This story is from November 20, 2015

'I would like to do a full-fledged villain role'

Suraj Venjaramoodu talks about essaying comic roles and character based roles
'I would like to do a full-fledged villain role'
Winning a National Award for best actor has not changed Suraj Venjaramoodu.
Despite doing a serious role that got him the award, the actor is now back to his forte, comedy, with full verve. He remains as grounded and unassuming as he has always been.
After proving his mettle in films, he has also been impressing audience on TV, hosting a comedy-chat show. Suraj speaks to us about his newfound love — anchoring, why a National Award didn’t change him, and how he keeps himself updated as a comedian.
What made you take up the anchoring role and how are you enjoying it? I’m someone who loves to talk.
If I sit somewhere for just ten minutes, I strike up a conversation with whoever is around me, regardless of whether they are celebrities or not. Talking is my source of energy. But times are such that we have lost the art of conversation. Even on a film set, everyone is on their mobile phones. If at all there is conversation, it is about how someone bought a theatre or property. I took up the chat show because it allows me to talk as much as I want, with people from different fields. I get to learn something new with each episode. Also, I love doing skits and in this show I get to do that as well.
What is your take on reality shows? The viewer has evolved a lot today, and you can’t fool them anymore. They are aware of the goings-on behind the screens and so the age of reality shows is over. As for comedy reality shows, they are all about competition. I don’t like to judge such shows.
People seem to want humour in everything these days, be it films or a TV show. Is that why comedians are increasingly being invited to anchor shows?
Very true. People have enough problems of their own today and go through a lot of stress in their daily lives. At the end of the day, they just want to unwind and watch something light hearted. No one wants to hear an actor or actress talk in length about their films any more. It used to be all about – please pray for my film — but come on, no one has the time to pray for themselves these days, let alone someone’s film. People will watch a show only if things are conveyed entertainingly.
Have you ever had apprehensions that the show might affect your film career? I had specified at the outset that I will continue to do films, which they agreed to. The show has only helped my film career. In the show, you have a live audience in front of you, and for every joke you say, you get an immediate response.
You get to know what works and what doesn’t; the response of the people in the theatre will be more or less the same. I get to update myself on the audience tastes.
You remain grounded and exactly the same after winning a National Award… I realise I am a National Award winner only when someone mentions it. It won’t get into your head as long as you have the awareness that you were just the winner for that year, for one particular performance; you are not the best of all time. The same audience, who take us to heights, will bring us down as well. So, I will always remain the same.
Funnily, a lot of people from the film fraternity have asked me what the secret behind getting an award is. The secret is to never do something with an award in mind. But do things with utmost sincerity, that’s all. The rest will happen.
You never felt the need to turn selective afterwards? My job is to act, I believe, and I will do anything that comes my way. I don’t discriminate between films and give my maximum to each impartially. What’s more important is to grow as a comedian. You don’t grow if you sit at home. I go for unplanned journeys, I meet new people. Often I just catch a train and go to wherever it takes me.
Upcoming films? I finished Dileep’s Two Countries and am doing Vysakh’s Pulimurugan. I have a role in Abrid Shine’s Action Hero Biju as well. There are a many characters I haven’t done. I would like to do a full-fledged villain role. I wish to do good characters, even if they are small. And I have 100 per cent faith that I will get them at some point.
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