Sharafudheen: My film choices balance my personal likes and audience's expectations

Actors starting off with comedy roles before transitioning to character roles and shouldering films on their own is nothing new in Malayalam cinema. The industry has always been rich with such talents. The latest entrant to this illustrious list that has names like Jagathy Sreekumar, Kalabhavan Mani, Salim Kumar, Suraj Venjaramoodu, and Indrans, is Sharafudheen. Though he debuted with Neram (2013), his breakthrough role came in Premam (2015), in which he played the role of a roadside Romeo named Girirajan Kozhi. His iconic proposal scene and his deadpan dialogue delivery found huge popularity among the then Dubsmash-crazy netizens and instantly put him on the map.

From Premam to his most recent release Ntikkakkakkoru Premondarnn, a lot has changed in Sharafudheen's career. The flirt who rambled random pickup lines is now a charmer who can melt hearts with a casual smile. Sharafudheen is now a bankable actor headlining projects and doing author-backed roles, all the while ensuring that the 'stereotype bug' doesn't bite him. "Lately, I've been doing a lot of light-hearted films, and when I realised it's a loop, I temporarily put a hold on it. I don't want the audience to approach my films with a preconceived mindset", says the actor, who also believes that the OTT boom has given audiences certain reservations about watching light-hearted family dramas on the big screen. "For an average audience to visit theatres today, the film should have something larger-than-life, or it should be extremely funny. If you see the recent trend in Malayalam cinema, there's no case of average grossers. It's either a blockbuster or a complete washout. The success stories of Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey, Malikappuram and Romancham are there right before us." This observation is true even with Sharafudheen's recent release, Ntikkakkakkoru Premondarnn, which had a decent response from critics and audience, but had a tepid run in theatres. "I'm slightly disappointed with it because the feedback I got was largely positive. I'm also not sure if it's because people are hesitant to share their honest thoughts with me."

Leaving the box office numbers aside, the film definitely had some memorable takeaways—Bhavana's much-awaited comeback, Sharafudheen's charming performance in a romantic role and the duo's adorable chemistry. An avid fan of intense love stories, Sharafudheen says his exposure to such films increased his confidence to take up romantic films. "I've always been fascinated by films like Innale, Moondram Pirai, and Kaadhal. I also feel that for an actor to establish himself as a hero, it's vital that he does a good love story. It will familiarise the actor with the young audience, who make a majority of the movie-going crowd." Perhaps, developing a 'nice-guy' image was his first step in becoming a romantic hero. His Good Samaritan roles in films like Halal Love Story, Aarkkariyam, Naaradan and Priyan Ottathilanu had him exuding a certain warmth and rare sense of genuineness that made him an audience favourite. "I think it was Aarkkariyam that changed things for me. Working with a genius like Sanu (Varughese) chettan improved a lot of my perceptions. The film resonated with a niche crowd, and I loved how they responded. It opened doors for a lot of promising projects for me."

Before Aarkkariyam, the Malayali audience saw glimpses of Sharafudheen's potential in Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela, Carbon, Aadhi, and Varathan. "There was a phase when I was stuck doing fun side-kick roles. That's when my friends pushed me to do Njandu... and it earned me good feedback. But the real image-breaker was Varathan," says Sharafudheen, who till then was cast in the typical guy-next-door comedy roles. "When this role of a ruthless villain came to me, I was confident of doing it, but I wasn't really sure if it would work. It was Amal (Neerad) ettan who trusted and motivated me."

Sharafudheen considers himself fortunate to have got such meaty roles at regular points in his career. "I'm not brilliant enough to plan my career. I listen to narrations like a common audience, and rely more on my instincts. It has also resulted in a few mistakes." Delving deeper into his errors in judgement, Sharafudheen says, "In the last one year or so, I think I made a mistake by focusing more on my characters than the scripts. Right now, I'm at a point where I need to find a fine balance between 'what I like' and 'what people would like'. For example, out of all the films that I've done so far, the one that my daughters love the most is Children's Park. Remember, it's a film that didn't do well in theatres. So you never know who likes what. I'm trying to mix it up with films that please the cinema fan in me and ones that people expect from me."

Sharafudheen is currently shooting for his Tamil debut, an ambitious big-scale film. "I'm working with a bunch of people I've always looked up to, but I'm not at liberty to reveal any further details," says the clearly excited actor. In Malayalam, he next has Madhura Manohara Moham, which is also a light-hearted entertainer. However, Sharafudheen reveals that his heart beats fonder for raw and intense films. "I'm a big fan of gritty films. I love films like Seven Samurai, Saving Private Ryan, and Chak De India where the story is about a bunch of people's determination to accomplish something considered impossible." 

While conversing with Sharafudheen, one can sense how serious a cinephile he is. "I feel embarrassed when I realise that I haven't watched a film that everyone else is talking about." When asked about his favourite filmmakers, he instantly names Alejandro González Iñárritu, Vetrimaaran, KG George and Padmarajan. And as the conversation moves to his favourite actors, Sharafudheen can't stop gushing about his Rorschach co-star, Mammootty. "I'm a Kamal Haasan fan, but I believe that there's nobody in Indian cinema who can be compared to Mammukka. I've worked with him in only one film, but that experience was enough to understand why he is in this position. Usually, we all reach a point where we become complacent and laidback. But not Mammukka. His excitement and hunger to keep attempting something new is remarkable. He's a textbook that every upcoming actor should religiously follow."

Sharafudheen also mentions names like Naseeruddin Shah, Irrfan Khan, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui among his favorite actors. One common trait among these actors is their versatility, and Sharafudheen also aspires for the same. "These are people who never aimed for stardom. Once you're a star, there's a lot of responsibility that comes with it. I think an actor can bring out his best only when he's not burdened by that responsibility. I definitely don't want that responsibility now."