Exclusive! Sudev Nair on working with Mohanlal and Mammootty: They both make it easy for their co-stars

It’s a jam-packed year for Sudev Nair, with him being part of some of the biggest releases in Malayalam in 2022 including Mammootty’s Bheeshma Parvam, Mohanlal’s Monster, Nivin Pauly’s Thuramukham, Asif Ali’s Kothth and Vinayan’s Pathonpathaam Noottaandu.

He will kick off the year, much like in 2021, with a Mammootty-starrer – Bheeshma Parvam – in which he plays a character named Rajan. Though the actor says he can’t reveal much about his role in the gangster-thriller set in 1986, the trailer suggests that he plays a crucial character that brings the element of conflict in the Amal Neerad directorial.

In a quick chat with OTTplay, the actor talks about his experience working with the Mollywood superstars and his upcoming projects.

From the trailer, it seems like you play the antagonist in the film.

Actually, it’s a grey character. As far as my character is concerned, his actions are all justified. So, he’s not really an antagonist.

The collaboration between Mammootty and Amal Neerad has been 15 years in the making, after their cult hit Big B. So, did that weight of expectations also rub off on you?

Actually, it was much easier to work in this film because Amal is someone with a clear vision and understanding of how to execute it. So, as an actor, I didn’t have much to do at all. Right from how my look and costumes should be to how my character should be portrayed in the visual grammar, Amal was in total control. I just had to make sure I didn’t bump into the furniture. It was a relaxed experience working in Bheeshma Parvam.

In your previous interview with us, you had mentioned that you also observe how filmmakers including Sibi Malayil and Vinayan also carry out their vision. Amal is someone who introduced a stylish way of making films with Big B. What was your takeaway in that regard working with him?

What we crave from his movies is an experience. The basic structure of the story remains the same, it’s just the ‘how’ that actually changes. The way he paints the pill in a tastier coating every time is probably what stands out. Also, there’s been a change in the way the audience has started observing content, especially with their exposure to international cinema with OTT platforms.

You also worked with Mohanlal in Monster last year. So, how different was the experience from Bheeshma Parvam which has you sharing screen space with Mammootty?

It’s like comparing apples and oranges. They are both different kinds of personalities. The similarity is that they both put their co-stars at ease. For instance, when I was doing One with Mammukka, there was a scene where I had to make tea while talking to him. It was a long take and somewhere I was getting stuck. I couldn’t quite figure out how I could fix it and he helped me make the actions easier.

With Lalettan also, there was a scene where I was getting restless because of something that was going on in my mind. The sequence was such that my character shouldn’t have been restless. So, Lalettan patted my back and made me relax. They are veteran actors and because they are experienced, they would have gone through this at some point.

You have also worked with Rajeev Ravi in Thuramukham, whose filmmaking style involves more spur-of-the-moment takes.

He is again another director who doesn’t give you any instructions at all, unless you are going wrong. He called me three months before the shoot as I had to gain weight. He passed me the numbers of the make-up man and costume designer, and said that I should design my character. It was such as inspiring phone call to get. That’s how a leader should work; he doesn’t instruct but he inspires you to bring your best.

What are your upcoming projects?

I have Kothth coming up and I am also part of Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s Vazhakku, which is again a film that I am excited about. If Amal is on one end of a spectrum, Sanal’s on the other side. It’s nice to have worked in both. Vazhakku is a peculiar genre; you can’t say it’s an art film. It also had a different style of making and if you understand the genre, you can go with it and enjoy all the processes.

You have also directed and acted in content that was made exclusively for the web. Do you have any OTT projects lined up?

I have a big project that I am writing for. Simultaneously, I am also working on another big OTT platform. I have also acted in a Hindi web series, which is currently in its post-production stage.

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