Ramante Eden Thottam, which hit the marquee last week, had a little surprise in store. Those who expected to see Joju George playing the sidekick, which he usually does, were left in awe by the actor’s near-perfect performance as an alcoholic and abusive husband. Until then, Joju as a serious character artist was an unexplored facet.
The actor, himself, agrees.“Even I wasn’t confident. When Ranjith Sankar asked me whether I could pull Elvis off, I wasn’t sure. Many people had already warned Ranjith not to cast me. But he was confident enough to take that risk. As an actor, so far nothing has given me the adulation and satisfaction like Elvis,” he says.
Joju plays an out-of-work director in Ramante Eden Thottam, whose behaviour verges on abusive most of the time. While Joju says he doesn’t analyse his character too much, Elvis didn’t pose him much of a problem.
“In fact, there are certain instances in the movie that I could relate to, like bursting out when angry and showering affection on kids. I didn’t need reference to such sequences. But overall, I think the credit goes to Ranjith Sankar and the team. The character and the scene orders were clearly written and there was no space for any apprehension,” he says. The actor thinks cinematographer Madhu Neelakantan’s contribution to the movie too is commendable.
So, how has been the response so far? “Very positive. I have been getting calls from both inside and outside the industry. Kunchacko Boban’s wife Priya saw the movie and she praised me a lot. Usually, she isn’t very vocal about things. This character has given me a lot, including creative satisfaction. This is easily my career best so far,” says Joju.
Turning producer
Joju George might be producing one of the most anticipated movies of the year, Martin Prakkat’s next starring Manju Warrier but Joju says he is not someone who frets and spends sleepless nights over it. “As a producer, I have no tensions. It is a cool ride and that may be because we take up subjects that are risk free. Charlie was a sure hit subject and it is the same with our next. Manju plays a beautiful character in it. One can see her in a rustic avatar, post Kanmadam. It is a very cute movie. We haven’t named it yet,” says the actor.