With his rugged looks and chiseled body, Junaid Sheikh may not have anything ‘Malayali’ in him but Mollywood seems to have been charmed by him. Junaid, who plays the villain in Mohanlal-starrer Lailaa O Lailaa that will hit the theatres soon, is super excited about his stint in Malayalam and says sharing screen space with Mohanlal was a “class in acting” itself.
“This is my third movie in Malayalam. I have played villain in ‘Saalam Kashmir and ‘I Love Me’ and it has made me a better actor. And, in
Lailaa O Lailaa I got to act alongside one of the finest actors Mohanlal. He was so supportive,” says Junaid.
He adds that he has learnt a lot from director Joshiy and this has helped him to evolve and grow as an actor.
How did he land the role in Lailaa O Lailaa? “Director Joshiy called me one day and told me there was this character which would suit me. I had worked earlier with him in Salaam Kashmir. But, this time it was an even better experience. My first shot for this film was opposite Mohanlal sir and I told him that I was nervous. He was so cooperative and suggested we chat over coffee before we shoot. This really calmed me down,” says Junaid.
But, what has drawn him towards negative roles? “I think it is my overall personality. But, I do find negative roles challenging and want to improvise my villainous traits. But, I am open to cheerful roles as well,” he adds.
For Junaid, who holds an MBA in International Business from Arizona, acting has always been a passion. “I always wanted to be an actor. That is why I chucked a lucrative corporate job, convinced my parents and flew to Mumbai’s Barry John Acting Studio. Immediately afterwards, I landed the role of a villain in the Telugu film ‘Mr Intelligent’,” says Junaid, who has over 10 movies in Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil to his credit. He adds that he is in talks with directors for a few Malayalam movies. “I have signed a couple of Telegu movies and a Hindi movie opposite Emraan Hashmi as well,” says Junaid Sheik.