Interview | Actor Anand Manmadhan: I don’t look again at my struggles with bitterness

Anand Manmadhan understands that the battle is much from over for him as an actor. Nevertheless, he’s in a contented house with a few of his latest performances garnering appreciation, particularly within the film Ponman and the online collection Love Below Development.

“I’ve waited lengthy for my work to get seen. So the popularity I’m receiving now could be overwhelming,” says Anand.

He debuted eight years in the past with the movie Y, directed by Sunil Ibrahim. “Field workplace success eluded most of my earlier movies. One film that was talked about was Jithin Isaac Thomas’s Consideration Please, which was screened on the Worldwide Movie Pageant of Kerala. The movie was seen by Karthik Subbaraj and, because of him, Netflix picked it up.”

Issues began getting higher in 2022, particularly with Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey, through which he performed the elder brother of Darshana Rajendran’s character, Jaya. “That movie gave me a brand new lease of life as an artiste. I understood that in case you are a part of a commercially profitable movie, you’ll be seen, no matter the size of the function. Though I had accomplished lengthier roles in another motion pictures, they weren’t seen as a result of these movies didn’t work in theatres.” Jaya Jaya… was adopted by Senna Hegde’s 1744 White Alto, which didn’t have a great run in theatres. “However I loved that function although I had no dialogues.” 

He was additionally one of many 4 writers of Sthanarthi Sreekuttan, which went on flooring the identical 12 months. Nevertheless, the movie was launched solely in 2024.

Amongst his different releases embrace movies akin to Padmini, Roy and the online collection Masterpeace and Jai Mahendran.

Anand Manmadhan in Ponman
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In the meantime, 2025 started with a bang for him, particularly with Basil Joseph-starrer Ponman. Within the critically acclaimed social drama, he performed Bruno, the hot-headed, temperamental political activist who finally ends up helpless after a degree. “Jothish chettan (Jothish Shankar, director of Ponman) had shortlisted me after he watched me in Jaya Jaya…., particularly my dialogues within the scene proper after Darshana’s character beats up Basil’s character. Basil additionally had referred my title to Jothish chettan.”

He then talks about Basil’s essential monologue (within the lodge) in Ponman. Anand even went on to share a behind-the-scene second on his Instagram deal with. “That scene was taken in a single shot. I used to be there watching how Basil internalised the character. It was fascinating to see how he improvised for every take.”

Anand says that he modelled his character, Jiji, in Love Below Development, on many real-life contractors he had seen. “As for my mannerisms, Vishnu (Vishnu Raghav, director of the online collection) was clear that Jiji’s physique language shouldn’t be delicate. That was a bonus as a result of I’ve this behavior of utilizing my arms quite a bit whereas appearing.”

Anand Manmadhan with Neeraj Madhav in Love Below Development
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Anand, who hails from Thiruvananthapuram, recollects that cinema has been a dream since childhood, from class VII to be precise. “That was once I noticed Kamal Haasan in Nayakan (1987). He impressed me to decide on cinema and grow to be an actor. I needed to know what appearing is all about. And he continues to mesmerise me.”

Love for cinema

Though he bought a job after finishing his MBA, he stop that to comply with his ardour. “I realised that I couldn’t do the rest other than cinema. I labored for a tv channel for someday and attended auditions alongside. When nothing materialised, I began importing quick movies on YouTube, Fb and so forth. Sunil noticed one in every of them and gave me the function in Y.”

What does it take to maintain ready for a break? “I’ve all the time been hesitant to ask for roles. So I attempted to shine my craft by way of quick movies, movies and small tasks. Being in cinema is a fruits of my effort. Additionally, I don’t look again at my struggles with bitterness. I’ve solely grown as an artiste due to that section. I used to be all the time hopeful even when nothing a lot was taking place.”

Anand provides that his circle of mates has all the time been his assist system. “There’s a group of us who like to do new work in order that we don’t really feel that we’re not doing something. After we get an thought, we make a brief video or quick movie on zero funds. Typically we don’t launch these in any respect.”

He has additionally accomplished a bit of little bit of theatre, particularly with Kanal Samskarika Vedi in Thiruvananthapuram. “I’ve been a substitute actor of their play, Veendum Bhagavante Maranam on a number of phases, together with some prestigious theatre festivals.”

The actor admits that he has all the time tried to be taught from the character actors in Malayalam cinema akin to Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Jagathy, Harisree Ashokan and so forth. “No different trade has such fabulous actors. They proceed to encourage me and unknowingly their mannerisms get mirrored in my appearing,” he says.

His upcoming tasks are Abhyanthara Kuttavali, Ithiri Neram and Manu Ashokan’s internet collection Eyes. He will even be seen within the Hindi film, Param Sundari, starring Sidharth Malhothra and Janhvi Kapoor.

Love Below Development is streaming on JioHotstar, whereas Ponman will launch on the identical platform on March 14