As announced over a decade ago, Prithviraj carved a niche for himself in Malayalam cinema by letting his work speak.
Post-'Aadujeevitham', Prithviraj Sukumaran becomes an indispensable actor in Malayalam cinema. (Facebook)
Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran doesn’t need an introduction. Thanks to the pan-Indian film Salaar: Part 1 Ceasefire, he got maximum recognition in this social media era.
Along with his producer friend Listin Stephen, the actor distributed many Kannada films in Kerala, including Kantara (2022), 777 Charlie (2022), Sapta Sagaradaache Ello–Side A and Side B, and Salaar: Part 1-Ceasefire.
In the last 20 years, the actor has carved a niche for himself in the film industry, as he aspired and announced.
In his words, he became “capable of making” a film he liked. Well, that’s indeed an achievement!
Prithviraj Sukumaran in a working still from the sets of ‘Aadujeevitham’. (Instagram)
Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life) is a significant film for both Prithviraj Sukumaran and director Blessy. The filmmaker worked on this ambitious project for about 16 years.
The movie collected ₹65 crore worldwide in four days and over ₹80 crore in seven days. It is inching towards grossing ₹100 crore at the global box office. The film is expected to become another blockbuster hit in Malayalam this year.
In Kerala, the flick has hit over 400 screens and will surely have a two-week hassle-free theatrical run since only small/medium-budget films will be released for the Vishu-Eid festive season.
Meanwhile, during the trailer launch of his Bollywood film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Akshay Kumar was astonished to learn that the survival drama took 16 years to complete.
Made with a budget of ₹350 crore, this action thriller stars Akshay and Tiger Shroff as protagonists, while Prithviraj Sukumaran plays the antagonist.
Tamil actor Kamal Haasan and ace director Mani Ratnam appreciated the movie and Prithviraj’s one-man show.
The Malayalam actor has been receiving rave reviews from critics and audiences alike, for his spellbinding performance as Najeeb and his transformation.
Over a decade ago, when Prithviraj announced to make a name for himself in the Malayalam industry, he was trolled for his attitude. But he let his work speak.
With Aadujeevitham, he became an indispensable actor in Malayalam cinema.
In Aadujeevitham, there is no Prithviraj but Najeeb.
His transformation as Najeeb at the cattle farm where he is enslaved is truly unbelievable. He shed 31 kilos for this part, after gaining 90 kilos to appear as the newly-married Najeeb from the past (in Kerala).
The actor captivatingly portrayed Najeeb’s helplessness through his body language and voice modulation. The despair and pain in the face of Prithviraj (Najeeb) feel so real that he leaves the audience with heartrending pain and teary eyes through his acting prowess.
The scenes where he goes nude to take a bath and he drinks water from a tap are marvellous. This is undoubtedly Prithiviraj’s career-best performance.
Prithviraj in a still from ‘Jana Gana Mana’. (Facebook)
Prithviraj Sukumarn received Kerala State Award for Best Actor in 2006 for Vaasthavam. He also grabbed the Best Actor Award at the Kerala State Awards for his performance in Ayalaum Njanum Thammil and Celluloid in 2012.
The actor was open to doing different kinds of projects and even ventured into dark thrillers with Adam John (2017) and Ranam (2018).
Well, he has his limitations but he manages to cope with them through dialogue delivery.
In his previous films Kaapa and Kaduva, both action flicks released in 2022, his mannerisms and swag became major highlights.
In Jana Gana Mana (2022), his dialogue delivery and body language did justice to his character (an advocate).
Prithviraj in ‘Salaar: Part 1-Ceasefire’. (Facebook)
Prithviraj Sukumaran predicts the future of cinema. For example, much before the COVID-19 pandemic, he spoke about the possibility of the advent of OTT space in future. And he was not wrong!
He debuted with Nandanam (2002), directed by Renjith, which was a success. Some of his hit films include Classmates (2006), Puthiya Mukham (2009), Ayaalum Njanum Thammil (2012), and Driving License (2019).
During his initial days, the actor took a risk by acting in director Vinayan’s Sathyam (2004) and Athbutha Dweepu (2005), as there was an unofficial ban against Vinayan.
He entered Tamil cinema by playing a musician in Mozhi (2007). In Mani Ratnam’s Raavan (2010), he played the role of a police officer. It was a good character alongside none other than Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
Prithviraj made his Bollywood debut opposite Rani Mukerji in the comedy entertainer Aiyyaa in 2012. He followed it up with Aurangzeb (2013) and Naam Shabana (2017).
In all, he acted in over 100 films so far.
Prithviraj Sukumar was part of August Cinemas, which produced the period drama Urumi and Indian Rupee in 2011.
But he launched his own production house, Prithviraj Productions, under which he bankrolled 9 in 2019. It was headlined by the actor himself.
He later joined hands with Listin Stephen and co-produced films like Driving License (2019), Ayyappanum Koshiyum (2020), Jana Gana Mana (2022), Kaduva (2022), and Gold (2023).
Prithviraj made his directorial debut in 2019 with Mohanlal-starrer Lucifer, which turned out to be the first Malayalam movie to enter the ₹200-crore club.
The actor is now busy with the Lucifer sequel — Empuraan. He also has major projects lined up for release, including Vilayath Buddha where he will be seen as Double Mohanan.
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