Fahadh Faasil did not return to cinema expecting to build a career spanning more than 60 films across Indian film industries. After his debut, Kaiyethum Doorath, failed at the box office, he left for America, unsure if he would ever return to acting. “My first film in 2002 flopped, and two days later I left for America. I thought I would probably settle there permanently,” he says.

When he eventually returned to acting, his plan was to do just one film before heading back to the US. That brief return turned into a career spanning Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu cinema, with roles that have continued to push him into unfamiliar territory. In conversation with Hyderabad Times, Fahadh discusses his latest Telugu film, Don't Trouble The Trouble, and the experiences that continue to challenge him as an actor. Excerpts...

While Fahadh made a mark as Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat in Pushpa: The Rise and Pushpa: The Rule, his role in the franchise remained that of a supporting antagonist. With Don't Trouble The Trouble, however, the actor steps into a different league, taking on the lead role in a Telugu film for the first time. The shift brings with it a more demanding engagement with the language, one that goes beyond delivering dialogue to thinking and expressing himself in Telugu.

“I have mostly worked in Malayalam before, so the challenge was not just speaking Telugu but thinking in Telugu. My natural thought process happens in Malayalam, then I translate it into English and finally express it in Telugu, which is not a very smooth process,” he explains, adding, “Learning a new language and training myself to think in it was challenging, but I genuinely enjoyed the process.”

Taking on a Telugu film as a lead was a new experience for Fahadh. Despite the film’s underwhelming box-office performance, he says the project gave him an opportunity to explore something different as an actor. “When I was called for this film, I heard the story and felt like it was something I had never experienced before. It was unlike anything I had come across,” he says.

The supernatural fantasy also offered a change from the kind of roles Fahadh has usually taken up in Malayalam cinema. “My films in Malayalam are mostly rooted in subtle performances and quiet storytelling. This was a refreshing change, and I was excited to be part of it. I was happy that they approached me because there is so much talent here, and I didn’t want to miss this opportunity,” he shares.

Having produced films such as Premalu and Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, Fahadh wears both actor and producer hats, but when asked which side of filmmaking he enjoys more, he says production wins hands down. “Acting is much harder. Production is actually enjoyable. I genuinely love the process of producing films,” he shares.

On his approach to filmmaking, Fahadh emphasizes the importance of having a clear plan without leaving no room for spontaneity on set. He prefers to know how a story unfolds before filming begins, while allowing scenes to evolve organically during the shoot. “I won’t start a film without knowing the beginning, midpoint and ending. But once the shoot begins, everyone should have the freedom to organically improve scenes rather than strictly sticking to what is written on paper,” he explains.

Fahadh has built a reputation for portraying characters with shades of grey, from the casteist antagonist Rathnavelu in Maamannan and the aggressive Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat in Pushpa: The Rise to Dhayalan, the thief in Maareesan. Asked what draws him to morally ambiguous characters and their journeys, the actor says, “Yes, I am drawn to them. I think every human being carries those shades within themselves. It is a part of human nature. I enjoy exploring those complexities.”

This year, franchise films like Stree 2, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 and Pushpa 2: The Rule emerged as the some of the biggest box-office successes. However, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, who garnered a lot of appreciation for his OTT release, Amar Singh Chamkila, earlier in the year, feels that it’s more important to make a good film.

He says, “Lot of twos have worked this year, and I guess people will get on with making sequels, but I will not make a two! Film acchi hona zaroori hai; chahe woh two ho ya one usse kam farak padta hai. Filmmaking is a one-to-two-years-long process, so I need to have an obsessive interest in the project and not ki woh paise kitne kamayegi.”

Meanwhile, there were recent reports of Ali teaming up with South actor Fahadh Faasil and Triptii Dimri for a movie titled Idiots of Istanbul.

However, the filmmaker clarifies, “Nothing has been finalized yet. I love good actors, and Fahadh is an exceptional actor. As a director, I’m excited to work with him, but the news has come out prematurely. Yes, I have met him, and we are trying to stitch a project together. But, woh kab hoga, kya hoga yeh sab information mere paas bhi nahin hai. Officially, no announcement has been made.”

