Saiju Kurup on ‘Mohiniyattam’: This success came 21 years after my debut

Saiju Kurup is ecstatic. With Bharathanatyam 2: Mohiniyattam, which helium acted successful and co-produced,trending connected streaming aft raking successful crores astatine the container office, the histrion says helium is inactive not capable to process it. “I inquire myself if this is each for real. I person been waiting for this — a theatre deed — since my debut, which means the past 21 years,” says Saiju.

The occurrence is peculiar since the film’s prequel, Bharathanatyam, released successful 2024, did not bash good successful theatres but was loved connected OTT [Prime Video]. “We collected conscionable nether ₹30 lakh successful each for Bharathanatyam. Now we are talking successful crores, and that is crazy!” says the histrion with a laugh.

All successful the family

Both films directed by Krishnadas Murali revolve astir Sasindran Nair (Saiju) and his predicament, acknowledgment to his household comprising his parents, siblings and co-brothers. While in Bharathanatyam, he had to woody with the brouhaha that erupts erstwhile his begetter reveals helium has different woman and son, successful Mohiniyattam, helium pulls retired each stops to screen up an accidental homicide committed by his family.

The stupendous occurrence of Mohiniyattam is everything that helium could person asked for arsenic an actor, says Saiju. “I had caller targets astatine each signifier of my vocation erstwhile my debut movie [Mayookham], that excessively arsenic the protagonist, didn’t work. After that, my archetypal extremity was to enactment successful a movie that ran for 100 days astatine the container office, irrespective of my surface time. Hallo and Chocolate (both released successful 2007) did that for me. As clip went by, I wanted the assemblage to spot maine arsenic an actor. Trivandrum Lodge (2012) became a milestone and since past I started getting bully roles.”

However, erstwhile the inclination shifted from longevity of films successful theatres to the container bureau collection, helium eyed the same. “Malikappuram (2022) enactment maine successful that database and, recently, Aadu 3.” Saiju has been portion of the Aadu movie bid arsenic Arakkal Abu, the affable section goon.

Theatre hit

However, the films successful which helium played the pb ne'er emerged arsenic hits successful theatres. “They either had an good tally astatine the container bureau oregon did good connected OTT platforms,” helium says, referring to movies specified arsenic Janamaithri (2019), Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan (2021), Janaki Jaane (2023), Bharatanatyam (2024) and Abhilasham (2025). Guardian (2021) and Antakshari (2022), some nonstop OTT releases, got a bully effect successful between. “I was successful a blessed abstraction but was waiting for the alleged theatre deed until Mohiniyattam.”

Saiju says that it was his co-producer, Thomas Thiruvalla, who wanted the sequel. “Neither Krishnadas nor I were keen. But Thomas chettan insisted. His statement was that Bharathanatyam was a blockbuster connected OTT arsenic per the pay-per-view parameter and if astatine slightest 25% of those viewers came to theatres, the movie would bash well. ”

It was a assured Saiju that everyone saw astatine the pre-release interviews of Mohiniyattam. “I had seen it thrice by then. It was the publication that gave maine the confidence. Of course, determination was apprehension astir whether radical would travel to theatres. But what happened post-release was unbelievable. It reminded maine of what Paulo Coelho wrote, ‘When you privation something, each the beingness conspires successful helping you execute it’.”

Reflecting much connected the script, Saiju says that it was truthful well-written that they conscionable had to sprout it. “Das is an fantabulous filmmaker. And we had an businesslike unit to enactment his vision. Electronic Kili’s euphony elevated the movie successful galore scenes. So, each of america were definite that the movie volition enactment for the audience.”

Cult status

Saiju adds that it was astonishing to spot viewers celebrating the dialogues and coming up with aggregate movie references aft its OTT release. “All recognition to Krishnadas. Just similar radical speech astir ‘Pothettan brilliance’ [referring to the filmmaking of actor-director Dileesh Pothan], we present propulsion his legs saying ‘Dasettan brilliance’. He is not idiosyncratic who ever cracks jokes. But determination is simply a batch of humour wrong him. He went astir with the publication of Bharathanatyam for astir 3 years earlier we took it up. It was arsenic if I was destined to bash it. I americium arrogant that I was instrumental successful getting him into the industry.”

Saiju mentions that they gave YouTube rights for Bharathanatyam 1 and a half months earlier the merchandise of Mohiniyattam, and it fetched 2.3 cardinal views successful a month. Now it has crossed 7 cardinal views connected YouTube and is besides trending connected Prime Video.

“When Aadu 3 released, its archetypal time worldwide postulation was ₹18.75 crore. Das and I told each different that it would beryllium large if Mohiniyattam collected that magnitude altogether. Now we person crossed ₹50 crore.”

Saiju is elated that immoderate of his non-Malayali friends successful Nagpur, wherever helium had his schooling and college, person messaged him for the archetypal clip aft the film’s OTT release. “I deliberation they are yet convinced that I americium an actor.”

Talking astir the acceptable of accomplished actors successful some movies, helium says that they managed to propulsion disconnected the scenes without cracking up each time. “Since astir scenes had each of us, we would each beryllium successful a enactment earlier the shot. Our main associate, Samson Sebastian, would work retired the scene. We would laughter our bosom retired arsenic we rehearsed, and by the clip we started the shoot, we would person laughed enough.”

His lone grief is the nonaccomplishment of 1 of the actors, Santhosh Nair, who passed distant successful an mishap a fewer days aft the release. “I was the 1 who suggested him for the role. I person ne'er worked with him before. We got acquainted aft helium sent maine a connection congratulating my show successful the web bid Jai Mahendran. I privation I had not met him astatine all. Otherwise, the nonaccomplishment wouldn’t person wounded maine this much.”

Supporting roles

Saiju admits that determination was a clip erstwhile helium decided to instrumentality to supporting roles aft his films arsenic the protagonist did not bash well. Krishnadas himself had approached him a fewer times with specified projects, including the archetypal publication of Bharathanatyam, which had a antithetic storyline. “That was the clip erstwhile my films arsenic the protagonist were not doing good astatine the container office. So I decided to instrumentality to supporting roles.”

Has that changed now? “I deliberation my assurance has elevated arsenic I bash pb roles.I judge if the contented is good, radical volition travel to theatres.”

So is drama his comfortableness portion since helium has done a batch of specified roles? “Not astatine all. It is hard to bash humour. The timing and my easiness successful specified roles, what radical speech about, came from experience. Otherwise, I emotion to bash superior roles.”

Next, Saiju would beryllium seen playing pb successful films specified arsenic Aaram and The Third Mother. He is besides successful Premaptta, Lurk and Bafana United, a children’s film.

Will determination beryllium a adjacent portion for Mohiniyattam? “As of present we person nary specified plans. But a anticipation cannot beryllium ruled out.”

Mohiniyattam is streaming connected Netflix