'MY LOOKS AND OUTSIDER TAG CONFINES ME TO SERIOUS ROLES'

With JioHotstar and Sony LIV successfully making inroads into the Malayalam OTT sphere, it is now ZEE5's turn as the platform debuts with Kammattam, a six-episode-long thriller series, inspired by real-life incidents.

- VIGNESH MADHU

With JioHotstar and Sony LIV successfully making inroads into the Malayalam OTT sphere, it is now ZEE5's turn as the platform debuts with Kammattam, a six-episode-long thriller series, inspired by real-life incidents. Sudev Nair headlines the show as police officer Antonio George, who is tasked with investigating a hit-and-run case that soon unravels into a larger scam.

Sudev, a graduate of the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), made heads turn with a state-award-winning performance in his maiden Malayalam film, My Life Partner. However, despite showcasing flashes of his mettle in films like Anarkali, Ezra, Bheeshma Parvam, and Thuramukham, the actor's career is yet to properly take off. In this conversation, Sudev cuts a picture of composure and clarity as we discuss his role in Kammattam and the possible reasons behind his tumultuous journey in the industry.

Excerpts

You're no novice to cop roles, yet what made you take up the role in Kammattam?

I think this is my fifth or sixth cop outing, which includes characters with both positive and negative shades. All these characters have been different with a purpose in the screenplay. Kammattam stood out with its realistic treatment as a police procedural. It has no dramatic embellishments, which means there are no crutches as an actor to rely on. The performance had to be real and interesting, which is a challenge. I had to constantly keep myself on check that I'm not mistaking casual for real. Casual is very uninteresting.

Being a trained actor, you might be inclined to add your own quirks to make a character more interesting. Did you have any such temptations in Kammattam?