So, what’s next? “I am still trying to work out a few stories. I have written three films and will be producing and directing all of them. I can’t say which one will go to the floor first; there is a possibility that another film might start first.”

About the year gone by, he says, “Trade logic works on an actor’s last outing and the opening number it can achieve. But, films don’t work on financial logic, they work on emotional logic. So, it was a positive year as we could demonstrate that a good film will work whether it’s a small or a big film.”

Less than a month after playing a menacing villain on the big screen in Karan Johar and Guneet Monga Kapoor’s Kill, Raghav Juyal is ready to present a stark departure on OTT with Umesh Bisht’s Gyaarah Gyaarah. The upcoming ZEE5 sci-fi thriller series features the actor-choreographer as a cop battling past traumas and deep-seated insecurities. Juyal is more than thrilled to showcase his range to the audience so soon after his previous role.

“When my mother watched Kill, she told Umesh sir, ‘Mujhe iss ladke ne kahin muh dikhane layak nahi chhoda.’ He replied, ‘You come after one month; I will correct his image.’ I feel blessed that within a month I have an entirely different character to showcase. This was more challenging than the [character] I played in Kill. This show will give me my real identity,” he says.

The challenge lay in the character’s complex inner world, which Juyal says he initially found difficult to crack.

“Gyaarah Gyaarah went on floors two to three months after I wrapped up Kill. It took time to get out of the body language of my antagonist character. It was difficult initially. There’s a lot of anxiety and angst in this guy. This one was as anxious as cool and breezy my character was in Kill,” says the actor.

Life has evidently changed for Juyal since the release of Kill, directed by Nikhil Bhat. The one change he is enjoying is the industry’s newfound appreciation for him. “The behaviour of industry people has changed. From Fahadh Faasil to Anurag Kashyap, all the people I have looked up to for inspiration, have reached out to me. I have received immense validation from the industry. Even if four people outside the industry don’t know you, it’s okay, but filmmakers should know you,” he smiles.

Actor Vikrant Massey is among the top contenders for the 70th National Film Award this year for his performance in Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail. The biographical film received positive reviews, and Massey’s portrayal of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma, in particular, amassed a lot of love from fans and critics alike. In fact, soon after the film released in December last year, actor Urmila Matondkar and businessman Anand Mahindra took to X and expressed that Massey’s poignant performance merited a National Award.

Ahead of the 2024 National Film Awards’ announcement next month, we ask Massey how his current state of mind is. “Let’s see, I don’t want to jinx it by talking about it too much,” he jokes. 

Humbled by all the praise and encouragement coming his way, Massey states that just being considered worthy of the honour makes him feel proud of his craft. “To be considered [for the award] in a year where many performances stood out and were respected... I think I’m already in the good club, and I’m happy about that,” he shares.

The actor goes on to laud the other commendable performances that are vying for the prestigious award. “There were some incredible performances last year, like what Vicky (Kaushal, actor) did in Sam Bahadur, and the amount of hard work he put in for that role was phenomenal. I know this because Meghna Gulzar (director) is a dear friend of mine,” he continues, “Fahadh’s (Faasil, actor) Aavesham and Prithviraj’s (Sukumaran, actor) Aadujeevitham - The Goat Life were equally good.”

Massey’s co-star from 12th Fail, Medha Shankr, also received appreciation from all quarters for her role as Shraddha Joshi, Kumar’s better half.

Filmmaker SS Rajamouli introduced the Indian audience to the kingdom of Mahishmati with his Baahubali franchise. Two blockbusters later, the kingdom continues to harbour many more stories as seen in Baahubali: Crown Of Blood. The animation series has been designed as a prequel, which shows Baahubali and Bhallaladeva unite to defend the kingdom against the warlord, Raktadeva. Rajesh Khattar, who has lent his voice to Raktadeva in the Disney+ Hotstar offering, says his character adds intrigue to the story.

He explains, “He doesn’t want to conquer Mahishmati, he wants to destroy it. The strongest aspect here is the story. There is something way more intriguing than ‘Katappa ne Baahubali ko kyun maara?’”

