What makes a young man from Vaikom in Kerala, who once only dreamed of becoming the police officers or film heroes he saw on screen, walk the uncertain path of cinema and succeed? For 28-year-old Sandeep Pradeep, the answer lies somewhere between passion, persistence, and a hunger to live many lives in one.
He did his schooling at Lisieux English School in Vaikom, where the spark of acting first began to flicker. Thereafter, Sandeep has made Ernakulam his home for the past seven years.
“The dream to become an actor started from a very young age when I used to watch movies. When I see how heroes act, I used to imitate them and maybe that's the reason why I got fascinated by it,” says Sandeep.
Like many children, he once faced the timeless question posed to students when they are in school: “What do you want to become?” He admits to the confusion, but something began to take shape inside him.
“When I used to watch movies, while seeing police characters I felt like being a police. When I saw other characters, I felt like becoming that. Then I thought when I start acting in cinema, I can be part of all this.”
He also loves listening to music. Who doesn't?
The song Kun Faya Kun holds a special place in my heart," says Sandeep.
"There's a particular scene in the music video where Ranbir Kapoor looks up it's etched in my mind. That moment always stays with me."
A huge admirer of Ranbir Kapoor, Sandeep hopes to meet the actor one day. “I just want to meet him someday,” he says with a smile.
Even back in school, he was drawn more towards co-curricular and arts activities, and slowly, that interest bloomed into ambition.
“I used to study just for getting through the exams. I didn’t study to excel,” he adds with a laugh.
But following this dream wasn’t simple. His family had financial concerns and, like many, doubted the slim chances of making it big in cinema.
“The success rate for becoming an actor is very low. So during that time, my family had that concern. We weren’t that financially sound, so they had that fear.”
Still, his parents allowed him to explore short films, with one firm condition, that he shouldn't opt for a film course after Class 12. So, Sandeep chose VFX studies in Bangalore something close enough to cinema. While studying, he continued acting in short films on the side.
His first short film came out when he was still in Class 10. Titled Story, Screenplay and Dialogue, it was the beginning of something special. In school, only two boys dreamed of entering cinema Sandeep and his friend Anand Menen, who is now the director of Vaazha.
“There was a mutual understanding between us he wants direction and I want to act. That’s how we started with short films. He would direct and I would act.”
They formed a gang with Anand’s classmates during holidays and named it Lumier Broz. They made short films during vacations. Even when feedback wasn’t encouraging, they weren’t disheartened.
“Even if we got bad responses from some, we didn’t feel down. We wanted to improve. So we were doing again and again.”
Sandeep auditioned for many films, and eventually, his first feature film Pathinettam Padi happened through one such audition.
Along the journey, one of their short films Shanti Muhurtham went viral. This became a turning point. The visibility he gained brought him closer to industry insiders.
“Then I started to build more connections, and during that time, Falimy director Nithish Sahadev contacted me after watching the short film Shanti Muhurtham. Falimy was my breakthrough into the industry.”
Sandeep credits short films as the foundation for everything.
“Everything was going like a process, and short films were the base to all.”
Alappuzha Gymkhana, directed by Khalid Rahman, marked an important phase in Sandeep’s acting journey. Known for his raw, grounded storytelling and strong ensemble casts, Rahman brought together a tight-knit group of actors for this project and for Sandeep, it was a dream come true.
He played the role of Veluth, aka Shifaz Ahmed, and the physical preparation demanded more than anything he had experienced before.
“The Alappuzha Gymkhana workout session was insane. It was like how we all used to go to school the entire gang used to come to the set at a fixed time, workout and all. I had tried going to the gym earlier, but it didn’t work out. But when it was for the film, I had to do it.”
The commitment to the role pushed him beyond his comfort zone, and he was more than willing to stretch for it. Working under Khalid Rahman, he says, was not just another acting job, but a milestone in itself.
“Especially when Khalid Rahman is directing it’s something every actor aspires to work with. So to get an important character in it was very crucial. During practice time, the major concern was to get through without getting any hit.”
It was during this period that Sandeep got the call for his next film, Padakkalam. The opportunity came from Friday Film House, and the moment he heard the story and the character, he was instantly hooked.
“When I heard about the character, it really interested me. It was an interesting plot something which hasn’t been explored in Malayalam cinema much, so I instantly got drawn to it.”
And once again, he found himself stepping into a world that challenged him as an actor and rewarded him just as deeply.
The film, a fantasy body-swap drama, required unique performances. He shares how actor Sharaf U Dheen’s signature smile played an unexpected but crucial role.
“The smile of Sharaf U Dheen is something which he brought in. So when there was an element of body swap, I had to do it in my way.”
The off-screen bonding also helped build strong on-screen chemistry.
“We got more clarity through our off-screen communication.” And the shoot itself was a joy.
“The most memorable moment from the Padakkalam set is the friendship. We all got really close after the movie. Padakkalam shoot is something which I enjoyed doing when compared to all the movies I have done.”
He especially remembers the ending scene.
“After reading the climax of the script, there was confusion, like how will we pull it off? But when I came to know that everyone loved it, I was so happy.”
Now with visibility and hype surrounding him, Sandeep carries a sense of responsibility.
“The hype I got, I can see it as both positive and negative. As positive, it’s like an achievement for me. Negative is to meet these expectations in another movie. This responsibility will be there. So I need to take responsible decisions. Max to be part of movies which would work.”
He wants challenging roles.
“I want to do characters which could give me an adrenaline rush. Like to do movies or roles which give a high as an actor, instead of just doing for the sake of doing. At the end of the day when I sleep, I need that hangover of the character I played.”
He is also clear-headed about the role of social media in an actor’s life.
“I never see social media as a pressure point for me as an actor. There are a lot of actors without social media but they thrive, right? If our fans are loyal, they will be there.” “If we get too much into social media, we’ll be bothered about a lot of things like positive comments, negative comments. Our judgements would start to change. So focus more on work, and update when you feel like. It’s about maintaining a balance and not letting it consume you.”
And next? Sandeep will be headlining a new film directed by Kishkindha Kaandam filmmaker Dinjith Ayyathan. The film is yet to be titled, but expectations are already in the air.
For Sandeep, the journey has just begun. Grounded, focused, and with a love for craft over fame, he’s here to explore every shade of storytelling one layered character at a time.
“Now all I care about is choosing good characters and being consistent.”