Saiju Kurup gets candid about Pappachan Olivilaanu; names the character that holds a cherished spot in his heart

Meanwhile, after stealing hearts with his performances in Adithyan Chandrashekar’s Enkilum Chandrike and Aneesh Upasana’s Janaki Jaane, and lending his voice to one of the canine characters in Devan Jayakumar’s Valatty, Saiju Kurup is now gearing up for his third movie appearance this year in Sinto Sunny’s Pappachan Olivilaanu (Pappachan is in hiding).

In a one-on-one conversation with The Indian Express, Saiju Kurup openly and in detail discussed the nature of Pappachan Olivilaanu, his journey as an actor, the rapid and frequent changes in his perception of his performances, his eagerly anticipated upcoming projects, and more.

Why has Pappachan gone into hiding?

Upon encountering the title Pappachan Olivilaanu, the initial question that likely arises is whether Pappachan is a troublemaker of significant magnitude, compelling him to seek refuge in hiding. We certainly presented the same query to Saiju Kurup, who plays the titular character in the movie and, without any hesitation, the actor confidently affirms that Pappachan is undoubtedly an incendiary, “but a small one”.

“A man in his late 40s, Pappachan has a penchant for indulging in thallu (excessive bragging and talking big) more often than not. Residing with his family near a forest, sans any financial hardships, Pappachan’s father is a renowned hunter. Nonetheless, his incessant tendency to boast and fabricate stories to appear larger than life leads him into significant trouble at one point, compelling him to seek refuge in hiding. The film centres around his journey and how he unravels the complexities of his predicament,” Saiju says.

Penned by director Sinto Sunny himself, Pappachan Olivilaanu features a talented ensemble cast comprising Vijayaraghavan, Srindaa, Aju Varghese, Alexander Prasanth, and Kottayam Nazeer, all of whom gained fame through their exceptional performances in character roles and comedic characters. “While the film is fundamentally a comedy, its effectiveness can only be gauged after people watch it. Our intention’s not to have the viewers in stitches; but to ensure that each scene brings a smile to their faces. We have not targeted laughter but smiles. We hope that the movie entertains the audience,” he adds.

Pappachan Olivilaanu is a cinematic take on a real-life incident

Sharing his experience of working with debutant director Sinto Sunny, Saiju Kurup mentions, “Sinto has extensive experience as an associate to director Jibu Jacob, known for blockbuster films like Vellimoonga and Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol. I first met him during the making of Jibu Jacob’s Mei Hoom Moosa (2022), where Sinto served as a member of the director’s team. His dedication and profound understanding of filmmaking left a lasting impression on me. Additionally, I discovered his talent as a skilled writer, possessing a keen music sense. In one of our chats, I expressed my interest in collaborating on any intriguing plots he might come across.”

“Nearly two weeks later, he shared a plot with me, inspired by a past incident near his home, which I found captivating. He meticulously developed it into a cinematic story, marking the inception of our journey together. The character Pappachan is an amalgamation of three to four individuals involved in that real-life event,” he adds.

From an ‘angry young man’ to a quintessential factor in comedy dramas

Saiju Kurup commenced his career in 2005 by taking on the lead role in Mayookham, directed by esteemed filmmaker Hariharan. Although the movie, which also introduced Mamta Mohandas as an actor, didn’t perform well commercially, both lead actors garnered considerable acclaim for their performances. Nonetheless, the shadow of his ‘angry young man’ character in the movie began haunting Saiju, and as a result, he found himself typecasted in similar roles for a considerable period before having the chance to venture into different acting territories. Despite enduring an extended and challenging phase of being typecast, Saiju is currently making significant progress and moving ahead with remarkable momentum. “Now, I can feel myself improving day after day and film after film. However, I won’t deny that there are certain areas on which I need to work more such as my body language and some expressions.”

When questioned if any of his performances left him satisfied, Saiju says, “That’s a very tricky thing. Right after wrapping up a movie, we may be impressed by our performance and believe that we did a commendable job. However, a few months later, upon revisiting the same performances, we might notice several flaws that were not apparent initially. I think this stands true for all actors. Let’s take Pappachan as an example. If you were to enquire about my performance at this moment, I would express complete satisfaction. However, by the year’s end, my perspective might change, and I will likely feel that there was room for improvement.”

“Nevertheless, my character Unni Kesavan from my debut movie Mayookham continues to hold a cherished spot in my heart,” he adds.

On his first web series Jai Mahendran

Despite having numerous new film projects lined up, Saiju Kurup is also preparing for his debut in the world of web series with SonyLIV’s first Malayalam original series Jai Mahendran. Saiju emphasises that although the target platform may vary for series, an actor’s approach and responsibilities remain largely unchanged. “While my contribution as an actor in Jai Mahendran is quite similar to that in movies, one aspect that sparks excitement is its OTT platform debut which will facilitate reaching a broad audience, including non-Malayalis in various parts of the country,” he notes.

Abrid Shine’s Action Hero Biju, featuring Nivin Pauly in the lead role, emerged as one of the major commercial hits in Malayalam cinema in 2016. While Nivin played the role of SI Biju Paulose, Saiju Kurup delivered a memorable and humorous performance as his superior officer CI Manoj Mathew. With the makers now commencing work on a sequel to the blockbuster, The Indian Express was keen to know if Saiju would return to play his character from the original film. “So far, Abrid Shine hasn’t reached out to me about this matter. If they were considering my involvement, I would have been informed by this point. It appears that the character CI Manoj Mathew is not part of the new storyline.”

A dream to entertain audiences persistently

When questioned about his upcoming projects and which ones he’s most excited about, Saiju responds, “There are two films that I’m eagerly looking forward to. The first one involves collaborating with Sinto Sunny again, and we are already in discussions. The second is a movie directed by Shamzu Zayba and written by Jenith Kachappilly.”

Before concluding the chat, The Indian Express enquired about Saiju’s hopes and aspirations for the future. The actor replies, “At this point, I don’t have any specific dreams related to my film career. My current hopes and dreams revolve mostly around my personal and family life. The reason why I don’t have any specific dreams now is that… if you had asked me the same question five years ago, I would have said that I wish to portray a diverse range of characters. However, at this stage of my career, having already worked in 130 movies and played 131 different characters, including a dual role in the film Hotel California (Dir. Aji John), I can’t say the same thing anymore. Since my debut, I have been fortunate enough to portray a wide variety of characters, covering every possible emotion. I have also gained fame, financial stability, and immense satisfaction from my work. So, my current aspiration is simply to continue entertaining the audience. Yes, I believe that’s my sole (career) dream at this moment.”