Many may wonder whether animation will do justice to the franchise’s larger-than-life experience. Why wasn’t this designed as a web series instead of an animated feature? “The idea is to expand the formats in which Baahubali exists. [A web series] needs an exhaustive shoot and Rajamouli sir was busy with RRR [2022]. This was the right thing to do,” states Khattar.

The series’ voice cast includes Sharad Kelkar as Baahubali, Manoj Pande as Bhallaladeva and Mausam as Sivagami. Khattar rues that voiceover artistes are not given their due.

“When the voices of top stars are used, there is a certain billing and the studios pay big money. But due credit must be given for the voice that suits a character, and not for a star’s face. Voice actors are never given their due. I started getting my due when Ram Gopal Varma credited me for Sudeep’s voice [in Phoonk]. With movies like Pushpa: The Rise - Part 01 [2021] doing well in Hindi, I got recognition when I dubbed for Fahadh [Faasil] or Shreyas did for Allu [Arjun]. Dubbing artistes shouldn’t remain faceless and nameless entities.”

Malayalam star Fahadh Faasil, acclaimed for his recent release, Aavesham, has chalked out the difference between Malayalam cinema and the rest of Indian cinema. The actor, renowned for his roles in Maheshinte Prathikaaram (2016), Kumbalangi Nights (2019), Malik (2021), Joji (2021), and others, highlighted that Malayalam cinema still lacks substantial support from OTT platforms.

In an interview, Faasil said, “The trade has grown for Malayalam cinema, but our films even now don’t have a solid back-up of an online streaming platform. We need to prove our mettle in theatres for any of these things to come in. Unlike the rest of India, where almost 80 per cent of films are sold even before the shoot is started, things are different for us.”

Faasil claims that in case of Malayalam films, the potential of a movie is determined first, before OTT platforms put it out for streaming purposes.

The actor said, “Our model is not that, we need to finish the film and release it to demonstrate its potential before it gains traction on OTT platforms. This approach has influenced our industry’s cinematic culture, emphasizing the importance of crafting compelling stories and producing quality content.”

Faasil will next be seen as the antagonist in Pushpa 2 - The Rule.

Rajinikanth has been busy shooting for his next big film, tentatively titled Thalaivar 170. The film has been a point of discussion even in the Hindi space owing to the fact that it will feature Rajinikanth and actor Amitabh Bachchan together on screen after 33 years. The team wrapped up one of the initial schedules of the film in Mumbai earlier this week.

Now, we’ve exclusively learnt that the shoot will continue in Chennai after a brief breather. “After a power-packed schedule, Rajinikanth and team have taken a break for Diwali. It’ll resume on November 13 and will go on for 20 days,” shares the insider, adding, “Reports of them going back to Kerala, where the first schedule of the film was done, are not true. They are already done with the Kerala part and will now move to other cities.”

Ask if Bachchan will join the team for the Chennai schedule, and the source says, “No, he shot most part of it in Mumbai and won’t be coming to Chennai for now. It will only be Rajinikanth and the rest of the team including (actors) Fahadh Faasil, Rana Daggubati and others.”

However, another source tells us Bachchan isn’t done yet and will rejoin the cast. “According to the discussions that are going on, the actor has given 10 days to the team and he will be flying down to Chennai for the shoot. He had a great time in Mumbai and is looking forward to joining the cast again,” the insider tells us.

Earlier, our sources had informed us about the film’s theme. “From what is being discussed, the movie is about the education system and how it has been corrupted over the years. The big shots have made education into a business, because of which the common man is suffering,” the source had said.

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.

It took him five years to return to direct a full-blown Bollywood film after Begum Jaan in 2017. In a conversation with Bombay Times, National Award-winning director Srijit Mukherji talks about making his upcoming film,

Shabaash Mithu headlined by Taapsee Pannu, which is based on the life of ace cricketer Mithali Raj, his passion for the sport and the changing norms of content creation today. Excerpts:

It was difficult. The pre-production work was already over and I had to restructure it. The original plan had to be changed. Looking at the way modern cricket-watching has evolved, we could not shoot matches for real. We decided to use footage, which was the more prudent thing to do. Also, we were shooting with COVID scare still in the air. A lot of locations became out of bounds and so on. So, we had to restructure the blueprint, which was challenging, but we managed well. As an ardent cricket follower, I was clear about how those portions had to be shot and shown in the movie.

