Express News Service
KOCHI: Nakulan was not a caped superhero. He was just a watchman. But he wasn’t Larry Daley of Night at the Museum. He wasn’t an important character, but his was an important role. His screen time was minimal. But Krishnan Balakrishnan who played the character, was still noticed. As a result, out of all the television serials and countless characters, Krishnan’s role in Amrita TV’s Kaligandaki won him the best television actor award in the state. “Had I known I would win an award someday for this role, I would have done things like clicked pictures of myself or gotten a video grab of my character in the serial. This was so unexpected,” says Krishnan with a smile.
Just because he won the award, he does not take things for granted. “The award means so much to me,” he says. “It means my work is being noticed. This is my moment and it is recorded. But, in the big picture, it doesn’t make much of a difference. The award is a recognition for my work. Though it might help me in the future, I still have a lot to do and accomplish.”
A theatre artist by profession, Kaligandaki, which is the directorial debut of actor Madhupal S, is Krishnan’s first outing in television. “I had acted in some films. That’s when my friend Madhupal told me about this role,” he says. “Though it was a very small role, he thought I was the perfect person to do it.”
Krishnan, a native of Thiruvananthapuram, has been in the theatre scene since 1995. “After studying theatre, I joined dramatist Kavalam Narayana Panicker’s theatre group Sopanam,” he recounts. “I was part of the group for almost 10 years. After I left the group, I began doing freelance theatre work.”
As of now, Krishnan has acted in close to 20 plays. He has worked in notable Sanskrit plays such as Kalivesham, Puranaadi and Oorubhangam. He debuted on the big screen through Oraal, a 2005 film directed by Kukku Surendran. Krishnan later went on to do roles in Oru Pennum Randaanum, Left Right Left, Love 24x7, Minnaminungu. What needs to be noted is, most of his film roles were small ones. “I’m not picky while choosing roles. If I feel I can do a particular role, I take it up. I take roles that I can pull off. I don’t fuss about the screen time,” says Krishnan.
Krishnan will be seen in Dr Biju’s Painting Life and Veyilmarangal, both of which will soon be released. Another film Rameshan Oru Peralla will also be released soon. “I have also acted in a short film Uthamageetham, based on Zacharia’s short story ‘Namukku Parkkan Munthirithoppukal’. It will also be released soon on YouTube,” he says. He also has a role in Shankar Ramakrishnan’s Pathinettam Padi, which will be released in late May.
