Ranjith Sajeev was a kid when John Abraham’s Bollywood blockbuster ‘Dhoom’ hit the screens in 2004. ‘Dhoom’ made little Sajeev the actor’s fanboy, who even started imitating his hero’s hairstyle. Sajeev didn’t know how destiny would play out then. Years later, Ranjith made his debut as a lead performer in 'Mike', a movie produced by John Abraham.
Mike is the first Malayalam movie produced by John Abraham, who also has Keralite roots.
Ranjith opens up to Manorama about his dream debut in the film ‘Mike’.
How was playing the lead in your debut film?
‘Mike’ narrates the story of Sara and Antony. I essay the role of Antony while Anaswara Raja is Sara. Both of them go through lots of struggles. They meet each other during a journey. The movie portrays their life after that. Antony is a character that has multiple layers. He is haunted by his past. It was quite a challenge essaying such a character in my debut film.
When did you fall in love with acting?
I used to dance since I was a school kid. I would take part in drama and theatre in school and college. In 2008, I went to New York to attend a one-month-long training by the New York Film Academy.
How did you land the role in Mike?
I acted in a few short films while I was in college. Besides, I did a few monologue videos too. Director Vishnu Sivaprasad happened to watch one of those videos on social media. He invited me for a narration after he was impressed by those videos. I got training for a few days before the filming began.
How was sit working with Anaswara?
Anaswara is an experienced artist and I was a debutant. The first scene that was shot was the climax sequence with both of us in the frame. Everyone, including the director, was tensed. However, the crew members were really supportive. So, we were able to film it without any problems. This definitely was a confidence booster.
You are an engineer. How do you feel now that you have entered the films?
I was a shy kid. It was my parents PK Sajeev and Ann Sajeev who led me to various stages to perform. They encouraged me a lot and built confidence in me. However, they were adamant that I should earn a degree. But, they still gave me the freedom to choose my area of interest and pursue them.