'Suzhal' actor Kathir makes Mollywood debut, says he's keenly watched Shine Tom's performance in 'Meesha'

Tamil actor Kathir, known for his roles in films like 'Perariyum Parumal' and 'Vikram Vedha,' is set to make his debut in Malayalam cinema. He will play a prominent character in Emcy Joseph’s upcoming film ‘Meesha,’ which is scheduled to hit theaters on August 1. Although Kathir, who also portrays a cop in the popular Tamil series ‘Suzhal,’ had considered a few Malayalam scripts in the past, he was particularly drawn to ‘Meesha’ because of the diverse aspects of his character.

“I always seek ways to improve myself as an actor. To be honest, I never planned on becoming an actor, but my dad was passionate about movies and encouraged me to audition for at least one film. That’s how ‘Madha Yaanai Koottam’ came about in 2013, and I became an actor. I also viewed ‘Meesha’ as an opportunity to grow and better myself, and I am grateful that Emcy sir provided me with the confidence and space to pursue that.”

He believes that Malayalam cinema has a unique vibe. "There are many characters in Malayalam films, which makes the plots and scenes more unpredictable. For example, in 'Meesha,' you never know how each character is going to react, and that makes the movie intriguing," he said.

Kathir explains that he improves his acting skills by observing the actors around him. "As I mentioned before, I never had any formal training in film. In fact, I've only seen about 15 films in my life, as I spent most of my childhood in hostels and my remaining time working as an actor. Therefore, my primary way of learning has been to watch the performances of my fellow actors. For instance, in ‘Bigil’, I paid close attention to how Vijay sir performed. In ‘Meesha’, I dedicated a lot of time to observing how Shine Tom Chacko approached his characters and executed his acting," he said adding that he shares a lot of screen space with the actor in the movie.

The actor admitted that he was initially uncertain about whether he could fulfill Emcy sir's vision, but now he is confident that he has successfully embodied his character. "I had to learn Malayalam because all my dialogues were in that language. I spent at least three to four hours each day learning and perfecting my script. I'm not someone who feels comfortable working with prompts, so I wanted to master what I was doing."
The actor has begun filming for his second Mollywood film, which will feature Dulquer Salmaan in the lead. The shoot of ‘I’m Game’ began in Thiruvananthapuram. “I am equally excited about the project,” he said.

‘Want to focus on doing rom-coms now’
Kathir is known for his versatility and has played a wide range of characters, be it an effeminate man in ‘Sigai’ or the Dalit law student Pariyan in ‘Pariyerum Perumal’. He says he keeps reinventing himself because he doesn’t want to be seen as an actor who only does caste-related movies. He wants to play rom-coms next. “Though I have appeared in different genre films, I have never got to play a romantic hero in rom-coms. This year, I have signed up for a few films in that genre,” he said. ‘Meesha’, which also features Hakeem Shah, Sudhi Koppa, Jeo Baby, Unni Lalu in prime roles will hit theatres on August 1.