Aju Varghese: I would not have found a better director for my Tamil debut than Ram sir

Aju Varghese, with over 140 titles in his 16-year career, is not new to having back-to-back releases. Following rave reviews for his guest role in Kerala Crime Files 2: The Hunt for CPO Ambili, the actor takes on another small yet crucial role in Ram's Paranthu Po, which also features Shiva and Grace Antony in lead roles. The film marks his Tamil debut, and notwithstanding his screen time in it, the actor says that it plays an integral part in the plot. "I chose it mainly because it is a film by Ram sir. Nivin Pauly is the reason for me and Grace being cast in the film; he referred both of us to him for it—he is our casting director," the actor laughs.

Speaking about his role in the Ram directorial, Aju shares, "I am in the film for four or five scenes, around eight minutes. While I play a husband—a familiar role for me—the character's life situation is something I have not encountered before in my career. It is a role with no cliches. Not everyone may praise the character, but it is important for the film to be complete."

Paranthu Po follows the story of a nuclear family, consisting of Shiva, Grace, and Master Mithul Ryan's characters. "Their dream of raising their child is the same as most Indian parents' dream," says Aju. On making his Tamil debut with Paranthu Po, he reveals, "When you are new to an industry, the first director you work with will become a mentor for you. I would not have found a better director for my first Tamil film than Ram sir. I am familiar with his cinema and have seen its intense and painful emotions. I also wanted to explore slightly serious roles."

Meanwhile, Paranthu Po marks the first collaboration between Shiva and Ram. "Shiva's sir's forte is comedy, as evident in projects such as Chennai 600028, Vanakkam Chennai and the Tamil Padam franchise. We love the fun side of his characters, but this (Paranthu Po) operates in a space of intense emotions. Naturally, I wondered how such a collaboration would unfold. Finally, the ship veered into his (Shiva) territory," says Aju as he bursts out in laughter. He adds, "Even so, the film, when I was part of it, had many funny moments. Comedy is a varied and diverse genre. There is plenty of scope for humour in painful situations. There are many eye-openers and laughter-inducing moments as we travel with the family in Paranthu Po." The actor adds that such films are quite common in Malayalam cinema, citing examples such as Maheshinte Prathikaram, Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, and Kumbalangi Nights. "In Tamil, I do not come across such films, although Tourist Family came out recently." The actor also reveals that because he always goes by the script and listens to his director, he did not face any language difficulty while working in his maiden Tamil feature. In a candid admission, he says, "Shiva sir has always been known for his spontaneity, which I do not have. I may be able to say the odd comeback line when in my friend circle, but I do not have it when in character."

Speaking of which, the actor has also found it challenging to reprise his role in Ahammed Khabeer’s Kerala Crime Files 2: The Hunt for CPO Ambili for multiple reasons. He has graduated from being SI Manoj in the first season to CI Manoj in the second. “Initially, I was scared about reprising the role,” Aju explains. “I moulded SI Manoj based on my director’s inputs, giving him specific mannerisms and expressions that I considered appropriate for the character at the time. Two years later, remembering every detail and avoiding unintended changes that might compromise authenticity proved a real challenge,” says the actor. He also notes, “The second challenge I faced came with the changes in the writers. Ashiq (Aimar) wrote the first season, Bahul (Ramesh) penned the second one. They have different approaches to writing, which means two different ‘voices’ for the same character.”

Aju had complete faith in the series’ creator Ahammed Khabeer’s ability to ensure authenticity. “I shared these misgivings with Ahammed, but he reassured me. I trust him blindly and consider him my second mentor after Vineeth (Sreenivasan). So when he tells me not to worry, why should I distrust him?”

According to Aju, some of Bahul’s choice of words are slightly complicated and are not part of daily conversations. “When the second season finally released, I realised that the audience has not considered it an issue. They thought of it as a case of the character becoming more mature over time,” reveals the actor. He elaborates, “I do not use the same words at 40 that I did as a teenager; for instance, 'adipoli' is not in my frequent vocabulary anymore. This evolution in language, I realised, added a dimension of maturity to the character. It was a significant learning experience, one I discussed with Bahul. Ultimately, acting often involves this 'trial and error' approach.”

Aju insists that Kerala Crime Files Season 2 only stars him in a guest role, but the actor is featured prominently in the series’ trailer and poster. Addressing whether it signals the rising stocks of Aju as a star, the actor remains humble. “I am an insecure actor, so I cannot project such an image. I feel confident about what I know, such as driving from Mookambika to Kodachadri in Aravindan (Aravindante Athidhikal). But I cannot take the same confidence in my stardom. If I were a secure actor, I might have felt different about it.”

The actor also played a key role as a toxic character in the recent series Perilloor Premier League. It is a major departure from the actor’s easily relatable and likeable characters, which can be considered the ‘everyman’ types. The actor shares that he did not fear whether the said departure would alienate him from his audience, but that he did consider the prospect of the same. “It is an interesting character. I used Arjun Asokan’s role in Romancham as a reference, which helped me handle the character without distancing it from the audience. It is easy to lose a grip of characters such as psychopaths, people with other mental disturbances, and alcoholics. If we deviate even a little from the right ‘metre’, it could become distasteful for the audience.”

Aju's willingness to take on roles like the toxic teacher in a small film like Sthanarthi Sreekuttan also aligns with his long-standing appreciation for experimental work from young talents in Malayalam cinema. “I have always appreciated experiments from young talents, having started young myself,” Aju states. He contrasts his work on films such as Love Action Drama—a highly profitable project in terms of satellite rights and overseas distribution—with smaller films like Saajan Bakery Since 1962. “Smaller projects are simply easier to handle,” he notes before adding, “They allow us to concentrate more on acting without the typical 'headache' of larger productions.”

Aju takes the same approach to acting as well. “I do not hear full screenplays because I wish not to overburden myself. I just want to know what my character should do in a particular scene so that I can concentrate between action and cut. I find it more comfortable working this way.”

The actor also reveals that he does not improvise because he “does not have that skill”. Speaking of which, he weighs in on his Kerala Crime Files co-star Lal’s remark criticising improvisation in acting, using Jagathy Sreekumar as an example, which has courted controversy and backlash from the public. Aju, who works with Jagathy in the zombie film Vala, says that the audience response is understandable considering Jagathy’s legendary status and prolonged absence from cinema. “There must be reasons for Lal sir’s comment from a director’s point of view, but such an emotional outburst is natural when you mention a legend like Jagathy sir, who has not been active for the last 13 years, in such a conversation. Directors must have allowed for Jagathy sir’s improvisations to be part of the final cut. Ultimately, it is up to the director's discretion.”