Actor Roshan Shanavas, who made a memorable screen debut in the 2024 Fahadh Faasil-starrer Aavesham, has now earned some of the strongest notices of his growing career with Abhinav Sunder Nayak's Mollywood Times. In the recently released film, headlined by Naslen as the doggedly aspiring filmmaker Vineeth Madhavan, in pursuit of greatness, Roshan plays the protagonist's best friend, Sujith Raj, a character who has sparked considerable conversation among audiences

Becoming Sujith Raj

"Ever since I watched Mukundan Unni Associates, I became a huge fan of his work," Roshan recalls. "I had even messaged him asking for an opportunity way before the call for Mollywood Times." When Abhinav eventually contacted him, the actor needed little convincing. "Abhi chettan initially just told me about the character of Sujith Raj and mentioned I'd need to lose some weight to appear younger. I was immediately excited. I'm a fanboy, so you can imagine my reaction," he says.

Reading the screenplay only deepened that excitement. Roshan explains that, unlike most scripts where actors instinctively gravitate towards their own parts, he found himself drawn first to the protagonist's journey. "I was so impressed by Vineeth Madhavan's journey, someone incredibly talented who keeps facing obstacle after obstacle. Only afterwards did I start thinking more about my own character." Many viewers have interpreted Vineeth as carrying traces of Abhinav himself. Roshan agrees. "There are moments where you feel you've seen parts of him reflected in Vineeth's character," he notes.

One of the film's most striking ideas is its suggestion that success is rarely determined by talent alone, a theme that resonated with Roshan personally. "The film talks about talent, passion, hard work, and luck. Someone can be extremely passionate and willing to work very hard, but luck still matters, and it can influence the outcome," he points out. That said, he does not subscribe entirely to the film's cynicism. "I personally believe that if we remain focused and continue working passionately, we can keep moving forward regardless of the obstacles," he maintains.

Roshan also speaks warmly about working alongside Naslen, whose performance has emerged as one of the film's most celebrated aspects. "From the very first day, it felt effortless. We travelled together for the portions where we played younger versions of the characters, and from that point it felt like we'd known each other for years," he recalls. What impressed him most was Naslen's command over demanding scenes. "I wasn't seeing Naslen anymore," he says with admiration. "I was seeing Vineeth Madhavan."

The role of Sujith Raj gradually revealed new dimensions for Roshan as filming progressed. Lengthy discussions with Abhinav and writer Ramu Sunil helped him uncover the emotional complexities driving the character. "The more we discussed the character, the more depth I discovered," he says. Asked what set Abhinav apart from the directors he has worked with, Roshan points to the filmmaker's clarity and openness. "His instructions were always very crisp. He knew exactly what he wanted from a scene," he says. Yet the environment remained collaborative throughout. "We could question a character's actions, discuss alternatives, and openly exchange ideas," he recounts. 

The debate around Sujith Raj

For all the praise Mollywood Times has received, the fate of Sujith has become one of its most divisive talking points. The character's journey in the film is not a gentle one. A boy from a marginalised community with genuine academic ability who makes it to medical college, loses his place there, and eventually finds himself in Vineeth's shadow as an assistant director, Sujith undergoes a series of transformations. That such a character has become one of the film's most argued-about elements is perhaps unsurprising. What surprises Roshan is the scale of it. "I never thought people would focus so much on my character," he says. "I think the credit goes to how Abhi chettan and Ramu chettan designed the character. I simply tried to portray him as honestly as possible."

The scene that keeps resurfacing in discussions is the one towards the end in which Sujith, after receiving an award, tells Vineeth that his identity is what has been recognised, prompting his bitter claim that mediocrity is being celebrated. Roshan sees the moment as the culmination of a frustration the character has been carrying for years. "Until that point, he is trying to understand why certain things happen the way they do. Then he reaches the conclusion that identity and background play a role in how people are treated and rewarded. That's the truth he is confronting, and it frustrates him," Roshan explains.

A dream that started online

Roshan's journey into cinema reflects a broader transformation within Malayalam cinema over the last few years, with the pandemic-era boom in digital content opening up fresh opportunities. Like many young actors who built visibility through YouTube and Instagram before entering mainstream films, he first found an audience through social media content. "I started making comedy sketches and Dubsmash videos in 2016," he recounts. "My ultimate goal was always cinema. Everything I did online was with that dream in mind."

For him, social media has fundamentally changed how aspiring talent gets noticed. "Today, it's much easier to showcase your talent because there's a massive audience online. You never know where a video might reach," he observes. Getting in, however, is only the first hurdle. "Continuing to do good work and building a career requires much more," he adds.

Having featured in Aavesham, Painkili, Nellikkampoyil Night Riders and now Mollywood Times, Roshan says every project has been a learning experience. Next up is Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju's romantic comedy Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, helmed by Premalu director Girish AD. Beyond that, Roshan says nothing has been finalised yet. "I'm trying to choose good projects and continue doing meaningful work," he says.