It is difficult to polish off two or three plates of beef at a time without getting noticed !

Chemban Vinod Jose’s rustic charm and vitality have struck a chord with the Kerala audience. By playing diverse characters without resorting to any antics or exaggeration, Chemban has proved what he is capable of within a short span of time. The actor, who has become an inevitable presence in the industry, talks about his career choices, upcoming projects and more… Excerpts:
Acting was not on my agenda Though I was passionate about movies, acting was not on my agenda.I entered the film industry because of director Lijo Jose Pelliserry. He was my close friend and I was a regular visitor to the shooting set of his debut movie Nayakan. And one day, he told me to don the character of Saravanan and I did without any second thoughts. There has been no looking back since.
The journey so far It has been amazing. Luckily, I am getting all kinds of characters within a short span. Be it the police inspector in Ordinary or the villager, Paily, in Amen, the characters I have portrayed have an identity. It was the role of a thief called Martin in Sapthamashree Thaskaraha that gave me the much needed recognition. I got rave comments for my Thrissur slang as well.
The role of Dmithri, a pervert, in Iyobinte Pustakam, came to me as a blessing. The film was made with a lot of effort. We spent nearly three months in a deserted place in Vagamon which was full of leeches. Sometimes we felt depressed, but when we saw the energy of the light boys and assistants, we got recharged. It was a kind of picnic and finally, our efforts got paid off.
Being choosy After taking up witty and humorous roles in my recent outings I got a lot of dumb characters. I rejected them because I didn’t want to bore myself to death.
Life hasn’t changed I would say my life hasn’t changed after movies. The only difference is people have started recognising me as an actor, and it is because cinema has more visibility than any other medium. For instance, it is difficult for me to have food from road-side eateries. Since actors attract a lot of attention, it is difficult to polish off two or three plates of beef at a time without getting noticed (laughs). However, most of the time, they consider me as one among them and I guess, it is because I have mostly played characters that are rooted to reality. I am also a simple person. Fame won’t bring any change in me.
What’s next! I am currently busy with Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Double Barrel aka Iratta Kuzhal. I play a gangster in it is all I can revel about my role. I have also signed up for Onnam Loka Mahayudham, starring Tovino and Aparna Gopinath in the lead.