the height of the ceiling. The light was planned for the shot, but we couldn’t go ahead because of the rain. But when Don prepared the shot, the clouds receded, the sun came out and there was a shaft of light through the roof which lit up the spot we needed. We were all thrilled; it was more like a divine intervention,” says Anoop.
At present, the actor is in Calicut, shooting for Jibu Jacob’s light-hearted comedy with Mohanlal. After that comes Aami, the most-awaited biopic of Kamala Suraiyya directed by Kamal, starring Vidya Balan. But the actor doesn’t disclose more. “I was in China when Kamal sir texted me, saying that he wanted to meet me. After the discussion, I landed in a prominent role in the movie. I am really excited about this one,” says Anoop.
Coming back to where we started, the actor concludes, “I take every minute as it comes. There is nothing guaranteed about your future and nothing you can do about your past. So I am just living in the present happily.”
