'People say they got Thilakan chettan back': Shobi on his new phase in cinema

For years, Shobi Thilakan has been a familiar name in Malayalam cinema, known both as a dependable dubbing artist and as the son of the legendary Thilakan. But in recent times, the conversation around him has begun to shift. It is no longer defined only by lineage or dubbing, but by his growing screen presence.

In recent years, Shobi has been steadily stepping into character-driven roles that allow him to break away from predictability. Films like ‘Aashaan’, directed by Johnpaul George, and the recent thriller ‘Dridam’, directed by Martin Joseph, have marked that transition more clearly than ever. These are not filler appearances or routine roles. They are parts that demand texture, restraint, and individuality.

Shobi admits that the change has been both intentional and rewarding. The kind of roles coming his way now, he says, are far removed from what he was often offered earlier in his career.

Projects like ‘Grr’, ‘Aashaan’, and now ‘Dridam’ have given him characters that are less about function and more about identity. For an actor who spent years moving between dubbing booths and supporting roles, that shift has been significant. “It is when you get these kinds of characters that you can actually show what you can do,” he reflects.

In ‘Dridam’, Shobi plays ASI Krishnan Kurup, a police officer caught inside the machinery of a thriller that slowly builds toward its twist-heavy climax.
Interestingly, the film’s recent traction on OTT platforms has given the performance a second life. Shobi says the renewed visibility has already begun translating into new opportunities. “Now that ‘Dridam’ is trending on OTT, people are calling me with new projects,” he says.

But recognition has not always depended on box office success. He points to ‘Grr’ as an example of a film that may not have worked commercially but still opened doors for him in unexpected ways. Within the industry, he says, the performance did not go unnoticed.

That mix of visibility and validation has slowly started reshaping how he is perceived. Still, one comparison follows him almost everywhere he goes, his father, Thilakan.

For Shobi, that comparison is both inevitable and complicated. After all, he has grown up not just watching his father perform, but absorbing his rhythm, his intensity, and his instinct for character work. But he is also clear that he never sets out to imitate him.

“I have observed him all my life. It comes naturally. I never try to copy him, but people still see similarities,” he says. Some even tell him they are reminded of Thilakan’s iconic presence in films like ‘Kireedam’ when they watch him on screen today.

If anything, Shobi sees those comparisons as a kind of validation rather than pressure. “People saying they see my father in my roles makes me happy,” he admits.
Yet beneath the nostalgia and comparisons, there is also a working actor constantly negotiating his own choices. One of his biggest concerns today is typecasting, especially in roles like police officers, which he has done multiple times over the years.

That hesitation nearly affected his decision to take up ‘Dridam’. He was initially unsure about repeating familiar territory. But what ultimately pulled him in was not the role itself, but the structure of the film.
“I read the script three times,” he says. “What I liked was the twist in the climax. I even asked the director if there were clues about it earlier in the film. He said no. That convinced me.”

Alongside acting, Shobi continues to be associated with dubbing, a field that once formed the backbone of his career. But he is also realistic about how much it has changed. With more actors dubbing for themselves and fewer opportunities in mainstream cinema, the space has naturally shrunk.

Still, he isn’t moving away from it. “Dubbing is part of my life. I will never leave it,” he says, while acknowledging that acting is now becoming his primary focus.
His next appearance will be in Asif Ali’s ‘Tiki Taka’, continuing his gradual move into more character-focused roles.