You make your digital and series debut with directors Raj & DK’s Guns & Gulaabs. What made you pick this project?
I have always tracked Raj & DK’s work, be it their films such as Shor in the City and Go Goa Gone or web series (The Family Man and Farzi). So, just getting a call from them was a big deal. An OTT series was one of the few things left for me to debut. Some projects did come my way, but most were remakes. Guns & Gulaabs, on the other hand, was original. The world Raj & DK have created in the show is unlike what they have done so far.
You play Arjun, a family man. How was it different from your other roles?
Arjun is older than me, has his baggage of secrets, and has a 16-year-old daughter which, I thought, was quite cool.
You have done several period films, including Sita Ramam and Mahanati. Guns & Gulaabs too is an ode to the 90s’ pop-culture. How was it recreating the era in the show?
It’s been a while since I wore clothes from the present-day in films. I feel I am some sort of
a new poster boy of period cinema, time-travelling between the 50s and 80s for some time now. And, being a millennial, the 90s are fresh in my mind. The production design and music used in the show are on point. It was all quite nostalgic for me.
Be it Guns and Gulaabs, your upcoming gangster drama King of Kotha, or last year’s psychological thriller Chup, you seem to be consciously breaking away from your romantic image. Is that true?
I just turned 40. I can’t still be the romantic hero for the next decade. Also, if I stay in that comfort zone, neither will I challenge myself nor give the audience a chance to see me in a different light. This is not to say I am averse to doing romantic films, but it has to be something memorable like Sita Ramam. Besides, I like that my filmography is unpredictable. I like to keep surprising my viewers.
You have called King of Kotha your most ambitious film to date. Tell us about the project.
It will be my first Malayalam theatrical release since Kurup (2021). We mounted it on a very large scale for a regional-language film. Despite being for the masses, it has a deep-rooted storyline. Similar to how a Raj & DK series works, the film has several characters pulling it in different directions, thus changing the course of the narrative. It is set in two eras, so everyone is seen in two looks. It’s not just a gangster drama; there is also friendship, romance and humour. It is difficult to put it in a box as far as genre goes.
You are acting in and co-producing your next film, Kaantha, along with Rana Daggubati. How did it come about?
I heard the story of Kaantha, written by Tamil filmmaker Selva, for the first time in 2019. Initially, I wasn’t keen on it because the character felt familiar, but it kept coming back to me.
I finally joined the project when Rana asked. In terms of the narrative, it’s unlike anything we have on the floors right now, but that’s the most I can divulge.
When will the audience get to see you collaborate with your father (Mammootty)? How involved is he in your work?
While my father is proud that I have managed to carve a niche and made a name for myself, he thinks all of this may get diluted if we work together. As a fanboy, I just want to be in a film with him, even if we do not share the frame, but he keeps saying, ‘we will see’. As actors though, we are equals in the family. If I like a script, I run it past him to get an opinion. He does the same with me—to get a younger perspective. He advises me when he thinks my roles are becoming predictable, but does not interfere or meddle. He feels one should learn the craft on the job and that’s the best way.