‘Nothing like Glixon in real life’: Roshan Shanavas on ‘Bethlehem Kudumba Unit’ and working with Nivin Pauly

Walk out of Girish AD’s ‘Bethlehem Kudumba Unit’ and one name is likely to follow you out of the theatre: Glixon. From “Glixaa, enda Mysure il ninn varuvano?” to the swaggering “Naan nadanthaal adhiradi... En pechu saravadi” from ‘Sura’, Glixon’s every appearance has been met with laughter and cheers. The character has quickly become one of the film’s most talked-about, with his dialogues and mannerisms now fuelling jokes and memes across social media.

For Roshan Shanavas, who plays Glixon, the response has been an unexpected high. The actor is thrilled to see audiences embracing a character that, he says, came with a very specific understanding from Girish AD.
“Girish ettan had a very clear idea about Glixon. He knew exactly how the character should behave and where the humour should come from. Glixon isn’t trying to be funny. He is simply being himself, and that is what makes the situations funny,” Roshan tells Onmanorama.

Interestingly, Roshan’s association with Girish AD began before ‘Bethlehem Kudumba Unit’. He had initially been approached for ‘Premalu 2’. When that project was shelved, Girish brought him into ‘Bethlehem Kudumba Unit’, this time as Glixon.
On the surface, Glixon appears to be a typical ‘kozhi’, constantly interested in girls. But Roshan says the character has more to him than his flirtatious side, especially after he meets Ashley, played by Mamitha Baiju.

“Glixon starts developing genuine feelings, and that was interesting to me. He isn’t simply a guy who keeps chasing girls. There is an emotional side to him too,” Roshan says.
Roshan is quick to draw a line between himself and the character, though. “Glixon and I are completely different people,” he says, laughing. “But I’ve definitely met plenty of people like him in my life. I’m not one of them.”

That detachment is perhaps what makes Glixon work. He lives in his own world, rarely concerns himself with what others are doing and has a habit of irritating Justin, played by Nivin Pauly. The college portions, in particular, give Roshan plenty of room to turn Glixon’s peculiar personality into comedy. Working with Nivin Pauly was a highlight for Roshan, who admits he was initially unsure how comfortable he would be around the actor.

“Of course, I was very excited to work with Nivin. But he makes everyone around him feel comfortable. I was wondering how we would get along initially, but everything happened very naturally,” Roshan says.
Nivin’s reactions on set made the experience even more memorable. “He gives suggestions and feedback on the spot. If he likes something, he laughs. Even when we are shooting, if he finds something funny, he will laugh right there. Those are moments you cherish because you are sharing the screen with Nivin Pauly,” Roshan says.

‘Bethlehem Kudumba Unit’ also marks Roshan’s first collaboration with Mamitha Baiju. He says he has followed her growth as an actor, but found her performance as Ashley particularly convincing.
“We have all seen Mamitha’s growth. But there are scenes in this film where she was so convincing that you don’t even see Mamitha anymore. You only see Ashley. That was really impressive,” he says.

For Roshan, that transformation is also part of what makes the film feel authentic. The characters appear to belong together, rather than simply being actors brought together for a scene.
“One thing that really works for ‘Bethlehem Kudumba Unit’ is that the scenes feel very organic. Nothing feels forced. The characters have a natural chemistry with each other,” he says.

He points to the Goa portions as the best example of that chemistry. Shot towards the end of the schedule, the scenes came after the cast had already spent nearly 80 days together.

“The Goa scenes happened after we had already spent almost 80 days together. By then, we were all very comfortable with each other. We were just being ourselves, and we knew our characters inside out. So that was probably the best part of the shoot,” Roshan says.

The familiarity gave the actors the freedom to simply play off one another, he adds. “Everyone was at their absolute best in those scenes. There was a lot of freedom because we knew each other and the characters so well. I think that is why those portions have such a natural energy.”

At its heart, ‘Bethlehem Kudumba Unit’ is a love story between Justin and Ashley. But the film’s world is populated by characters with personalities strong enough to create their own moments. Glixon, despite not being at the centre of the story, has managed to become one of its most memorable faces.
For Roshan, that has been the biggest reward. “People have given Glixon so much love. As an actor, that is all you can hope for. You create a character and send him out into the world. With Glixon, people have really connected with him,” he says. And judging by the theatre reactions, Glixon has found an audience of his own.