Kunchacko Boban proved himself as a seasoned actor with 'Traffic' in 2011. It also helped him break his 'chocoloate boy' image.
Malayalam actor Kunchacko Boban. (Instagram)
Malayalam actor Kunchacko Boban has been in the industry for about 27 years.
In the initial phase of his career, the actor delivered many super hits. Indeed, his debut movie, Aniyathipravu (1997), was a blockbuster.
Given his “chocolate boy” image, he was initially offered roles in romantic dramas and rom-coms. He mostly appeared as a college student or brother of the protagonist or second hero.
However, in the later years, he broke the image after a sabbatical.
In the second phase of his career, Kunchacko Boban proved himself as a seasoned actor with Traffic (2011), which can be termed a career-defining film. Traffic was a commercial hit and critically acclaimed, too.
He followed it up with movies like How Old Are You? (2014), Take Off (2017), Vettah (2016), Virus (2019), Nayattu (2021), Ariyippu (2022), Nna Thaan Case Kodu (2022), 2018 (2023), Padmini (2023), and Chaaver (2023).
The actor received his first Kerala State Award (Special Mention) for his performance in Nna Thaan Case Kodu, where he played a petty thief who mends his ways for his love interest.
Kunchacko Boban’s latest outing Grrr opened to mixed reviews. Directed by Jay K, the movie follows the events that happen after Kunchacko Boban’s character jumps into a lion’s enclosure in the Trivandrum Zoo.
Kunchacko-Suraj Venjaramoodu’s combination is the major highlight of Grrr. Besides entertaining the audience, the film delivered a subtle message about caste politics.
Meanwhile, let us check some of the remarkable films of Kunchacko Boban:
Traffic is considered a path-breaking venture not only for Kunchacko Boban but also for Malayalam cinema, for it helped the actor break his image and introduced “new generation films” to Mollywood.
Directed by Rajesh R Pillai, this multi-narrative film dealt with transporting a live heart from Kochi to Palakkad. It was inspired by a similar incident reported in Chennai.
Kunchacko Boban donned the grey-shaded role of a cardiac surgeon named Abel Thariyan. He is part of the three-member team responsible for the heart transportation.
Traffic won several awards, including the Kerala State Film Awards 2011 for Best Screenplay. It was remade into Tamil as Chennaiyil Oru Naal (2013), Kannada as Crazy Star (2014), and Hindi as Traffic (2016).
A survival thriller, Take Off is based on the ordeal of Indian nurses who got stuck in the war-torn city of Tikrit in Iraq in 2014.
Directed by Mahesh Narayanan, the film featured Kunchacko Boban as Shaheed and Parvathy Thiruvothu as Sameera, both nurses who leave for Iraq to join Tikrit Teaching College hoping for better payment.
Parvathy Thiruvothu played the protagonist in Take Off, while Kunchacko played a supporting yet crucial role. Their onscreen chemistry won the hearts of the audience
Kunchacko drew praise for portraying a supporting husband and a caring stepfather.
Anjaam Pathiraa is a slasher crime thriller directed by Midhun Manuel Thomas.
Kunchacko Boban appeared as psychologist Anwar Hussain, who works as a consulting criminologist in Kochi city police. Hussain plays an integral role in solving the murder mystery of a group of people.
The film became a superhit by earning over ₹50 crore. Kunchacko’s role was widely appreciated.
Anjaam Pathiraa was remade in Bengali as Mukhosh (2021). It was the first time the actor played an investigator.
In Martin Prakkat’s directorial Nayattu, Kunchacko Boban played the role of Praveen Michael, a police constable who lands in trouble along with assistant sub-inspector Maniyan (Joju George) and woman constable Sunitha (Nimisha Sajayan).
The Malayalam film is vocal about the caste system and the glaring loopholes in the Indian police system.
In an interview, Kunchacko revealed that Praveen Michael was a challenging role for him.
Nayattu was raved for its raw treatment, direction, and performances.
It was remade into Telugu as Kotabommali PS (2023) by director Teja Marni.
Nna Thaan Case Kodu is a remarkable movie in the career of Kunchacko Boban. It was featured in the Indian Panorama section, 54th IFFI.
Kunchacko raised many eyebrows with his transformation for his role (Kozhummal Rajeev), a petty thief who later turns a labourer.
He sported a tanned look and oily hair and even used prosthetics on his lower jaw. Also, he spoke in the Kasaragod dialect, which was unusual in Malayalam films until then.
Nna Thaan Case Kodu, directed by Ratheesh Balakrishnan Poduval, was a commercial success. It was a biting satire that targeted political parties and even ministers.
Ariyippu, helmed by director Mahesh Narayanan, was a slice-of-life film premiered via Netflix.
It was lauded for its rawness in narrative, representation of reality in writing, cinematography, and direction.
Ariyipuu revolves around the story of a husband and wife (played by Kunchacko Boban and Divya Prabha) who face a difficult situation at their workplace, a glove factory.
Kunchacko nailed it as a typical male chauvinist and opportunist husband Hareesh, while Divya Prabha tugged at the heartstrings with her earnest performance as Reshmi (Hareesh’s wife).
The movie was shot in Noida, which was a new premise for a Malayalam film.
It won the 53rd Kerala State Film Award for Best Director for Mahesh Narayanan in 2023.
Jun 26, 2024
Jun 26, 2024
Jun 25, 2024
Jun 25, 2024
Jun 25, 2024
Jun 25, 2024
