Who can forget his portrayal of Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, the nasty cop in Pushpa: The Rise (2021)? Actor Fahadh Faasil, who predominantly does Malayalam film besides Tamil and Telugu outings, is among the most sought-after actors for filmmakers across the country. Besides films, he also earned the status of being the poster boy for Malayalam OTT during the pandemic.

However, Faasil doesn’t believe that it was just his OTT releases that helped widen his appeal across the country. He says that out of the five films he shot during the pandemic, only three — C U Soon (2020), Joji and Irul (both 2021) — released directly on OTTs. “But I have a filmography of about 45 films. So, I think it’s that payback over time [that resulted in the pan-India appeal],” he says.

That said, he is well aware of the changes that OTT has brought about in terms of the way content is consumed now. “I think our entire generation is witnessing a massive change in terms of the audience, the experience we are trying to create with our films and also the making and marketing of the movies. There’s a lot of exploration happening,” he adds.

Unlike most actors who don’t enjoy playing a supporting character after playing the protagonist in films, Faasil played a supporting role in the Kamal Haasan-starrer Vikram (2022) and antagonist in Pushpa: The Rise and Maamannan. “I don’t do this (acting) for anyone else. I am in this purely for myself. My parents have only asked me to have fun. It’s not about being successful and happy,” he says.

He shares when directors from other industries such as Sukumar (Telugu), Mari Selvaraj or Lokesh Kanagaraj (both Tamil) approach him for work, he sees it “as an opportunity to learn something that I don’t know and explore things that are new to me”. The 40-year-old adds, “Be it Maamannan, Pushpa: The Rise or Super Deluxe (2019), I would have done all these films even if they were pitched to me in Malayalam. Whether I shoot for a Malayalam project or one in any other language, my excitement level is the same.”

The actor had once said that he’s had trouble working in other languages as they don’t allow him to perform without inhibitions. Is he more at ease now? “Not at all! I still have language barriers and I totally depend on the writers and directors. I have hurdles. I only do it because the exercise is fun. I still don’t think in any language other than Malayalam,” he ends.