Three decades, three State awards, several other accolades and a host of memorable roles, but Manoj K. Jayan is as grounded as ever. The 51-year-old actor, who debuted with a tiny role in Ente Sonia in 1987, now has to his credit close to 150 films, having left his mark in all major South Indian languages and one film in Hindi. Son of renowned Carnatic singer K.G. Jayan, Manoj, however, chose to tread a different path. “Art and culture is in my blood,” he says. Although trained in singing, Manoj says he took up acting since he refused to make a name for himself riding on his father’s fame. He made the transition to the film industry while simultaneously registering a brief but successful stint in TV serials. Most notably, viewers saw the character actor in him weave magic on screen as the epileptic troublemaker Kuttan Thampuran in Sargam (1992), the evil black magician Digambaran in Anandabhadram (2005), the archer-warrior Thalakkal Chandu in Pazhassi Raja (2009) and the egotistic Kathakali artiste Kunhiraman in Kaliyachan (2015). Deferentially attributing his success to “great, legendary directors”, Manoj says “such milestone characters help me both thrive and survive” in the film industry. Edited excerpts from a phone interview. How does it feel when you look back on your career? I consider myself immensely lucky to have reached where I am now. I owe my success to some legendary directors and scriptwriters I was fortunate to have been associated with, such as Hariharan, Bharathan, [Sathyan] Anthikad, Kamal, M.T. [Vasudevan Nair] to name a few. Although I have done close to 150 movies, I’m more recognised for probably about 10 great roles. Even today, I can feel their impact in my life. How was the progression from TV to celluloid? Back then [late 80s], several actors made the passage to cinema through serials. It was a time when serials were becoming popular in Kerala. I got noticed for my performances, Kumilakal being the high point, and soon started receiving offers in films. You have been a constant presence in movies, but do you regret not always getting star roles? I have never gone after stardom, though I have done about 40-45 main roles. For stardom, you need to have a specific focus and inclination. You need to cultivate a good number of fans associations and much more. I just study my role, act and then go home. I never felt the need for self-marketing. To be frank, I’m lazy to try and create a buzz about myself. More importantly, I spend the free time I get with my family. Which role would you rate as your career best performance? I feel all the good roles I have done are connected in some way or the other. I usually choose only those roles that I feel suit me. However, I believe Kuttan Thampuran in Sargam and Thalakkal Chandu in Pazhassi Raja stand out. You have played the protagonist, villain, hero’s sidekick, police officer and done comedy roles... What type of roles suits you the most? My mind is like a blank sheet of paper. I think that’s how a good artiste should ideally be. I don’t feel the need to seek roles only for the applause. There’s a danger in doing that and failures may follow. For me, each film should be different from the other. Roles you regret having done? Quite a lot actually. Some I had to do for financial considerations during hard-pressed times. When I saw the final result of some those films, I felt I was wrong. But it’s a balance since acting is my livelihood. The impact of the State awards on your career? I never expected that I would ever get even one State award and I feel extremely happy about having received three. That’s well above what I had dreamed of achieving. However, I don’t ply my trade with awards in mind. When it happens, it’s a great recognition. Tell us about Bonsai, which is releasing today... I play a cycle shop owner in a small village in Bonsai [directed by debutant Santhosh Peringeth]. Though a low-budget movie, it conveys a message. It’s a film with a lot of goodness and virtue about it. Such independent movies are important as they create an identity for themselves in Malayalam films. Upcoming projects? A couple of projects are lined up. I have a role in Prithviraj-starrer My Story and a guest appearance in Suveeran’s Mazhayath. There’s the Tamil thriller Pattinapakkam. I will be reprising my role in Amal Neerad’s sequel to Big B titled Bilal. A couple of history-based movies are in the pipeline. Any plans for a role behind the camera? So far, I have never made an effort in that regard. Direction is not that easy. You need to learn the craft well. I don’t feel confident yet to take up direction and would prefer to stick to acting for the time being. But, may be, some day, I might.

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