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Narain is doing just the opposite of what he had learnt. He was taught how to stay behind the camera and take pictures at the Adayar Film Institute but he chose to stay in front and face it. He took off as an actor through Adoor Gopalakrishnan's ‘Nizhalkkuthu’ and then earned recognition as a young police officer through Jayaraj’s ‘4 The People’. After acting in films like ‘Achuvinte Amma’, ‘Chithiram Pesuthadi’ and ‘Classmates’, he has become the toss of the youngsters today. Now, another testing time has arrived with his film ‘Pandayakozhi’ competing with Mohanlal’s and Mammootty’s films this Vishu. Here is what he says about his life, films, choice of roles and much more.

Excerpts from the Interview:

What made you take up ‘Pandayakkozhi’ after the success of ‘Classmates’?

I loved it on hearing the story and everything begun to move at a fast pace after producer Lal stepped in. This film is special to me for the simple reason that I am playing a character with all traits of heroism for the first time. The character I play is that of an ordinary guy but he gradually transforms into a mature youngster.

You moved from police officer role in ‘4 The People’ to romantic one in ‘Classmates’ and then to comedy in your latest offering ‘Pandayakozhi’. Is it a conscious effort to stay away from certain format?

No, I have not done anything deliberately to change my screen image. I was trying to take up different roles and it is tough to get the kind of roles you want in this industry. I take my own time while selecting a role and convince myself if a particular role suits me.



Tells us about your role in ‘Ore Kadal’, which also has big names like Mammootty, Meera Jasmine and director Shyama Prasad.

I am playing father for the first time through this film, which is an intense drama. I play Meera Jasmine’s husband, who has not much time for his family due to his job schedule, but otherwise a lovable man.


How do you react to people’s comments that you are too choosy in selecting roles?

I think every artiste is choosy about the kind of roles they take up. You can’t single me out here. Maybe I follow strict norm in selecting roles but other actors are also getting the roles they want. There are times when the first line of a script tells that it’s not my kind of film. Also, the films I have accepted could turn bad later. But the point is it should be close to what I look for.



So, will you let us know the kind of role you want?

My kind of film has to be logical. It should touch my heart at one point or the other and carry something positive. Normally, I accept a film if the character is better person than I am. Of course, it may not be true in every case.

What are the characters you have played so far that are better person than you are?

My character of Thiru in ‘Chithiram Pesuthadi’ was better person than I am. In ‘Nenjirikkum Varai’, my character, an auto driver risks his life to save his beloved but I don’t know if I will go to that extent in real life. I know I won’t be able to face the kind of problems my character in ‘Pallikkoodam’ faced.

Did you expect your character in ‘Classmates’ to turn so popular?

I knew from the very start that the role was special. It’s about unfulfilled love and you feel the sadness and pain that the character goes through. This kind of roles is sure to click with the audience.


Do you think young age is the reason why you have managed to keep a balance in Tamil and Malayalam films?

Yes, age is one of the reasons. The fact is there are lots of young talents in Tamil with scripts ready but Malluwood needs better writers. It was ‘Chithiram Pesuthadi’ that had me in action, I was a normal guy in ‘Nenjirikkum Varai’ and my other film ‘Pallikkoodam’ was beautiful. These kind of roles are not usual ones and they need luck to strike right. So, I am planning to keep a balance between these kind of roles and formulaic roles in the days to come. I think this will make me bankable at the box-office too.

So, are you satisfied with the way your career has shaped up so far?

I think things have shaped up well at the moment but I know I have a long way to go. I have lots of ambitions and aspirations in life. I wish to complete all of them.