The news of stars beefing up and slimming down has always hit headlines. And now, joining the league, is none other than Sreenivasan, who has lost nearly 15 kilos to get into the skin of his character in Ayal Sasi. “The screenplay required him to look weak and frail. He is playing a 65-year-old character and after reading the script Sreenivasan readily agreed to thin down,” says Sajin Babu, director.
Sajin says it took Sreenivasan four months to look the lean-and-scrawny Sasi, the title character of the film. “Instead of sweating it out in the gym or opting for a fitness trainer, Sreenivasan switched to a low-calorie diet. After the shoot he went back to his normal diet and now he looks almost his older self.”
Sreenivasan is not a face you usually find in offbeat films, but then the director insists Ayal Sasi is not an outright art-house product. “It’s basically a satire. Though it doesn’t meet all demands of a mainstream film, it’s a film that communicates with all sections of audience. It’s a dialogue oriented film with a lot of light moments,” says Sajin whose first film went on to win some major awards.
Sreenivasan plays more of a con artist in the film, which also stars Kochu Preman, Rajesh Sharma and Divya Gopinath. “As a youngster Sasi relocates to city from outskirts and tries his hands at everything from loan-sharking to art. He buys paintings from fine arts students at paltry sums and then holds exhibitions posing as the artist. The film basically zooms into his life, mapping various phases,” adds Sajin. Ayal Sasi, produced by P Sukumar and Sudhish Pillai, is expected to hit screens next month.