Sudev Nair has been associated more with negative characters than the other kind, but anyone who has been following his journey for a long time will know that the actor has a lighter, more humorous side, which is yet to be explored in cinema. When not practising parkour or martial arts, he makes accurate observations about people around him, evident in 'Not Fit', the 2015 mockumentary web series he wrote, directed, and starred in. His COVID-era YouTube comedy sketch featuring his alter-ego 'Dr. Saajan Sumesh', who gives life hacks for introverts and single men, was also a testament to his unique abilities. (It goes without saying that those tips shouldn't be tried at home.)
Edited excerpts:
Where is 'Dr. Sajan Sumesh' these days?
(Laughs) Sajan Sumesh, along with a lot of other side quests, has been put on the back burner for now. These days, in a good way, I don't find time for those — although I’d love to. I'm presently channelling my creativity into other areas, which include the surf school we recently started.
Do you still identify as an introvert?
I do. What has happened now is I've been able to practise extroversion. There is no need, I feel, to pigeonhole oneself into a certain personality. We are all dynamic depending on circumstances: there are situations where I'm more extroverted. However, I'm basically introverted and awkward when there are too many people around. I find that when we are in the domain of our expertise, we feel more extroverted. In other places, when I don't have anything valuable to add, I'd rather just keep quiet.
So, how did you let go of your inhibitions?
When I was at FTII (Film and Television Institute of India), we had very good acting coaches who helped us open up through various exercises. Over time, it also came about through practice, as with any other skill. It gets you out of your comfort zone. Initially, one undergoes an unpleasant phase, but eventually, things turn out better. There’s a component of self-awareness to acting, which introverts tend to have. You know what is working or not, and you've already been critical of yourself before someone else does the same.
Besides, some directors I worked with were helpful, such as Amal Neerad and Rajeev Ravi. Take 'Thuramukham' or 'Bheeshma Parvam'; I wasn’t given any direction on how to approach a scene or act; it was just the story and the script, and I did my prep accordingly, and whatever I ended up doing was, to my relief, on the right track. It's a boon to find such directors who nudge you in the right direction.
Speaking of 'Bheeshma Parvam', you've done more films with Mammootty than others...
I had the privilege to work with 'Mammukka' in five films. Started with ‘Abrahaminte Santhathikal’ and the last one was ‘Bheeshma Parvam’. Somehow, I got the opportunity to work with him again and again. I find him very generous. I remember this very fondly: During the 'Maamangam' promotions, all the cast and crew went on to the stage, and the host forgot to invite me. Mammukka was bothered and asked for me. I went to the stage and said, 'Hi, I'm Sudev, a small part of the movie'. And then Mammukka took the mic and said, 'he is a trained actor... a brilliant actor. And he is not a small guy; he's a very big guy'. For me, that's a big deal coming from Mammukka. He doesn't praise people like that. He doesn't need to.
He's been appreciative of several youngsters lately.
Yes. And look at the movies he is doing now — very offbeat. In 'Bramayugam', he's not even the hero. It’s the bad guy! So brilliant! That's a lesson for everybody, actually, that once you reach that level, you're beyond hits and flops, that this is what you should be doing.
You've played the villain several times. Any concern about getting repetitive?
It depends on the story. Usually, I don't pick scripts that are similar to what came before, because there’s nothing new to bring to the table. If I force myself to do something different, it will look inorganic. So, I try to be careful in that regard.
My favourite film of yours is 'Sleeplessly Yours', directed by Goutham Soorya. What's the story behind that?
They randomly approached me for it. I usually get emails with these story pitches, and it was just one of them that caught my attention. Something about the way it was written sounded very sincere... like they had something. I spoke to them, and I liked the concept so much that I didn't really bother about the money. It didn't tick any of the boxes in terms of commercial success.
Was your actual debut 'Gulaab Gang' (with Madhuri Dixit) or 'My Life Partner'?
It was ‘Gulaab Gang’. However, at the time, I had come to Kerala often seeking work. Right after FTII, I came here, stayed for two months, met some people, and the general feedback I got from everyone was that, given the way I look, I’d better try my luck in Mumbai. I was told that there was no content here that could utilise me.
Did it have anything to do with the way you spoke Malayalam?
That was one aspect of it, but it was actually the overall personality. The kind of stories that were made here at that time couldn’t accommodate someone like me.
Any time you felt satisfied with your work, but the role (or the film) wasn't well-received?
Yes. ‘India's Most Wanted’, my second Bollywood movie. I expected it to do well, but it didn't. The director was also good. The film, I felt, had come out well. These things are strange, you see.
You are adept at martial arts and dancing. Have they helped your work in any way?
I'd say it helps control your body. The discipline that's required... that discipline flows into your acting. As such, I don't think that, after a point, getting too good at martial arts and arts has any effect on your acting. Those are just things that give me joy, not to help my acting career.
You seemed to have undergone a physical transformation, akin to the one in 'Thuramukham', for this new six-episode series, ‘Kammattam’ (premiering on Zee5 on September 4).
When we first started on the script, the character was supposed to be older, grey-haired, down on his luck, his personal life in shambles, and all that, but he was a brilliant officer. There was a kind of dichotomy there. I gained weight, and then when I walked to the set with the old man makeup, the director felt it was muting my personality. So, we decided to eliminate all the embellishments and keep the character young and dynamic. We completely shifted from the dark tone to something more stylish.
What’s different in this police role compared to what you did before?
In this particular case, the main difference is the non-gimmicky quality of the whole thing. The original script comes from a cop, exploring a fairly technical approach to case-solving — without resorting to brute force and fighting, but rather psychological cornering through interrogation — going chameleon-mode, depending on the suspect's behaviour. It's pretty straightforward. Zero flab, with the investigation being the main focus. Each episode’s duration is around 20-25 minutes.
Tell us about 'Toxic'.
I can reveal that I play one of the primary characters. It has a very significant star cast. And I got to work closely with Yash and understand how he functions. I see in him one of those stars who happens to be a very good actor, too. He did not randomly become a star. It was fun to see how he balances stardom and performance. He also feels a big responsibility towards his people. He sees it as a duty he is doing for the audience, which he takes very seriously. Since he is one of the producers, he has a million things going on in his head.
You're working once again with Rajeev Ravi, who is the cinematographer this time around. Are he and Geetu Mohandas alike in their directorial approach? Also, she is making a big film for the first time.
Hers is a very different approach compared to his. Unbelievably different. It's also a credit to Yash that he understood the idea that no matter how small or big someone’s earlier work are, it doesn't matter. They know how to make a film. She and Yash have very good cinematic sense. The interesting thing is, she has her own way of handling the actors, of pushing you in the right direction, as I said earlier. It's quite brilliant because the film’s format is unlike anything we have seen before. Sometimes, it takes time to get the right note of a certain performance. Besides, one has to take into account many variables to ensure that a film turns out near perfect — if not perfect. The actors, the props, the lights... every element has to fall neatly into place. It's time-consuming.
