Malayalam actor Kunchacko Boban became an overnight star with his 1997 debut film Aniyathipravu, a romance that was a blend of modern and traditional Indian values. But that kind of instant adulation isn’t always a great thing, claims the actor.
“As an actor it was a bad thing, but as a star it felt good to enjoy that kind of box-office success,” said Boban in an interview with Gulf News tabloid! That kind of instant hero-worshipping meant that he was immediately pigeonholed as this go-to guy for syrupy college romances. For a long time, he had no competition in that space.
“Honestly, I can’t watch that film with my family, friends and especially my wife,” said Boban with a laugh. The blockbuster saw him play a college student who falls in love, elopes with his girlfriend and then break-ups with her, because the couple hates the idea of hurting their conservative parents. It might not fly with viewers today, but two decades ago, it was hailed as a mature love story that appealed to parents and rebellious children alike.
However, the actor in Boban has now grown up. This week in the UAE, he returns with the Malayalam drama, Ramante Edenthottam, in which he plays a 40-year-old environmentalist and the owner of a farmhouse.
Well-travelled, cultured and widowed, the suave Raman runs his resort like a retreat in which his guests undergo a detox from life and its trials.
“Ramante Edenthottam is a feel-good film. His farmhouse in a forested area pushes you to look at life with positivity and aspires you for more … And it was great to play my age, 40,” said Boban. This actor is a refreshing change from a crop of Malayalam actors who are busy doing age-inappropriate roles. It isn’t uncommon to find Malayalam A-listers attempt to play twenty somethings in their forties.
Boban goes a step further and claims that Ramante Edenthottam has a strong woman in its centre.
“Even though I play the title role, it’s a heroine-oriented movie or theme. Malini, played by Anu Sithara, plays a married woman who comes to his farmhouse along with her family. It’s a mature role where she goes through various phases in her life,” says Boban.
The film chronicles the tale of Malini, who is trapped in an unhappy marriage with her producer husband who is prone to the occasional philandering, but she undergoes a slow transformation during her vacation at Raman’s farmhouse in the scenic Wagamom. Raman and Malini’s budding friendship (not necessarily of romantic nature, says Boban) is also showcased with sensitivity. His laid-back aura makes him attractive to women, a trait that mystifies other men.
“Malini’s husband, Evis, and Raman are contradictory characters. They are two sides of a male character and it will be interesting to see how people relate to them,” says Boban.
For this actor, whose career is littered with hits including Niram, Ordinary and Take Off, that’s his sole priority: take on roles that challenge and push him as an artist. He doesn’t care for the length of the role, but it’s the significance of his on-screen characters that count. In 2014, Boban took on the role of a chauvinistic husband in actress Manju Warrier’s comeback blockbuster, How Old Are You? Even though his character is reformed towards the climax, it was a creative gamble.
“I love trying different kinds of characters … But to be honest, I never thought that his character will have so much impact on the viewers. Till that film, I was always sticking to the good lane and many had the perception that I will always be that good chap in film. But my idea is to always re-invent myself as an actor.”
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Ramanente Edenthottam is out in the UAE now.
