I’m Excited For The Next 2 Years of Malayalam Cinema: Fahadh Faasil

The Malayalam industry is having its dream run in 2024. And Fahadh Faasil might as well be the man of the moment, enjoying success with Aavesham and Premalu, winning both hearts and box office numbers. While the former is a gangster comedy which sees him play an idiosyncratic mob head who befriends three college students, he has co-produced the romantic comedy Premalu. In an interview with Film Companion, Fahadh Faasil admits that the success of these films is beyond his understanding.

He says that these things don’t affect him and he is merely witnessing the success. “In my family, all of us believe that “nothing is permanent”. Be it happiness or sadness, nothing is full-on. So, I believe that whatever happens in between shouldn’t change the individual we are. Whether it is Premalu or Aavesham, the success of these films is beyond my understanding and I hope I don't get carried away. Besides, it’s a beautiful phase not just for me, but for the industry as well. And we can expect any kind of film in the next two years from Malayalam cinema. ”

Fahadh Faasil has had an enviable career trajectory of being a pan-Indian presence across various industries like Telugu, Kannada and Tamil in addition to his mainstream work in Malayalam cinema, delivering blockbusters and critically acclaimed films aplenty over the years. But his debut was nothing of this kind. “My first film was a flop. After that, I was in the US for the next eight years and never thought about coming back to cinema,” the actor reminisces. But when he came back to India, he forayed into writing and soon after got an acting opportunity. “My father has introduced many talents in Malayalam cinema and I just wanted to prove that his instincts about my acting were not wrong. So in those eight years, while watching films and observing actors, I may have subconsciously learned more. And when I brought all that together while acting, it was surprising to see people like it. I realised the way I worked was right. Then, it was all about winning the trust. When all those fell into place, it was just about doing things that I believe in.”

Although his father felt his acting was quite artificial, he spotted the talent in him, Fahadh recalls. “I overheard my father telling his friend that I had a very peculiar rhythm. Even when he felt my performance wasn’t very organic, he identified that my rhythm was unique. Over the years, the rest of the things fell into place gradually. I think he was referring to the way I use silences and breaks in between my lines, which many directors ask me about to this day.”