We even cast many state-level players in the film, which is easier than training actors to become cricketers. Also, I reinstated certain things that had been taken out of the original screenplay. The points where your vision doesn’t match the writer’s or the studio that’s backing the film, is where you have to arrive at a consensus, which I enjoyed.

It started with our first meeting where we started talking about her stance and I suggested some technical changes to the way she held the bat and her body language. Subsequently, it turned into a freewheeling chat about issues like how there is inherent sexism in the way cricket is perceived in India, the lack of focus on women’s issues, how Mithali has been vociferous about these matters and has fought a hard battle for several years. I’ve followed Taapsee on social media, and she has similar views about sexism, pay parity and so on. We also discussed how much the script emphasizes on these points, how the message in the film should be strong but put across subtly without being preachy and how we should do all of this without sacrificing the cricket portions. I was extremely excited to work with Taapsee. I had first met her when Pink had released, and we’ve been in touch since then. We always discussed stories, but I guess the stars aligned themselves for this special project. Taapsee lends herself wonderfully to the role — she’s incredibly hardworking and a natural athlete. Cricket is my first passion in life. I ventured into it as a writer, a commentator and a reader. I’m glad Taapsee and I came together to make Shabaash Mithu.

Most of the sequences depicted in the film have happened in Mithali’s life. Our writer, Priya Aven, has articulated them wonderfully in the screenplay. I just shot them dramatically, which I felt was needed. Before every sequence, Priya, Taapsee and I would discuss everything — from the setting to the dialogues to how they had to be delivered to ensure that they don’t sound textbookish. While writing the film, Priya shadowed Mithali, interviewed her and spoke to her at length. After that, when I joined in, I also started interacting with Mithali. She would be at different tournaments and in bio bubbles, but she would answer all my queries. I had a lot of technical questions about the evolution of her stance, her grip, whether she had ever done any sledging on the field, her evolving body language and her stroke-making style. These were small, but extremely important parts of depicting her journey on screen. Shooting the cricket portions was the most difficult aspect. We were still in the thick of the pandemic. Also, there was a lot of rain to be battled. Shooting outdoors was a nightmare. Strangely, the only thing that favoured us was that the grounds could be kept empty. India mein women’s cricket mein stadium nahi bharte, so we didn’t have to show that, which was an advantage as far as shooting the film was concerned at that time.

It took this long because of Sourav Ganguly. I’m fond of dada and I wanted to start by making his biopic. We kept exchanging notes and I had researched and figured out everything. We kept discussing things over three-four years, but he was so busy that we couldn’t make this work. I couldn’t translate my research into something concrete. So, when Shabaash Mithu came to me, I informed him and he was happy for me. In fact, he said, ‘She is legendary. You must do this well.’ Now, I hear his biopic is being made by another production house.

My first Hindi film didn’t work at the box office. I got Ray because my direction was appreciated for Begum Jaan. Success begets success in Bollywood. Begum Jaan barely broke even. With that tag, it gets difficult. If it were a hit, I would have had more offers. But trust me, I didn’t mind it because I feel it’s important to tell stories, irrespective of the language. Today, I want to make films in different languages. I want to make a movie in Malayalam with Fahadh Faasil. I am in talks for a web series where I want to cast a brilliant artiste like Nimisha Sajayan.

OTT has broken the language barrier. Fahad and Nimisha have a following all over the country. In the last five years, I won three National Awards for my Bengali films. I have travelled to festivals with my material and had a blast. I am ready to work in any language, as long as I work on my terms. When I was making Sherdil: The Pilibhit Saga, I wasn’t getting funds because the hero of the film was Pankaj Tripathi. OTT platforms changed that barometer completely. The OTT revolution has given brilliant actors and directors their due recognition. Shefali Shah and Rasika Duggal are the busiest names in the market. I have a plethora of things that I’m in talks to make after this. So, irrespective of the language of the content, I have exciting times to look forward to.

