Actor-filmmaker Fahadh Faasil is a unique phenomenon in Indian cinema. He might suddenly be everywhere one moment, completely away from the spotlight in another, and fleeting in and out of it the rest of the time. Stardom sits lightly on his shoulders, and Fahadh’s unassuming demeanour makes one wonder if the burden of being a much-loved superstar ever gets to him. Even as Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, Fahadh’s latest as a producer, is rewriting box-office history in Malayalam cinema, Fahadh, the actor, is coming up with Don’t Trouble the Trouble, his first Telugu film as a lead. Directed by Shashank Yeleti, the film is presented by SS Rajamouli and produced by SS Karthikeya, Shobu Yarlagadda, and Prasad Devineni. “I've never heard a story like this before. It reminded me of my favourite childhood films like Anjali and My Dear Kuttichathan. Of course, Don’t Trouble the Trouble isn’t related to these films, but it will remind you of all those films, and your childhood,” says Fahadh, who quickly asserts that it is more than just a children’s film. “There is beauty and honesty in the film, and it will appeal to the child in us, as well.”
Fahadh plays a street magician of sorts in Don’t Trouble the Trouble, which is quite different and lighter than the kind of roles we’ve seen him play over the years. “Even here, there are strong and intense aspects to my character. I am a magician, but essentially, I am a fraud,” says Fahadh, sporting a cheeky smile. Considering he is quite a recluse and isn’t quite active on social media, Fahadh becomes an actor extraordinaire when the camera is on. He can be a menacing cop in Pushpa, a mischievous thief in Maareesan, a tech-savvy villain with a world-domination agenda in Patriot, and a happy-go-lucky yet vicious gangster in Aavesham. But what kind of role challenges him the most? “It's the simpler roles that are the toughest. I have to make the audience like it even without embellishments. An Aavesham is easier. I can do a Ranga with much more ease than a film like Don’t Trouble the Trouble,” reveals Fahadh, who strongly believes that he doesn’t see a lot of differentiation between playing a hero or a villain. “I am an artist, and I want the audience to see me as one. Not a hero, not a villain, but an actor.”
But Fahadh has another avatar as a producer, and he opens up about how differently the two professions make him think. “Honestly, I am a very expensive producer. My priority on my own production is to make everything the director wants possible, and to help them get what they envisioned. On the other hand, when I work for another producer, my goal is to reduce costs and everything. These are two different things altogether,” says Fahadh, who shares that Don’t Trouble the Trouble was shot in real locations, and it was more stressful for the team than it was for him. “Back in Kerala, we always shoot in live locations. In the first few days in Hyderabad, we had issues with crowd control, among other things. But then, once we had clear plans in place, everything felt controlled. We shot on the main roads of the city, around Charminar, during peak hours, at midnight, etc.”
Another challenge for Fahadh was the language, because Telugu wasn't something he was most comfortable with. “My thinking process is in Malayalam. Initially, it was a little difficult on set, but Shashank, who also wrote Don’t Trouble the Trouble, spent a month during pre-production to ensure everything was on point,” says the actor, who also learnt something very important during the promotions of the film. The trailer for Don’t Trouble the Trouble, which is being released in Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam, featured narration from Kamal Haasan, Mohanlal, and Nandamuri Balakrishna. “You know what was most surprising about their involvement? They immediately agreed and were so happy about it. I thought it was important to do such gestures, too. That’s how you give back to cinema, I guess,” says Fahadh, who points out the makers have done their best to ensure each version of the film feels authentic to its audience.
Fahadh’s father and veteran director Fazil hasn’t directed a film since 2011, and when asked if he would be willing to back a project helmed by him, the actor-producer didn’t miss a beat. “I will do anything for him. I’ve been asking him to direct a film for a while now, but he has done it all, and it seems to be enjoying this phase. He watches a lot of films, guides us through our projects, and in fact, he was the first one to say Bethlehem Kudumba Unit had all the makings of a blockbuster,” says Fahadh, who circles back to Don’t Trouble the Trouble, and points out that working with a much younger team was an enjoyable experience for him. “I am in no hurry to do films. I start a project only when I am ready and really clear about how the film will turn out. For instance, in Don’t Trouble the Trouble, the team is at least a decade younger than me. Spending time with them and understanding their perspective pumps me up with energy. It is like doing something for the first time, and that is not something you get often in this line of work,” signs off Fahadh.
