Vinay Rai delivers a stylish and compelling performance in Akhil Paul and Anas Khan’s recent thriller Identity, now streaming on ZEE5. Despite the positive reception to his performance, Vinay remains grounded, acknowledging the importance of voice in acting. “I commended Amal (Jose) on his excellent dubbing work,” Vinay shares. “He also dubbed for me in Christopher (2023). I am still learning Malayalam, and while I tried dubbing for Identity myself, I felt it sounded too anglicised for people to buy.”
Despite the mixed reactions to the film, Vinay regards his involvement in Identity as his “greatest gift of the year” so far. Crediting Akhil and Anas for the screenplay, he says, “I was fortunate to collaborate with such a talented and dedicated team, including Akhil, Anas, Tovi (Tovino Thomas), DOP Akhil George, editor Chaman Chakko, and the rest of the crew. Akhil's direction allowed me considerable creative freedom in developing my character.”
The film's intriguing concept of 'facial blindness' presented a unique challenge for Vinay with Tovino. “Beyond all the fights, our biggest task was to keep the audience guessing about our characters’ motivations,” explains Vinay. “Tovi and I had to maintain a strong on-screen camaraderie. Thankfully, Akhil and Anas gave us the liberty to question the screenplay, which helped bring out the best in each of us,” asserts Vinay, adding, “I have never collaborated this way in my 18-year career.”
Vinay has been part of many multi-starrers, but the actor says that he has never considered carving out a space for himself in these films. “When I read a screenplay, I only focus on how to be true to my craft. I trust the director's vision and am happy to adjust my performance as necessary,” points out Vinay. Adding on, the actor quips, “On the sets of Identity, I even talked to Tovi about occasionally overacting and breaking out of character between takes.”
Vinay embraces negative characters. “An antagonist is the hero of their own story,” he explains. “I have to understand their motivations and commit fully to the role.” He says that playing a villain is “part of the job” and that it does not affect him mentally, regardless of how reprehensible the character’s actions may be in a film. “The greatest compliment is audience appreciation. It makes all the hard work worthwhile. I will go to any extent to entertain the public. For example, in Etharkkum Thunindhavan, I was even prepared to do a shot at a cannibalistic level.”
Speaking of cannibalism, the actor acknowledges the current success of Malayalam cinema, noting the popularity of a violence-heavy film such as Marco beyond Kerala. "Malayalam cinema is killing it not just in Kerala but in North India as well," he notes.
For Vinay, an actor with no film school background, the biggest takeaway from working in Malayalam cinema is the opportunity to collaborate with revered actors and be part of incredible storylines. “If I can borrow ideas from the actors around me, I will use them in another film,” he shares, recalling his experience working with Kalabhaban Mani in Modhi Vilayadu (2009). “For me, that was school. I would intently observe Mani sir's performance to pick up all the little nuances in it. Such as how an actor gets into and gets out of character between action and cut. In fact, Aju (Varghese) did something like that during Identity, something new for me, which I would probably use in my next movie.”
While gushing over the quality of content and actors in Malayalam cinema, Vinay says he has not been able to find time to see some of the top films that have come out recently, because he had two releases back-to-back. In the other film, Kadhalikka Neramillai, a Tamil rom-com starring Ravi Mohan and Nithya Menen in the lead, Vinay plays a gay character for the first time in his career. While the film has earned critical and commercial appreciation, there has been a polarising response to his character in it. However, the actor says that he “saw that coming.” Reflecting on it, he explains, “I am no longer a leading man, so I am at liberty to choose any role. As for Kadhalikka Neramillai, I think it lightly touches upon how today's society looks at a gay character. Gay marriages are a part and parcel of this day and age, and cinema is a replica of life. I stand by Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi’s story completely, and she did a great job with it. A gay does not have to be fancy, with his hands out, and so forth. There are also people like this.”