When he first heard Varathan’s story, Sharafudeen was on the side of Abin (Fahad Faasil) and Priya (Aiswarya Lekshmi). It is a story he ‘intensely felt’ as Fahadh Faasil told him the kernel of the story. He was batting for the couple although the character he would eventually essay, Josey, was one of the bad guys. In fact, when Fahadh asked him afterwards if he would essay Josey, Sharafudeen says, “I got a bit confused, I hadn’t really seen myself as being on the opposite side. Amal-ettan and I had a discussion and I decided to go ahead and I am very lucky that I was able to be part of the film. It is a big deal for me!”
In the five-odd years in the Malayalam film industry, the characters he has essayed have mostly been likeable, for instance Happy Weddings’ Manu, Pretham’s Priyalal, Yesudas in Njandugaludey Naattil..., Aadhi’s Sarath besides others. Over these and other films, he has proven his felicity with comedy.
As Sharafudeen rides into the frame, in Varathan, on a motorbike, there is a spark of hope that he might be a good guy in a lair of villains but one glance from him is all it takes to convey his viciousness.
He says he was confident about becoming Josey, since it was at the hands of Amal. “Of course, all of us want the characters we essay to be likeable, but as an actor there is no point in repetition. I have got so many calls after this film, it has been a while since I got this kind of feedback for a role.”
As Josey, he oozes lechery, there is no over-the-top histrionics just the same slow smile and exaggerated innocence. “I was confident about the work I had put in, that people would thoroughly dislike me after watching Varathan.” However, he adds, he doesn’t intend to continue doing negative roles.
The transformation from his outing as the ridiculously hilarious Girirajan Kozhi in Premam, to the vile, revulsion-inducing Josey is impressive. The Alphonse Puthren find began his career, with the director’s breakout feature film Neram (2013), which was followed by Ohm Shanti Oshaana (2014) and Premam (2015).
Although his was not a full length role (Premam), he capitalised on the time he got and made a memorable character of it. Over the years, he has managed to create a niche for himself as a character actor who delivers and does it well.
When he was young, the Aluva native watched films voraciously. “I had a passion for cinema, I would watch a couple of films daily but cinema was an unattainable goal.” Destiny had other plans, he ended up meeting Alphonse Puthren, became friends with actors Nivin Pauly and Kichu, and realised that cinema may not be so elusive after all. Puthren’s Neram came to be his first film.
But the highlight of his fledgling career was yet to be, it happened with Premam two years later. “I got the confidence that may be I can make a go of acting as a career. That I can make it a full time job.” It cleared a route for him, the route of comedy.
Referring to himself as an actor in search of opportunities he hopes to create a space for himself where he can do the kind of films he’d like to. He appears to be choosing films carefully, not getting overexposed in the rush add more films to his kitty he says, “I am not worried about exposure or overexposure. Imagine the build-up I got with Premam? Probably it was so huge that it has taken a few years to break that image. Varathan has done that for me, it is a big break for me.”