'I am blown away by the response to Jimikkikammal'

Sarath Kumar aka Appani Ravi talks about grooving to the peppy number, Jimikkikammal in Lal Jose's Velipadinte Pustakam and his upcoming projects
'I am blown away by the response to Jimikkikammal'

Though Sarath Kumar aka Appani Ravi got a very noticeable debut in Lijo Jose Pellissery's Angamaly Diaries, he needed his second movie to break into a dance, and how! The lithe actor just grooved to a peppy number Jimikkikammal in Lal Jose's Velipadinte Pustakam and we took note.

Quiz him about it, and Sarath says he isn't a dancer but just followed whatever Prasanna master told him to do. "I have been a theatre person. So, my body might have been suitable for dance. That said, I never danced before. While I signed up to play Franklin, Lal Jose sir had told me about the song and how I would lead the dance. So, I was kind of prepared," says Sarath.

But, he never expected it to go viral. "I was blown away by the response the track garnered. I am just grateful to each and everyone who listened to it," says the actor.

He also has an explanation as to what worked in his favour in Jimikkikamal. "I am dedicated to whatever I do. Then, I think Vineeth Sreenivasan's voice just suited me fine. I felt there was a sync between my moves and his voice. Since this is my first song, I don't have a previous example to follow," says Sarath.

So, how was the whole experience on the sets of Velipadinte Pustakam? "Terrific," says Sarath. "The most wonderful thing is Lalettan. I had never met Mohanlal before. In fact, I started dreaming of movies after seeing him on screen." Sarath says he was totally in awe when he met the star. "We have a lot of combination scenes. Working with Lal Jose was a great learning experience as well. I think I am fortunate to have worked with two great directors. While Lijo chettan's (Pellissery) style of working was a different kind of experience, Lal Jose sir has another approach. I learnt a lot from both. What more can I ask for," he says.

As for Franklin, his character, Sarath says, "He is a college hero. Franklin is someone who studies during the day and goes fishing at night. A hard-working kid, Franklin forges a bond with Prof Micheal Idicula, played by Mohanlal."

While Sarath is in Punalur shooting for Sachin, alongside Aju Varghese and Dhyan Sreenivasan right now, he has a packed schedule this year. "I am doing Odiyan and Kayamkulam Kochunni too. Then, there is Paippinchuvattile Pranayam and Pokkiri Simon lined up for release. Overall, it has been a good year," he says.

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