Jerry in Gulumaal is a suave, street smart, smooth talker, who would do anything for money. Yet you have a grudging fondness for him; laugh at his dry wit and his ability to stay afloat in the dodgiest of situations. He is a villain with a caustic sense of humour and it’s easily one of the most adroitly written anti-hero roles that have come in Malayalam cinema in recent times. But part of the charm lies with the actor who essayed the role of Jerry with such élan — Jayasurya. He carried Jerry forward with just the right degree of malice and villainy, peppering the scenes with his impeccable sense of comic timing, thereby leaving a lasting impression on the audience. In the same year, he created a stir with another stunning portrayal in debutant director Arun Kumar’s Cocktail as a calculating, silent schemer out to wreak havoc in the life of a married couple.
Jayasurya has managed to hold his own in an industry dominated by
supremely talented acting icons. In a career spanning 50-odd films, mostly multi-starrers, he’s never shied away from experimenting and has consciously moved away from fitting into any stereotypes. While his peers battled for plum “hero” roles, Jayasurya judiciously chose films that showcased the actor in him and not just his commercial viability. In fact, Wikipedia hints the actor is committed to another whopping seven or eight films out of which he’s now started shooting for three.
When I catch up with the actor, he’s in Kochi, shooting for Gulumaal director VK Prakash’s next comic caper, 3 Kings. He’s still keyed up about the success of Cocktail, while I start with his latest untitled film with National award winning director, TV Chandran. “I still can’t believe that I am acting in his film (shooting starts only in March). It’s not his usual art film but an out and out commercial venture and I play a double role for the first time,” says the actor.
Even during the interview, it’s impossible to keep a straight face when Jayasurya is in his element, cracking one-liners just like his characters on screen. Sample this — “I have slept through some of my movies”, “I have been duped by so many of my producers”. All his answers come with crazy punch lines even as he sizes up his career plans and his quest for good cinema.
Among other things, the actor has sung for 3 Kings in which he plays a music album maker — “It’s nothing great, in fact it’s a song I assure you that anybody can sing,” he says. He’s also already finished shooting for
Jayaraj’s Track with Rahman which has him appearing in a guest role.
So many films, how does he prioritise them? “Script, a director who knows what he is doing, my role and banner! Very honestly I don’t really think about the box-office prospects of my film. My main aim is to do justice to my character,” he says candidly. In fact, he has a bag full of “different” roles in his kitty already. He is now gung-ho about playing a character who dresses as a woman in
director VM Vinu’s untitled film.
The actor admits that juggling three or four films at a time is hard work, mainly because he likes to add personal details to his character, be it in the hairstyle, make up or dialect — “Though my directors seldom
insist on it, I am extremely finicky about attempting a never-before look in all my films. No two characters of mine should sound or look alike. And yes, there shouldn’t be any traces of Jayasurya in them,” he says.
Does that amount to a lot of homework before embarking on a role? “Of course, it’s almost like appearing for an examination,” he says, adding that he likes to delve into the psyche of the character he is playing as that makes the portrayal more credible on screen.
There have been so many multi-starrers, alongside current “youth favourites” Prithviraj and Kunchako Boban, is that really a joyride like many claim? Don’t ego issues come in the way? “Why should I have an ego? Ego comes when you think you are more important than the character you are playing,” he insists. So does the terrific on-screen chemistry he shares with most actors also
extend off-screen? “Though I am friendly with all actors, I don’t really socialise once the shooting is over. Friendships are fickle in this industry and we can’t afford to have permanent enemies,” he says. While he considers the mistakes he has made his best teachers, Jayasurya says that Mammootty is one actor whose career path he follows keenly — “It’s amazing the kind of variations he brings to his characters and above all, his incredible passion for cinema. He is also quite up-to-date about the trends in Malayalam cinema.”
The actor likes to think he has had multiple career breakthroughs in Malayalam cinema and rates his films Swapnakoodu (2003), Classmates (2007), Kangaroo (2008), Gulumaal and Cocktail (2010) as notable ones. Though he’s moonlighted as a mimicry artist and television host too, Jayasurya admits films were
always on his mind — “To me it’s still like the day I started and it never ceases to amaze me that I am sharing screen space with actors I have always held in awe. And I am still nervous before a shot.”
Despite his background as a mimicry artist, Jayasurya has managed to dodge the thin line between mimicking and acting, something many others including Jayaram and Dileep couldn’t manage — “I have consciously stayed away from mimicking actors because I knew that once I became an actor, it would definitely affect my spontaneity.”
And of course, no interview is complete without the most frequently asked query in Malayalam cinema today. Are the superstars really playing foul by manipulating the roles of young actors? “Utter rubbish! Let me put it this way; just imagine Mammootty and Laletten in Classmates or me in Pazhassi Raja or in Palerimanickyam. We don’t have enough time to finish the roles given to us, where does the question of role snatching come in?” He couldn’t have answered it better.
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