Jayaram: The actor whom Malayalam cinema betrayed many times but was saved by other film industries

Now, two years later, Jayaram has made a comeback to Malayalam cinema, having undergone a notable transformation and embracing a type of role seldom offered to him in the industry, through Midhun Manuel Thomas’ crime thriller Abraham Ozler. If all goes well, Ozler could mark the thespian’s first hit in six years since Ramesh Pisharody’s Panchavarnathatha.

Nevertheless, even as he faced consecutive setbacks in Malayalam cinema, Jayaram found success in other languages, particularly in the South and he showcased his finesse and became a part of substantial hits. To be precise, as Malayalam cinema sought to confine him to stereotypical roles, other industries acknowledged his potential and adeptly tapped into his abilities, granting Jayaram back-to-back successes as he faced failures on his home turf.

Jayaram with Sanghavi and CR Saraswathi in Pudhu Nilavu. (Express archive photo)

In Malayalam, his biggest challenge arose from being offered only the roles of ‘gullible upper-caste villager in distress’, an archetype that brought him substantial success in the 90s, evident in films like Ponmuttayidunna Tharavu (1988), Peruvannapurathe Visheshangal (1989), Mazhavilkavadi (1989), Adhwaytham (1992), Dhruvam (1993), Meleparambil Anveedu (1993), Aniyan Bava Chetan Bava (1995), Aadyathe Kanmani (1995), Swapna Lokathe Balabhaskaran (1996), Thooval Kottaram (1996), Superman (1997), Kilukil Pambaram (1997), Kottaram Veettile Apputtan (1998), and Pattabhishekam (1999), among others.

However, the rise of the internet and social media, fostering extensive discussions about cinema among a broader audience, led to the rejection of savarna-glorifying narratives, thus rendering Jayaram struggling to secure a foothold in this evolving landscape. He is certainly not a victim here. Rather, his role in perpetuating elitist and misogynistic perspectives through films, particularly those from the ’90s until the late 2000s, is significant.

In Tamil as well, Jayaram predominantly received similar types of roles such as Chellappa in Gokulam (1993), Nandagopal in Purusha Lakshanam (1993), Anand in Kolangal (1995) and Sirusu in Murai Maman (1995). However, his trajectory in Tamil cinema began to change following his collaboration with Kamal Haasan in KS Ravikumar’s Thenali (2000). His portrayal of psychiatrist Dr Kailash in the slapstick comedy resonated well, propelling him into roles that transcended stereotypical characterisations. Simultaneously, this character marked a pivotal moment in Jayaram’s career as a whole as it diverged significantly from his previous works, even in Malayalam. He adeptly handled the role of the envious and devious psychiatrist, whose ambitious plans to lure Thenali Soman (Kamal) from his house consistently backfired.

Soon after Thenali, he secured a part in the next KS Ravikumar-Kamal Haasan collaboration, Panchatanthiram (2002), which effectively showcased his talent for infusing humour through voice modulations, leading to several of his lines becoming part of pop culture. From the dual roles in Manobala’s Naina (2002), where one character is a ghost, to portraying an author in Balu Mahendra’s psychological thriller Julie Ganapathi (2003), where he is held captive by his sasaeng fan and later as college principal Albert Aadiyapatham in Raju Sundaram’s Aegan (2008), reminiscent of Boman Irani’s character Yogendra Agarwal in Farah Khan’s Main Hoon Na (2004), he consistently received something new from the Tamil film industry.

Jayaram with Meena in Kusruthi Kuruppu. (Express archive photo)

This reached new heights when he took on the role of the antagonist in Venkat Prabhu’s successful comedy thriller Saroja (2008), marking one of the rare instances in Jayaram’s career where he portrayed a villain. He played ACP V Ravichandran with undeniable efficiency, revealing a previously unseen aspect of his talent. Following this success, Jayaram embraced another antagonist role in Jeeva’s Dhaam Dhoom (2008) and delivered yet again an outstanding performance.

However, in the same year, the Malayalam movies he appeared in – Magic Lamp, Novel, Veruthe Oru Bharya, Parthan Kanda Paralokam, Twenty: 20 – were nothing short of subpar, where he reverted to stereotypical roles, failing to showcase his diverse capabilities.

