For Vijayaraghavan, acting is in his blood. Born to the legendary thespian NN Pillai, Vijayaraghavan was drawn to the nuances of acting at a very young age and trained under his father’s watchful eyes. Today, even at 72, he carries the same enthusiasm and eagerness while discussing his roles and the processes he employs for each of them. “Acting is my intoxication,” he says proudly. A legend in his own right, Vijayaraghavan has often proven his versatility over the years, but that hasn’t curbed his desire to push the envelope further. The veteran is currently on a high after bagging his maiden Kerala State Award win for Pookkaalam, followed by the emphatic success of his latest release, Kishkindha Kaandam, in which his measured performance as an ex-army man with memory issues is being widely lauded. In this conversation, Vijayaraghavan breaks down the process of becoming Appu Pilla and his general approach to acting.
Firstly, congrats on the State Award win for Pookkaalam. It’s your first win in over four decades of being in cinema...
I didn’t expect the award, though I used to. When Ekalavyan was released, everyone thought I’d bag the award, but it didn’t happen. It was the same with Deshadanam, Leela, and many other films. So, I stopped wishing for it. I’ve always valued people’s appreciation more. I consider it a huge blessing to be active in cinema after all these years. The fact that I still get a variety of characters brings more joy than winning any award.
You’ve followed Pookkaalam with another stunning performance in Kishkindha Kaandam. Even though you did a few other roles in between, were you waiting for something equally challenging?
Firstly, acting has never been a challenge as I enjoy every aspect of it. I don’t mind playing any character, irrespective of their screen time. I believe a good actor doesn’t have to be present throughout the film.
The real success lies in convincing the audience that you are the character within the given time. In Meleparambil Aanveedu, I have very few scenes, but people still talk about my performance. I used to do hero roles briefly, but it got repetitive. I decided to stay away from it after 2000, which was the biggest turning point of my career. Otherwise, I don’t think I would have been in the industry today as people would have gotten fed up with me.
I am proud of having done diverse characters like Cheradi Skariah (Ekalavyan), Appichayi (Roudram), Pillechan (Leela), etc. However, it’s not always that you cherish a character so much and the film also does well commercially. For instance, Pillechan in Leela is among my absolute favourites, but the film’s failure is also the biggest disappointment in my career. Similarly, Pookkaalam didn’t fare as expected in theatres. That’s why Kishkindha Kaandam’s success feels like winning an Oscar.
You’ve often expressed your desire to play characters that are in complete contrast to your real persona. Was that the primary reason that pulled you towards Kishkindha Kaandam?
Yes, but it’s also the best script I’ve come across in my career. Bahul (Ramesh) first conceived Appu Pilla’s character, an old man with memory issues, and developed the story around him. I could see that it’s an organically evolved screenplay, unlike most thrillers that deliberately mislead the audience, leaving them frustrated after a point.
Bahul and Dinjith (Ayyathan) first read a rough version for me, which was enough to impress me. Later, they narrated a slightly edited version with a new scene, which I felt was forcefully included to convey Appu Pilla’s predicament. I immediately shared my concerns and they also agreed. But during shooting, they managed to convince me and shot that scene. I like to have such healthy arguments, just to make them convince me of a scene’s necessity. It was only after watching the film I realised how important that scene was.
Kishkindha Kaandam grows on revisits as we realise why Appu Pilla, despite gradually losing his grip on life, doesn’t allow anyone to get closer to him. Did it ever cross your mind that your guarded portrayal would look more fascinating during a rewatch?
I don’t think about the audience while performing. My sole focus is on Appu Pilla, his mental state, and his mannerisms. I keep thinking about how he would behave in a given situation and act accordingly. Appu Pilla is a peculiar person and doesn’t express a lot, but on the inside, he is like a rough sea or say, a dense forest. He can neither trust himself, nor make others trust him. While he remembers a few things, there are certain things he is trying hard to forget. It’s an extremely complex mindset, always wandering and looking for something. The character is built on a lot of such minute details and I’m glad a performance like that is being noticed.
Unlike Pookkaalam, where you had the support of makeup and prosthetics, Appu Pilla’s struggles are mostly internal. How did you go about it?
Since Ittoop in Pookkaalam is a 90-year-old, it was crucial to ensure people wouldn’t be able to identify Vijayaraghavan at any point. So, beyond makeup, I also worked a lot on his body language and voice modulation. Apart from that, every performance happens internally.
In fact, it is comparatively easier to perform extreme emotions like euphoria, rage, or agony. I just have to relate to the particular emotion by putting myself in that situation. If it’s a grieving scene, I can shed tears without even having to think of anything distressing. I can do it even while smiling, thanks to certain techniques that I’ve developed with my years of experience.
In acting, they say, “Don’t show, be that,” and I follow that method. When I immerse myself in a particular character, certain gestures and mannerisms automatically come to me. It happens subconsciously, sometimes even during sleep, as I try to understand the person deeply.
While playing Appu Pilla, I constantly swirled my fingers in a particular way, even if I was not there in the shot. It’s my own interpretation of a wandering mind. Similarly, there’s a scene featuring a struggle between the three lead characters. It ends with Appu Pilla walking in the wrong direction, only to quickly realise and turn back. That was improvised on the spot.
There’s another scene where he forgets his umbrella in the hospital. I communicate such thoughts with the director and with his permission, I employ them. It happens spontaneously, and I’d like to call it a gift.
Recently, the makers shared that Appu Pilla’s character was originally conceived with your father NN Pillai in mind. Did you know this?
No, I wasn’t told about this initially. It was during the film’s promotions that Dinjith told me about Bahul’s love for achan’s autobiography Njan and MP Narayana Pillai’s Parinamam. He used to read them every day while scripting, to overcome writer’s block. So, Bahul did have achan somewhere in his mind while modelling Appu Pilla and I feel honoured that I could eventually breathe life into that role.
After Pookkaalam and Kishkindha Kaandam, do you hope to get more performance-oriented roles?
Everything in cinema is unpredictable. So, I can’t afford to be idle and keep waiting for that one great role. More often than not, meaty roles are offered by those who understand us and our potential.
Up next, I have Antony Pepe’s Daveed, where I play his mentor who knows a thing or two about kalari and boxing. There’s also Pet Detective, which has me in a humourous villain character. As I said, it’s a blessing that I continue to get such interesting roles at this stage of my career.