On screen, Kunchacko Boban has played a plethora of roles that are as different as chalk and cheese. The affable actor is always armed with a perpetual smile that crinkles his eyes. The smile has only got broader this year with some really good projects that have hit the bull’s eye at the box office. Take Off and Ramante Eden Thottam were hits and Varnyathil Aashanka got him appreciation for his character portrayal. Kunchacko is a very happy man and if there was a cloud nine, he would be floating on it. “I have been a part of some good projects this year. Truth be said, I am surprised that in my forties, I am still the first choice for debutant directors. I was under the impression that as I grow older, I would be sidelined for newcomers, but here I am playing the lead roles” he says with wonder in his voice.
Chackochan, as he is fondly called, says that Take Off gave him a smooth runway to take off to dizzying heights. Ramante Eden Thottam had him playing a very understated character who was welcomed by the audience. “As an actor, I am very happy. The only challenge is that the audience has raised the bar higher and I have to meet those expectations.” Currently, Kunchacko is a part of the Sugeet directorial Shikkari Shambu, Ramesh Pisharody’s directorial Panchavarna Thatha, a cameo as a collector in Diwanji Moola Grand Prix, a cameo in Dhyan Sreenivasan’s film and the lead in Kuttanadan Marpapa by Sreejith Vijayan.
It is Ramesh Pisharody who took him by surprise and makes him go eloquent, “We think of Ramesh as a comedian with his witty one-liners and quips, but he is a person who is knowledgeable about everything around him. Even Salim Kumar was perceived to be a comedian till the audience saw the well-informed side to him. It is the same case with Ramesh!” Kunchacko got time to interact with Ramesh while on the sets of Ramante Eden Thottam, where they acted together, as well as for a stage show in America, where they performed on stage. The chocolate boy image that Kunchacko was well-known for in the past now lies buried under the vast variety of roles that he has breathed life to in recent years. Kunchacko frankly says, “Earlier, I was not confident about playing different roles and I was always doubtful if I could carry them off. Now, with the passage of years, that shyness and awkwardness has melted away. I am still playing romantic roles but now there are different facets to the romance — the romance is more complex.”
Most of his roles have earned him critical acclaim. So is there some secret magic mirror that suggests what projects he takes? He laughs it off answering, “I go by my instincts and 90 per cent of the time those instincts are bang on target.” He does not do any homework for his roles nor does he deliberate and ruminate. “I just go with the flow,” he says. The three films that Kunchacko was a part of this year were intense ones. Shikkari Shambu and Kuttanadan Marpapa came as breaths of fresh air. Both the films have a humorous streak to them. Shikkari Shambu shows the goof-ups that happen in Shambu’s life. In Kuttanadan… he plays a wedding photographer and videographer. “I had fun while shooting for both the films. These were a welcome break from the intense roles I played earlier.” Smiling naughtily he adds, “It gave me ‘relaxation’!” Another reason for his happiness is that Kuttanadan…. is shot in his hometown Alappuzha. “I come to the sets from my home and reach back there after my shoot — that is another advantage. I now have time to catch up with my friends in my hometown.”
Like every other actor, playing the lead is vital for Kunchacko but what sets him apart is his flexibility to act in women-centric films with powerful female protagonists. How Old Are You, Ramante Eden Thottam and Take Off had women playing the lead, with Kunchacko giving able support to them. The actor gives his opinion, “There are people who dissuade me, but there are also people who encourage me. Personally, what is important is to be a part of a good film and I make sure that I don’t get typecast in such films. As an actor I wanted to feel confident about myself and that has been achieved.” Pausing for a moment, he says, “All these films did well at the box office, so I was not wrong! What is the use of acting in a male-centric film that does not do well? People should see the film and acknowledge the efforts that we all have taken.” While other actors are migrating to other languages, Kunchacko is happy in Mollywood. He states, “Tamil would be the only other language I would be comfortable with, since I know to speak, read and talk Tamil. If a good offer comes my way from Tamil, I will take it.” He is also looking forward to Christmas as every year. This year, his wife Priya is holding a sale with a Christmas village theme and he is looking forward to the ‘no-shoot’ days to help set it up with her. So all’s hunky dory at the moment for the actor.
