Fahadh Faasil is an elemental actor who perpetually refuses to act.It was disappointment back in 2002 when Fahadh Faasil, all of 19, turned up as the hero in Kaiethum Doorathu directed by his father and ace director Fazil. Critics and film enthusiasts concluded that this was to be the youngster's first and last film outing.
A romantic song sequence which kept appearing repeatedly on various channels only served to adequately buttress this thought. But as Fahadh won the 65th National Film Award for the best supporting actor for Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum on Friday, it can only be a true actor's undying quest to keep up to his true calling.
Fahadh Faasil in the film Thondimuthalum DriksakshiyumIf Kaiethum Doorathu was a reluctant actor's hasty experiment, the later films plotted out his evolution as an actor of finesse and class. In 2009, Fahadh came back as part of an anthology film experiment called Kerala Cafe. His role in one of the 10 films in Kerala Cafe called 'Mrityunjayam' came in for acclaim.
But the going was not smooth for the actor as the new wave in Malayalam had by then altered the patterns set by patriarchal regimes. After years of hero-centric movies, Malayalam was humming a new tune. The industry and its archaic overtones were being pounded to dust by films without heroes, fresh music, and unsettling themes.
The new actor in Fahadh was at once called upon to ride the new wave and prove his prowess among the new crop which thrived on professional acumen.
Fahadh was quick to leave the safe zones of the Fazil oeuvre and explore the larger mosaic created by the likes of Aashiq Abu and Amal Neerad.
Fahadh Faasil (C) with Remya Nambeesan (L) and Roma in Chaappa KurishuAs Fahadh played roles as varied as the dim-witted Arjun (Chappa Kurishu, 2011), the uncanny Cyril (22 Femal Kottayam, 2012), and Dr Arun in Diamond Necklace, he had shed the travails of a struggling actor and emerged as a strong contender for the most-sought-after in Malayalam.
He swerves hard and sheepishly smiles to come out of embarrassment in Dileesh Pothan's Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum. The actor appears convinced of the necessity to steal a gold chain to subsist. So is the audience. Still, Fahadh appears reluctant to act. And, that could be why he is an elemental actor - perpetually refusing to act.
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