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Boy next door

Photo: H. Vibhu

Going places Jayasurya has found his place on the big screen

Jayasurya loves to talk. He can keep you stimulated with his banter, retorts and sense of humour. This gift of the gab has been his passport to success and sometimes his failing.

“These days you need to be careful when you talk. Anything against the established versions and you are branded as arrogant. But I just cannot stop talking, on the sets, on television… anywhere. Perhaps this has led at least some to think that I’m a plain chatterbox….”

With no godfathers to back him, hardly any training in acting except for his mimicry shows, Jayasurya virtually talked his way into films. Anchoring a phone-in show ‘Funday Jokepot’ for a television channel, Jayasurya tapped his conversational skills to turn it into a popular show. “It was a small show with a lot of restraints. I had to put in a lot of work to make it interesting. Really, I did everything I could; change costumes during the four breaks, working on all possible questions that could be asked and more….”

That show led director Vinayan, who was on the lookout for a young hero for his new project, to hone in on this bubbly youngster. “I had to pinch myself to believe that it was happening when I got the call. Looking back, that talk show was the turning point in my life. It gave me my career, my wife and a life that I always dreamed of.” The film ‘Oomapenninu Uriyadapayyan’ was a hit and his character of a speech-impaired painter was well received.

Ironically, this garrulous actor did not speak a word in his debut film. “In a way it was good. If the character was like some of the others I did in my later films, chirpy and talkative, people would have said there was nothing different. But, for this character, I had to do a lot of homework and by the time the two remakes, in Tamil and Kannada, were over I had begun to stare at people’s mouths when they spoke. By then I had mastered sign language.”

The dream debut was followed by a short, dry spell. With the film ‘Swapnakoodu’ Jayasurya made a comeback. A string of hits and today he is one of the leading stars in Mollywood. He has also made his presence felt in other language films like Tamil and Kannada. Along with Prithviraj, he is hailed as one of the superstars of the future.

“No. It is not fair to say that. Both Lalettan (Mohanlal) and Mammukka (Mammootty) have been in the industry for more than three decades. They have proved their worth in no uncertain terms. I have been around for only six years, have done just 30 films, you cannot compare 30 years and 30 films. I know my limitations as an actor and I’m not running for that space.”

These six years have certainly been a learning experience for this actor. More than the techniques, he has now picked up the tricks of the trade. “Finding a foothold in films is more difficult than making an entry. I don’t believe that one needs a lot of luck for this. It has more to do with how to manage your career. In the beginning I found it very tough to say ‘no’ to people who offered roles. But soon I realised it is better to displease a few than disappoint or turn unpopular before a mass. Frankly, I must have turned down more films than I have acted in.”

Two releases in a week, ‘Shakespeare MA Malayalam’ and ‘Positive,’ and both doing quite well at the box office have upped his stock. ‘Minnaminnikootam,’ and ‘Parunthu’ have Jayasurya in important roles, while two films – ‘Currency’ and one by Shafi – are in the pipeline.

“I have tried hard not to be branded. Even in roles that have a strong comedy line I have attempted to do it differently. In ‘Kangaroo,’ I play a negative role. This was my suggestion for originally I was supposed to do the lead role.”

A family man, Jayasurya loves to spend his spare time with his family in his new, swanky home. These few years in films have gifted Jayasurya with a new passion – reading.

“Not on the sets, after actor Salim Kumar called every one around and made fun of me once. But this is how I spend most of my free time. I also write a bit, with a couple of stories published in some of the Malayalam magazines. Not great stuff but it gives me a lot pleasure.”

Two cars screech to a halt. A group of people come in to discuss a new film with Jayasurya.

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