There is a certain charm that Jiiva brings to the screen. The boyish, bright smile certainly helps, he is easily the lovable boy next door. He also possesses the skills that make his characters believable. The announcement of the State Awards for Tamil films last year was further proof of that: he won the award for the Best Actor for his 2012 film Neethane En Ponvasantham, in which he played a young college student with aplomb.
On a hot Sunday afternoon at the Kasaba Police Station, in Kozhikode, Jiiva looks a bit different, though. He has grown a beard, his hair is a bit longer — a portion of it is clipped fashionably at the back — and he has a guitar in his hands. Dressed in a green kurta and khaki trousers, he has become quite the gypsy singer that he is portraying in his new film titled, well, Gypsy.
“It is nice to be back in Kerala for a shoot,” says Jiiva. “A lot of the action in Gypsy takes place in this region. The girl I am in love with in the film (débutante Natasha Singh) is in Kerala.”
Gypsy is directed by Raju Murugan, whose last work Joker had won the National Award for the best Tamil film. “I decided to do this film because I liked the script a lot,” says Jiiva. “The film would be visually very appealing too, as we have already shot at a variety of locations like Velankanni, Karaikal, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Jaisalmar, Goa and Bengaluru.”
Jiiva's two other films are getting ready to hit cinemas. “I have finished shooting for Kee (directed by Kalees); I play a hacker in the film,” he says. “Then there is Gorilla, a heist comedy, directed by Don Sandy.”
Comedy is something Jiiva is rather at home with, as he proved in films like Siva Manasula Sakthi, Nanban and more recently Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae. “I like to do films that would appeal to audiences of all types,” he says. “And my intention was never to do a large number of films. I guess I am fortunate that I could afford to be choosy.”
He is glad that his choiceof films has worked more often than not. Among the films he is most proud of are Ko, Kattradhu Thamizh, E, Endrendrum Punnagai, Neethane En Ponvasantham and Keerthi Chakra, his only Malayalam film so far.
He says he owes a lot to Malayalam cinema for his evolution as an actor. “I believe my acting can be dived into BC and AD: that is, before I did Keerthi Chakra and after,” he elaborates. “I have always admired actors in Malayalam cinema for the natural way they perform.”
Some of his earliest memories of cinema are of, in fact, watching Malayalam films. “Since my father, RB Choudary, used to distribute Malayalam films, I had watched many of them,” he says. “It was great working with Mohanlal in Keerthi Chakra and I also follow with interest what young actors do in Malayalam cinema.”
Fahad Faasil is someone he has great respect for. “If people watched him while shooting, they may wonder if this man was doing any acting at all,” Jiiva says. “But when you see those scenes at the edit suit or on the screen, it is amazing, especially the way he uses his eyes. I also like to watch Dulquer Salmaan and Nivin Pauly.”
He feels there is more realistic acting in Tamil cinema too these days.“That is what I try to do all the time,” he says. “Somebody like Vijay Sethupathi, I think, has made a difference to Tamil films, with his natural, subtle acting.”
Jiiva feels the mainstream Tamil cinema is getting better. “And it is nice to see women-oriented films also doing well at the box-office ,” he says. “I am glad that Nayanthara, whom I have worked with in E and Thirunaal, has delivered successive box office hits (Kolamavu Kokila and Imaikkaa Nodigal). There are also other capable actresses like Trisha.”
So when is he doing another Malayalam film?
“I would like to do it soon, but it has to be a very good one and doing another Malayalam film has always been there at the back of my mind,” he says. “But my hands are full at the moment, especially with my home productions; among the projects are one with Fahad.”
He adds he has always loved coming to Kerala. “I have shot for Ko here and I have come in the past to promote my films,” he says. “I am awed by the Nature, food and the warmth of the people in Kerala. I know they watch a lot of Tamil movies just as we in Tamil Nadu watch Malayalam films.”