Before becoming meme material with his role as a soldier in Joshiy’s Malayalam film Salaam Kashmier (2014), the Tamil industry gave Jayaram a chance to shine as an Armyman in AR Murugadoss’s Thalapathy Vijay-starrer blockbuster Thuppakki (2012). An examination of his well-written character in Thuppakki demonstrates that he is more than capable of handling such roles; it’s just that the Malayalam industry hasn’t fully tapped into his potential. In 2015, he returned to the Kamal Haasan school, taking on a significant role in Aandavar’s underrated semi-biographical comedy drama Uttama Villain (2015), which showcased Jayaram’s superb performance as Jacob Zachariah, the husband of Kamal’s Manoranjan’s first true love Yamini, thanks to well-crafted writing.

Jayaram’s horizons expanded further when the Telugu industry welcomed him, offering a significant role in G Ashok’s Bhaagamathie (2018), where he starred alongside the indomitable Anushka Shetty. For Jayaram, who had faced consecutive flops and severe criticism on his home turf during that time, these successes in other industries were more than just a relief. Post Bhaagamathie, he became a notable presence in Telugu cinema, appearing in A-listers’ blockbusters and big-budget films, in more than just supporting roles. From Trivikram Srinivas’ Allu Arjun-starrer Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2020), Radha Krishna Kumar’s Prabhas-starrer Radhe Shyam (2022), Trinadha Rao Nakkina’s Ravi Teja-starrer Dhamaka (2022) and Sudheer Varma’s Ravi Teja movie Ravanasura (2023) to Shiva Nirvana’s Vijay Devarakonda, Samantha-starrer Kushi (2023), Shouryuv’s Nani-starrer Hi Nanna (2023) and Trivikram’s Mahesh Babu-starrer Guntur Kaaram (2024), the Telugu industry also harnessed Jayaram’s untapped potential, showcasing his dominating on-screen presence even amidst several other actors and ability to effectively convey emotions with minimal words.

Jayaram with Kamal Haasan in Thenali. (Express archive photo)

Simultaneously, Jayaram undertook one of the most significant and challenging roles in his career in Tamil, portraying Azhwarkadiyan Nambi in Mani Ratnam’s epic action drama franchise Ponniyin Selvan. Immersing himself fully in the character’s physical and behavioural intricacies while brilliantly utilising his comic timing, Jayaram immortalised Nambi in a spectacular manner. During the Covid pandemic, the industry also presented him with a sweet little love story, Ilamai Idho Idho, Sudha Kongara’s segment in the anthology film Putham Pudhu Kaalai (2020). In 2023, the actor also made his Kannada debut through MG Srinivas’ Ghost. Needless to say, all of this happened at a time when he deliberately took a break from the Malayalam industry.

In one of his initial interviews in 1988, conducted before he made his film debut, Jayaram conveyed to ace videographer and archivist AVM Unni, “The ultimate dream for most artists is to enter the world of cinema. However, not all dreams come true. Nevertheless, I want to give it a try, though there is no certainty. It’s a very unpredictable field. Today, you might get an opportunity, but tomorrow you could be a nobody.”

From there, he emerged as a significant figure in Malayalam cinema, becoming the fourth pillar alongside Mohanlal, Mammootty and Suresh Gopi. Therefore, it cannot be denied that Jayaram was indeed at fault for his downfall in Malayalam, as he took up shoddy projects one after the other and they rightfully bombed at the box office. Whether it was due to relationships he shared with the makers of such movies, which blindsided him, or simply because he didn’t know or couldn’t say no to these people, Jayaram bore the brunt of the failures of these projects.

Now, following a much-needed comeback facilitated by Abraham Ozler, Jayaram expressed in a conversation with Manorama News, “100 per cent… No, I give you 150 per cent assurance that I will not disappoint my (Malayali) audiences from now on. I recently visited several theatres. While a film may have a strong initial collection, in the subsequent days, it is the family audiences who determine a movie’s fate. I witnessed my audiences eagerly rushing to theatres to watch my film. I have earned that love over the past 35 years, and I won’t let it slip away from this moment onward.”

Let’s hope he manages to stay true to his words.