Kabir Duhan Singh recently became a father. The picture he shared of him holding his baby baby while sporting a smile, and a cap that says 'Dad', paints a stark contrast to what Cyrus — his character in Marco, its most ruthless villain — did.
The widely successful action thriller, which did extraordinary business in Kerala and other parts of India, hits streaming tomorrow (Feb. 14) on SonyLIV. The film has nothing to do with Valentine's Day — except for, shall we say, its 'love' for violence. Kabir has a different caption for the occasion: Violence Day.
I jokingly asked him if he got any threatening messages after the film's theatrical release. "Not a single negative one," he replies. "Everybody loved the performance and told me I nailed it and that Indian cinema hasn't seen anything unlike it. Of course, there were a few comments about it being the most violent film in India, but that's about it."
For Kabir, Marco is his fifth pan-Indian film. But despite acting in around 70 films, the 37-year-old feels this is the one that finally gave him the much-needed wide recognition. Originally hailing from Haryana, the model-turned-actor opted for the unconventional path of starting in South Indian cinema instead of Bollywood — an approach that worked for many currently popular North Indian actors.
Kabir remembers being enamoured of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight and Heath Ledger's phenomenal performance as Joker, and ever since, nursed the strong urge to use one of the iconic lines of the complex supervillain. He finally got it when provided an opportunity to improvise on the sets of Marco while shooting one of the film's most violent scenes.
"When director Haneef Adeni told me about this scene where I have put my fingers in a lady's mouth and do something, I said it would be incomplete without one dialogue because Cyrus gets to show what the Joker couldn't — putting a "smile"! Now everyone is saying, 'Joker said it, and Cyrus did it,' and even made memes around it," he laughs.
The entry of Kabir in Marco is a significant turning point because his character, the personification of a monster — Cyrus is a literal butcher! — makes no distinction between his animal and human prey; he makes any dose of violence served to us until that point relatively tame.
Kabir shares that for the makers of Marco and lead actor Unni Mukundan, it was simply a matter of upping the game. "Everybody, especially the youth, wants to watch a good action film. We have beaten films like Kill and Animal in that regard. I want Sandeep Reddy Vanga and Anurag Kashyap to see the film," says the actor, who debuted in the Telugu film Jil a decade ago.
To convey Cyrus' blood-curdling menace and utter remorselessness in the most chilling fashion, Kabir read up on the infamous Ted Bundy, tried to understand his mindset, and imbued Cyrus with whatever impression he got of the American serial killer.
Kabir has an unparalleled but hitherto underutilised screen presence that finally got its due in Marco. He has noted that good screen presence can sometimes be a drawback, as some directors are inclined to think the "villain has a more dominant presence" and find ways to tone down his impact.
Asked if he found any of the violent scenes particularly upsetting, Kabir cites the scene with the pregnant lady. "It was challenging and disturbing to me because my wife was pregnant at the time," he says.
How did he handle it? "I often meditate, which helps me deal with difficult situations. Plus, talking to my wife, of course."
Among Kabir's upcoming films in the South is a Malayalam mass entertainer titled Ottakkomban, led by superstar Suresh Gopi. Kabir felt the impact of Marco at the film's Thiruvananthapuram sets when people ran to him, addressed him as 'Cyrus' and hugged him.
"Action is my forte, and I want to do it till my last breath," he signs off.
