Mimicry artist-actor Kannan Sagar makes ends meet as a small-time businessman

Kannan Changanassery (Kannan Sagar) is a familiar face to Malayalis, known for his mimicry performances on stage and roles in various films. But beyond the stage and screen, there's another side to him that many may not know -- that of a small-time retailer trying to make ends meet.

Kannan says the decision to start a shop came from a growing realisation: art alone couldn’t carry life forward. Though the initial transition from artist to businessman was far from easy, he now reflects that business, too, is a kind of art. In a candid social media post, Kannan wrote:

"Business, too, is an art. It’s built on interactions — buying, selling, lending on credit. And if there’s a delay in payment, isn’t it natural for us to ask? But the moment we do, the buyer’s face changes. Sometimes it’s a sharp look. Sometimes a blunt reply: ‘I’ll only buy once I clear my dues.’ After all, this isn’t the only shop in town.

Then come the words that sting: ‘Didn’t I pay properly till last time? So what’s the problem now?’ Or that subtle undertone: ‘I only come here thinking it might help you out.’ There’s even the casual threat: ‘Let me tell this to ten others.’But this isn’t something unique to my little shop. This is just a glimpse of what small traders face every single day.

So I try to gently draw out their stories, ask how their work is going, whether there are any financial burdens, what’s new back in their locality. I ask about their travels, about people they’re not on good terms with, and stand hearing conversations that have a bit of flavour, a touch of spice, a little sourness, even some bitterness and banter.

But never, not even in passing you should mention that their so-called enemies shop here too. One careless word and they’ll stop coming. And that means a customer is lost, and perhaps the dues that will never come back. So I try to make everyone feel welcome, at ease. No anger. No irritation. No loaded words. Because the moment a conversation turns cold or tense, a customer is lost."

 But Kannan’s shift from the stage to the store was not without pain. "Coming from an arts background, I struggled to find my footing in business. I was fooled more than once. I knew nothing about market tactics. Many told me outright that ‘this field isn’t for someone like you.’

But I didn’t let those voices shake me, learned many lessons and stayed on. Afterall, this shop was born from a persistent thought in my wife’s heart: that we needed something steady for the safety of the family and to meet our daily needs as there are days when art alone is not enough to sustain the family.

All I carry with me now are my interactions, the way I speak, my actions, my friendship, and the warmth I try to offer. That’s the only way I know to keep going.Because in this business, I meet every kind of person , those with gentle words who ask for credit, those who vanish after promising to pay soon, those who bargain down to the last rupee, and those rare few who pay in full without delay. Buyers come in all forms."

And finally, he shares a moment that deeply moved him: "On this Vishu day, a woman came by and bought a kilo of rice. As she took it, she quietly said, ‘Now I have to see what I can manage for curry.’ The pain in her voice and her helplessness -- I can’t forget it. I told her she could take whatever else she needed and pay later. But she declined, saying she didn’t want to carry another debt. She left with just that rice in hand.

There are still people like that in this world."