When Pushpa: The Rise took the box office by storm across India, the film’s director Sukumar revealed that the film’s second part, Pushpa 2 - The Rule, is going to be more exciting. The makers have roped in Tamil star Vijay Sethupathi to play one of the baddies in the second part of the Allu Arjun-starrer.

While Fahadh Faasil will continue his role as S P Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat, Vijay Sethupathi will also have a crucial role as an antagonist who faces off against Allu Arjun’s character Pushpa Raj.

A source from the film’s unit confirms the same, stating, “Vijay Sethupathi shares a close bond with Sukumar. He was also approached to play the character of a forest officer in the film’s first part. But due to various circumstances, he could not take it up. This time though, Vijay has agreed to be a part of the film in a fresh role of a menacing antagonist.”

While Vijay is said to have agreed to essay the role of the antagonist in Pushpa: The Rule, an official announcement is still awaited. “There are still certain issues regarding availability of dates that need to be ironed out. If everything falls in place, an announcement will soon be made,” adds the source.

The pandemic hasn’t been able to slow down Fahadh Faasil. If anything, the lockdown made viewers, hitherto unfamiliar with his works, discover the Malayalam star, thus bringing him pan-India fame. After doling out four releases in the past 16 months, including the widely acclaimed Joji, Faasil is back with another outing — Malik.

The Amazon Prime Video offering, which reunites him with C U Soon (2020) director Mahesh Narayanan, sees him as the leader of a coastal community who fights the political and police corruption prevalent in the region.

With the narrative spanning almost four decades, Faasil’s character will age on screen from 20 to 57 years. “I was a little doubtful about playing the old character on screen because I have always played characters that belong to my age group. But once we cracked the look, there was no going back,” says the actor, adding that he found himself relying on Narayanan’s vision for the role. “[To bring a character to life], one depends either on a trial-and-error process or on someone else [to guide him]. Malik was a difficult film to design, so I totally depended on the director.”

Movie on movie, the actor has exploring out-of-the-box characters. Ask him if he ever craves to play the clichéd chocolate boy, and he says, “I need to believe in the screenplay. I have never picked a film basis my character. For me, the priority is to see how the film evolves. I am open to anything as long as it excites me.”

What has got him excited these days is Vikram, and with good reason. The recently announced film, after all, sees him rub shoulders with Kamal Haasan and Vijay Sethupathi. “I have grown up watching [Haasan’s] films. I have always wondered how he functions and how he approaches his characters, so this is an exciting chance for me to learn about that. We’ll begin shooting next month.”

You can go in blind for a Fahadh Faasil movie, certain that you’ll witness a compelling story over the next two hours. Only few actors, in the Malayalam movie industry or across the country, can deliver on that count. The actor has struck gold again with his latest outing Joji that marks his reunion with Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum (2017) director Dileesh Pothan. “I want cinema to be as real as looking out the window. That has been my constant effort. For me, everything needs to be as real as we experience it, which is why I like shooting [in live locations],” begins Faasil, whose movies have shown that exciting stories lurk in the apparent humdrum of everyday life. 

From playing a husband who disposes of a dead body in Super Deluxe (2019) to the abusive Shammi in Kumbalangi Nights (2019), his roles have been as unconventional as they have been intriguing. “My taste is such that I like to see a regular character in an unconventional setting, or vice versa. It has to be a combination of these two [factors]. I don’t like to be repetitive. Even if it’s a remake, I want the same story to be told in a different way.”

That is precisely where the Amazon Prime Video offering, an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, fits in. “I have met [people] similar to Joji. So, it was easy to interpret the role, but difficult to play, given the way the film was narrated. For me, Joji was the toughest role to crack,” he admits.

Considering his popularity extends well beyond the South industry, his foray into Bollywood seems inevitable. “My Hindi is not fluent. Once I am fluent with the language, I may want to explore [Hindi cinema].”