Aymanam Siddharthan In Oru Indian Pranayakadha: A Beginning To The FaFa Phenomenon

Films become memorable for many different reasons. It could be the making, the story or the performances of the actors. What stays with the viewers for a long period of time however, is the performance of the actor. There are certain actors who have carved a niche for themselves due to their style of acting, while some of them have done the same with the brilliant portrayal of a wide range of characters. One such actor who has immense talent and the capability to portray any kind of role is Fahadh Faasil.

Being the son of Fazil, a veteran filmmaker in the Malayalam film industry, Fahadh made his debut in the 2002 film Kaiyethum Doorath, which was both a critical and commercial failure. Following that, he took a long break and made a mark for himself in the 2011 film Chaappa Kurishu. This film was the beginning of an outstanding career. Since then, Fahadh didn't need to look back because with each and every role, he tasted success and rose to prominence. In a career spanning over a decade, Fahadh has portrayed over 50 different characters. Each of these characters is completely different from the others and exposed to the viewers the sheer talent and range that he possesses. However, it is the role of Aymanam Siddharthan from the 2013 movie Oru Indian Pranayakadha that made me start rooting for him as an actor and a phenomenal performer.

The film shows us the life of Aymanam Siddharthan, a wannabe powerful politician, and his love story with Irene, played by Amala Paul, who is in search of her parents. The film has several moments where Fahadh killed it with his brilliant performance. In the initial part of the film, his character is shown to be a wannabe politician, who takes part in rallies and delivers speeches. His mannerisms, dialogue delivery and expressions are spot on, as he embodies the characteristics of a youth politician so perfectly. In several humorous scenes of the film, more than the comical dialogues, it's Fahadh's expressions and reactions that makes the audience laugh out loud. It really is a difficult task to convey humour to the viewers only through one's expressions and mannerisms, but in this movie, Fahadh does that so effortlessly and makes it feel like this role was tailor-made for him. Fahadh has become an actor who delivers performances in an unparallelled manner. He has transformed into an artist who dedicates himself to each and every character he portrays and makes himself so vulnerable to the director that he brings out the director's vision brilliantly. His acting is such that we as viewers cannot picture anyone else in the role. His eyes, expressions, mannerisms, dialogue delivery and overall approach to a character are so different that in each film, we do not find the same Fahadh Faasil we saw in his previous film.

After the portrayal of Aymanam Siddharthan, Fahadh went on to portray several other challenging and complex roles, and performed them with perfection. His range and talent made him a sensation not only in the Malayalam film industry, but also in several other film industries. From being written off as a failure by the critics as well as the viewers to being a nationwide sensation, Fahadh built up an excellent career with his brilliant script selection and outstanding performances. Though he has grown into a pan-India star and has become one of the most sought-after artists in the country, the role of Aymanam Siddharthan will always remain my favourite because of his absolutely effortless portrayal, excellent embodiment of the mannerisms of a youth politician, and his priceless expressions and dialogue delivery. The role of Aymanam Siddharthan was just a beginning of the 'FaFa phenomenon'. With his upcoming film, I am sure that the viewers are going to experience a visual treat. Till they get theatrical releases, let us all revisit his previous performances and be mesmerised by his talent.