The recent JioHotstar series Love Always drove home the essential point of living life to the fullest and choosing oneself. Actor Jayaprakash, who played Kannan in the series, opens up that he has been fortunate enough to do things he wished and does not have any regrets. "If I did not do something in life, maybe it was not so important in the first place," he begins.
The series, filled with fantasy elements, also discusses some very close-to-home themes like pursuing something that someone wants to and walking out of a relationship even at a point that is usually considered the last leg in their lifespan. Jayaprakash says the boredom of 60s monotony and the desire to break free of it is not just a product of fiction. "The plot of the series is more real-world than one would think. People in their sixties, once their responsibilities are fulfilled, will start looking inward and carry regrets about not living life on their terms. Pretty much like Manjula (Jayasudha), there are people who, after having grandchildren, feel the relationship is enough," he quips.
But having said that, he shares that relationships require a healthy amount of disagreements and conflicts, and that not all conflicts need to result in separation. "What is also an equally boring life is not arguing with your partner. It is to choose to stay with a person even after a disagreement. Relationships, after all, are contending with someone and still staying in love," he says, adding that this level of healthy conflicts is the reason why his ongoing JioHotstar series Court is finding favour among audiences. "The disagreements between Yazhini (Yogalakshmi) and her father Rajasekhar (Jayaprakash) stem from their respective egos, and the locking of horns stays in the perfect spot of a father-daughter conflict. If overdone, that could turn into a hero-villain animosity. Gauging that perfect metre was the reason for Court's success."
Personally, he feels Court has made him even more familiar with people. "Neighbours in my gated community during walks ask me what I am working on next. But now they come straight and tell me they liked my performance from a particular episode," shares a satisfied Jayaprakash, someone who once never thought he had it in him to become an actor. "Cheran kept pursuing me to act in his film, but I kept putting off, saying he was wasting money on me. I was working from the age of 20 and was running a business. I never set my sight in films. I was a reluctant actor in my first few films. Only then did I realise that life has given me a second chance."
Shifting focus back to Love Always, Jayaprakash says the time to bond was crucial since there are four actors playing two people in different times. "Our (Jayaprakash, Jayasudha, Gouri G Kishan and Ramzan) mannerisms and body language became muscle memory as we were able to bond a lot. Being a supporting actor in films, even if my part is very important, I will only be required to spend a maximum of 10 days on sets. In Love Always, I was part of the shoot throughout. So it helped in our bonding, and that improved our performances too." Not just with his co-stars, Jayaprakash also shares a healthy rapport with director Madhumita. "Even before we completed Love Always, I felt like working with her again. She is exceptionally talented. She cracks jokes with her and then something like Harry Potter's wand comes out, and she turns professional-like almost instantly. Her team was also exceptional."
The biggest positive of Love Always, Jayaprakash believes, is that people can take whatever they want from the series. "It caters both to those who want fun and fantasy elements and also people looking for deep insights in life. People, irrespective of their age or marital status, will be pushed to think that they can do better and live better." He also remarks that Love Always imparts a very important message that love is not always a bed of roses, and negotiations are key in a relationship. "Alaipayuthey is revolutionary for this reason. The film doesn't peddle the idea of 'happily ever after' once the hero ties the thaali to the heroine. Staying and not just falling in love completes a love story. People will sneer at sermons about these topics; I feel Love Always succeeds on that count, maintaining a light treatment.”
