I was offered Venu’s role in ‘Lokah’: Premalu fame Shyam Mohan

Actor Shyam Mohan is one of the artistes whose career saw a drastic shift after the blockbuster movie ‘Premalu’ was released. He cemented his position in Malayalam cinema by seamlessly portraying the character of Aadi — a role that won the audience’s hearts, even more than the hero, especially among Telugu viewers. The incredible success of ‘Premalu’ across South India opened up several opportunities for Shyam in multiple industries.

Now, Shyam’s character Thinkal Thomas in ‘Pet Detective’ is also earning him praise from both critics and audiences alike. Although he was initially offered another role in the movie, Shyam ended up playing Thinkal as the other character bore similarities to Aadi. Shyam Mohan gets candid about his acting journey so far in a segment called Fiveish on Manorama Online.

Before and after Premalu
Shyam Mohan first gained attention on social media when his songs on the Smule app became popular. He then acted in a web series titled ‘Ponmutta’, besides working as an anchor on various television channels. Meanwhile, he also did minor roles in films.

“My quest for a good movie started in 2016. I had already prepared a portfolio using visuals from the short films I had done until then. I landed the role of Aadi in Premalu through an audition. I never imagined the movie would become such a huge hit or that people would love Aadi so much. My aim was to act in a film produced by Bhavana Studios and directed by Gireesh A D and add that to my portfolio. But after the movie was released, I didn’t need that portfolio,” says Shyam with a smile.

Aadi was widely accepted by the Telugu audience, and Shyam quickly received several offers from the Telugu industry. However, he missed out on a few Malayalam projects when he got busy in Telugu films — Lokah being one of them. “I was offered the role of Venu, played by Chandu. I was really upset that I couldn’t do that role. But after watching the movie, I thought Chandu was perfect for it,” notes Shyam.

Viral songs
“Sometimes, while listening to a song, I feel it sounds similar to another one. I turned that thought into content — that’s how I started singing confusingly similar songs in one go. That programme caught attention. Singer G Venugopal called me, and I even sang a song with him. I also did the ‘Chavar Song’, a spoof of a cover song, which went viral,” says Shyam.

Soulmate through songs
It was music that brought Gopika into Shyam’s life. They began singing together on the Smule app. “Gopika is an excellent singer. She came into my life when I was going through the worst phase. The pocket money she used to give me was my only income at the time. She was working then. It was she who brought focus and direction to my life, which lacked any goal,” Shyam recalls.