A life less ordinary

What prompted him to make this ‘glorified guest appearance’ was the way in which chess formed an integral part of the movie. He says,“All the moves in the film are explained through a chess game. It’s a unique element and I found it interesting.”

Apart from this,Menon is also excited to share screen space with Vinay Pathak in Bheja Fry 2,the sequel of the 2007 hit Bheja Fry. He is the parallel lead who is a complete antithesis of Bharat Bhushan (Pathak’s character). He says,“I play a business tycoon who meets an idiot (Pathak) in unusual circumstances. We are two opposites who end up getting stuck with each other and what happens thereon forms the film’s crux.”

But contrary to reports that he is portraying a businessman modelled on a famous real-life entrepreneur,Menon says,“I don’t need to copy anyone.” In June,the artiste will start shooting for Hriday Shetty’s as-yet untitled film which is about crooks making it big in their lives.

Makrand Deshpande’s Dream Man,in which he plays 15 characters,is also likely to release this year. The actor says,“Dream Man was shot a long time back. I essay a part fantasy-part real character who comes in the dreams of the two protagonists. Mak (Makrand) and I have done theatre together,so it was easy for us to come up with crazy ideas and implement them. I wouldn’t want to elaborate on my varied roles as that would be uninteresting to read. But when you watch it,you will realise that it’s a different experience.”

But prod him why the release of Bhindi Baazaar Inc and Dream Man have been delayed and he says nonchalantly,“I have no idea about releases. That is the producer’s job. As an actor I keep doing my films and when the producer deems it fit,he releases it.”

Despite being a powerhouse of talent,most of Menon’s best work has gone unnoticed like Kashyap’s Black Friday,Gulaal and Pankaj Advani’s Sankat City. Though these movies garnered critical appreciation,they didn’t fare too well at the box-office. Once on the behest of the late Advani,Menon had also vented his ire against the audience’s lack of discretion on a popular film blog. Remind him about it and he says,“The Indian audience needs to get mature about cinema. Today,there are hardly any movies that can be branded as cinema. Films cannot flourish without the patronage of viewers. But the audience continues to patronise movies that are as good as college-level annual day performances.”

The actor is also peeved with the upsurge in marketing activities around films. “Now,marketing has become more important than a movie’s content. The marketing people tell the filmmaker to add an item number or take an A-list star. This is purely adulteration of cinema. The audience should not be lured by the glitter of marketing.”

Menon puts the blame on distributors too as he believes they tend to nullify a film. He explains,“Sankat City didn’t get a proper release. It was a great film but it didn’t get its due credit,because it was released in just one to two theatres. If the film is not running all across the city,then how will the audience watch it?

The actor,who has acted in several plays,is craving to do theater but admits that it requires a lot of time. Rather than others who enjoy acting on stage as they get a high by performing in front of the audience,he loves the rehearsal process. “I learn something new about myself everyday. It’s a process of discovery for me. Theater requires time. So I don’t want to do a half-baked job!” he signs off.