Drishyam was a milestone movie in Malayalam. And the greatest revelation of the movie was Kalabhavan Shajohn. The actor, who has been active in the movie industry since 1999, got a deserved breakthrough through his portrayal of the ruthless police constable Sahadevan. Since then, Shajohn’s career has been on a high note, the highlight of which was his dream Tamil debut through Shankar’s 2.0. However, the biggest surprise came when he announced his debut directorial movie Brother’s Day, with Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead.
“I have not planned anything in my life. It all happened spontaneously,” says Shajohn. For him, writing scripts is no new thing. He used to be part of script discussions for skits while he was busy with mimicry and stage shows. “I also directed a comedy show for Kairali TV. But directing a movie was not in my immediate plans. As I said, it just came my way. My life has always been connected to cinema. And I’m ready to do anything related to cinema, whether it is acting, direction or any other work.”
The scripting of Brother’s Day started in 2009. However, Shajohn got busy with many projects after Drishyam. He worked on it whenever time allowed him to. “The process was extensive. I wrote, revised and rewrote it. Then I read it to many of my friends, took their suggestions and again revised. Finally, when I felt the script was presentable, I called Prithviraj and he was so ready to hear the script. As soon as I finished the narration, Raju asked me to direct the movie. This came out of the blue as I wanted someone else to direct it. Raju said if I can narrate the script well, I could direct it, too. He said he would do the film if I was ready to direct it. That’s how I turned a director,” he says.
Shajohn with director Shanker during the shoot of 2.0
He asserts that Brother’s Day will be a complete entertainer. People expect it to be a comedy entertainer since Shajohn is directing it. “The movie is a cocktail of comedy, sentiments and action; an entertainer to be precise. I would say it will be a family-thriller movie.” Why Prithviraj? He has a definite answer for that. “I’m a commoner. My story will be about common people and their life. The central character has a myriad of emotions. When I finished writing, Raju’s face came to my mind. And he’s someone who makes his stands clear. If he doesn’t find a script impressing, he won’t commit it. Raju liked the script, but was not sure of his dates. But I said I’ll wait for Raju. This happened in 2016. In this March, the movie will go on floors.”
It was Prithviraj’s confidence that made Shajohn a director. However, he says he’s all ready to take up the challenge and has aligned a good crew for the project. “I have a specific idea about my cinema and how the scenes should be done. The crew members are my good friends, who can understand my thoughts. The script has all the ingredients for a good movie. Now, the challenge is to bring it impressively on screen. I’ve asked all my crew members to openly convey their suggestions to me. Cinema is all about teamwork.”
Shajohn is also a part of Prithviraj's debut directorial venture Lucifer, which is all set to release in March. “I play the character of Aloshi in the movie. He is the right-hand man of Stephen Nedumpally, the character played by Lalettan. It's a very powerful character.” He affirms that he loved and enjoyed working in the movie. He's also all praise for the director in Prithviraj. “He's a director with immense potential. Everyone including Lalettan is in awe of Raju. I was really impressed by the way Raju cares for the artistes and he made all of them very comfortable. He was sure of what he wants from an artiste and a scene. The movie will definitely be a treat to watch.”
He was last seen as the stylish don Abusi in Irupathiyonnam Noottandu. The movie saw him sharing screen space with Pranav Mohanlal. “Arun, the director of Irupathiyonnam Noottandu is a dear friend of mine. And to act with Pranav was a good experience. Appu(Pranav's nickname) is a very humble, yet reserved person.”
Possibly, acting in Shanker's 2.0 was the best thing happened to him in 2018. "When the call came from Shanker sir's office, I was not sure about doing the movie as I had already committed a show abroad. Surprisingly, he changed the schedule of the movie to accommodate me. I feel privileged for having been given such amount of importance by a great directo like him. He's a very simple man and is largely silent on the sets. The way Tamil industry treats its artistes will make us respect it more. They also give due respect to Malayalam artistes.”
Shajohn is currently shooting for Madhura Raja and Fancy Dress. On his 20-year career, he says, "I'm very happy. I started my career in 1999 Mani chettan's dupe in My Dear Karadi. The journey only got better as it progressed. I've been sincere to my work and will always be,” he wraps up.
