Dev Mohan: I’m still excited about Pulli, but I think I could have played the role better now

True to his name, Malayalam actor Dev Mohan, though he has only done a select few films so far, has been perceived with roles that have a certain aura and dignity. The Shaakuntalam and Sufiyum Sujatayum actor, however, is now set to break that stereotype with his upcoming movie Pulli, which is helmed by Urumbukal Urangaarila director Jiju Ashokan and set for a theatrical release on December 8.

In a quick chat with OTTplay, Dev tells us about why he signed the movie that also has Indrans, the lessons he has learnt so far and his next project Parakramam, which has him essaying a 19-year-old.

The past three films that have had you in full-length roles had you in these dignified characters. How different is your role in Pulli?

Pulli is actually the film that I had committed soon after I completed Sufiyum Sujatayum. I wanted to play a character without that aura or dignity after the movie and this fit the bill. But the release order of the movies changed and Panthrandu and Shaakuntalam released before this . That was not in my hands.

Also read: Jiju Asokan: Dev Mohan’s finesse as an actor helped control the character's varying graph in Pulli 

In Pulli, I play Stephen, who ends up in prison the second time. That’s pretty much all I can reveal about the movie. It has a rural setting and also most of the story is set in a prison, where you have people from different backgrounds. The movie doesn’t just focus on the convicts, but also the different kinds of policemen who are in that space. It also revolves around a few incidents that happen outside the prison too.

We immediately think of a jail-break movie when we think of a thriller set in a prison. Is Pulli somewhat in that territory?

Jail-break is a major element in the movie, but the film also has different layers. If you see Shawshank Redemption, breaking out of the prison is only the end portion of the film. Similarly, it’s just one of the important aspects of Pulli. There are two action sequences, it also has a romantic track.

You had gone through a lot of scripts before finalising Pulli as your second project. So, what hooked you to it?

Before I signed Pulli, I had heard a lot of other scripts; Jiju chettan himself had narrated two other scripts to me. Both of them were good but it would have been tough to shoot them amid pandemic restrictions as it called for a lot of junior artistes. When I heard Pulli, I felt that the character of Stephen was diametrically opposite of what I had played in Sufiyum Sujatayum. That excited me the most.

Also read: Dev Mohan on working with Samantha: The chemistry between Dushyant and Shakuntala has come out well 

It’s only been a few years since you made you debut, but in this limited time, you also got to be part of huge projects like Shaakuntalam. What are your major takeaways from all of that?

Right now, I am doing my seventh film – Parakramam. With every film, I have learnt and understood something new. I am not someone who had a theatre background; I am learning by doing films. Now, when I look back, I know that I am learning and my perspective has changed from what it was while I was doing my debut film. It helps me get into the space of the character too.

Pulli was my second film, but when I look back, I know I could have done certain things better. From what I understand, that’s how every actor feels. Also, when a certain time has passed, for instance, I am not sure if a script that I heard last year, would work for me now because cinema and the world are changing every day. We all want our movies to survive that and for them to stay relevant, even five years later. In that sense, I am still excited about the plot of Pulli. But as an actor, I feel I have learnt more after doing a few more films post Pulli.

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Since you mentioned Parakramam, how different is that from your previous movies?

I play a 19-year-old in the movie, and as far as I am concerned, it’s very different from what I have done so far. It’s a coming-of-age film about a group of friends and 90% of the movie happens between the age of 18 and 19. I have a totally different get-up in the film.