Joby Kodakara apologises for posting body double pic after backlash from Mohanlal fans

Joby Kodakara, a mimicry artist celebrated for his resemblance to screen legend Mohanlal, found himself at the center of an online controversy after posting photos from the sets of 'Jailer 2.' The images showed him dressed as Mohanlal’s character, but many netizens criticized Joby for sharing them on the film’s release day. The incident also fueled speculation that Joby had acted as Mohanlal’s body double during the movie’s climax scenes.

Joby has now addressed the controversy, admitting that he made a mistake by sharing the photographs and later removing them after recognising that he should not have posted them. Speaking to the YouTube channel Jango Space, he also clarified that his face is not shown in the film.

According to Joby, he was chosen for the role because of his resemblance to Mohanlal, whom he deeply admires. He stated that he is a devoted fan of the actor and earns his living by performing impersonations of him on stage. His assignment was to dress like Mohanlal’s character and remain in the caravan until the crew needed him. If he was not called for a shot, he was free to leave once the day’s filming ended. The shoot took place over a few days, during which he was involved in only two or three short shots in the airport sequence. In those scenes, only his hands and legs were visible.

Joby also maintained that he was brought in as a body double because of scheduling difficulties and the limited availability of an actor of Mohanlal’s stature. He noted that body doubles generally do not appear in close-up shots in big-budget productions. Acknowledging his error, he said the production manager had specifically instructed him not to share any behind-the-scenes photographs before the film’s release. However, carried away by his enthusiasm, he uploaded the pictures as soon as the movie hit theatres, hoping to let people know that he had worked as Mohanlal’s body double.

“I failed to consider the professional ethics and responsibilities expected of a body double working in a film. I accept that I was at fault. My excitement got the better of me, and I acted without thinking. I wanted people to know that I had also been part of a Rajinikanth film, so I shared the photographs. However, once I understood my mistake, I deleted them immediately,” Joby said.