PremiumBramayugam also deals with a certain kind of politics: Sidharth Bharathan | Exclusive
Actor Sidharth Bharathan, who plays a pivotal role in Bramayugam, talks about working in the film and the equation he shares with his co-stars Arjun Ashokan and Mammootty
Last Updated: 02.26 PM, Feb 14, 2024
Lately, Malayalam filmmakers have been looking for familiar faces to play roles that the audience least expect them to. The casting of Rahul Sadasivan’s Bramayugam is probably the best example. The Bhoothakaalam filmmaker roped in Mammootty, Arjun Ashokan and Sidharth Bharathan in roles that they haven’t done before, and the actors will be hoping it pays rich dividends. For Sidharth, especially, it’s a golden opportunity that would let him reinvent himself as an actor.
Bramayugam will be remembered in Malayalam cinema: Sidharth Bharathan
Bramayugam, despite being an experimental venture in terms of the content as well as the black-and-white visual aesthetics, comes with massive hype. Ask Sidharth if it’s a new experience compared to the previous movies he had directed and acted in and he tells OTTplay, “Definitely. I can say for sure Bramayugam is a movie that will be remembered in Malayalam cinema. I feel fortunate that I got such a great role in this film.”
Also read: Bramayugam movie review
The actor remains tight-lipped about the period horror film, which is set in the 18th century – much like everyone in the cast and crew. “All I can say is that the film talks about particular politics between people.”
In a recent interview with us, his co-star Arjun said that Sidharth had helped him refine his craft as he came with the experience of being an actor as well as a director. “It’s important to understand your co-actor because that helps in shedding inhibitions, which is essential for any actor,” Sidharth explains. “This keeps changing with each co-actor. For instance, I might not share the same equation I have with Arjun, with Mammukka because he’s a senior star. That dynamic shouldn’t affect me when I am performing and that’s why a co-star becomes so important.”
Bramayugam offered me scope to perform: Sidharth Bharathan
With the film having a period setting and the trailers also hinting at various iterations of each character that require them to go through various emotions, did it require Sidharth to showcase a loud performance? “I had to get into the skin of the character and understand his behavioural patterns. So, as an actor I had to go through that transformation,” he says. “It was the same for Arjun and Mammukka. Without giving anything away, we had to showcase what a particular character goes through at that point in time. Rahul was instrumental in bringing out that facet of the actors.”
Incidentally, Sidharth was also seen playing a veteran character in Shane Nigam’s Vela. Prod him on if the characters coming his way are changing with his age and experience, and he says, “Of course. There is that satisfaction when we get the kind of roles that we are able to perform. But it should keep coming. Bramayugam has me in a great role that offered me the scope to perform. It was the same for Vela. That said, I also have to be faithful to my first love – filmmaking. So, I want to maintain a healthy balance.”