'Had to put on some weight for my character'

...says actor Krishna Shankar as he talks to us about his upcoming film, Thobama 
'Had to put on some weight for my character'

Though Krishna Shankar made his debut in Alphonse Puthren's Neram, it was Premam that turned him into a household name. In the film, the actor played Koya, one of Nivin Pauly's best friends. Krishna will be seen once again in an Alphonse Puthren film, but this time produced by him. Directed by Mohsin Kassim, the film, titled Thobama, is expected to be released on April 27. What's more interesting is the fact that both his co-stars in the film -- Siju Wilson and Sharaf U Dheen -- have also appeared in Neram and Premam.

In a small chat with Cinema Express, Krishna spoke a little about his character and the film in general, which he calls a 'family-friendly entertainer'. First, he explains the film's odd title: "The title is combination of the first two letters of the main characters' names -- Tommy, Balu, Mammu. I play Mammu." 

Despite the fact that Puthren is the producer, Krishna says that Thobama will bear no resemblance whatsoever to Premam. "The directing styles of Puthren and Mohsin Kassim are miles apart. This is not a campus story. It's about three friends, who were born under three different circumstances. And all three have their own goals. It's a simple, realistic, and humour-filled tale of friendship. You could call it a coming-of-age story that carries an appeal for youngsters."

Krishna describes his character Mammu as a guy who wants to be a movie star. "But the funny thing is that he doesn't know how to act. Plus, he is a little chubby. His friends call him thadiyan (fatso). So, naturally, I had to change my look for this role. I had to pile on the pounds. Initially, I weighed 68 kg, and for this film, it went up to to 83 kg. It was quite a challenge. I had to walk around with a pot belly and all," he laughs.

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