Ashraf Mallissery: Tamil movie industry gets a promising Malayali villain

Ashraf Mallissery who has delivered some memorable performances in films like 'Rocky', 'Sanikaitham', and 'Thiruvin Kural', is now making waves for his portrayal of Raghava Lawrence’s father in the recently released film 'Jigarthanda Double X'. The Malayali actor rose to fame playing JD Casa in 'Kammattipaadam' and is now among the emerging villains in the Tamil film industry. Speaking to Manorama Online, Ashraf Mallissery opens up about 'Jigarthanda Double X' and his new movies. According to the actor, opportunities will come one's way if one perform their roles well, however small they might be.

‘Rajeev Ravi made me a villain’

After playing the role of JD Casa in “Kammattipaadam,” I went straight to Chennai and acted in more than 10 Tamil films. Most of those roles were authentic villain roles. I started my career by acting in dramas, but none of them were villain roles. It was Rajeev Ravi Sir who cast me as a villain first. All the roles that I got after that were those of villains. Karthik Subbaraj invited me to 'Jigarthanda Double X' after seeing my performance as villain. Although my role as Allius Caesar’s father was a small one, it got noticed.

Invitation to perform in 'Jigarthanda'

I received a call from Karthik Sir's office when I was in Chennai to act in the movie 'Quotation Gang'. I went to their office. First, the associate director told me a made-up story. I was asked to act out some scenes from it, and they videographed it. Later, they called me and confirmed that I would play the role in 'Jigarthanda'. I met Karthik Sir in person only after that. It was Karthik Sir who told me the story.

Scenes with the elephant

The sequence with the elephant in the film is real, with no graphics. The scenes were filmed on the side of the Malampuzha dam in Palakkad. Initially, the decision was to shoot the film in Malaysia. Later, there was a change of plan, and some parts were filmed in Kodaikanal. The scenes with the elephant were also shot in Malampuzha. The elephant's name was Latha. Karthik Sir asked me to get familiar with Latha. At first, I did not understand what he meant when he said Latha. Only later did I realise that it was an elephant. I went and talked to the mahout. Pineapples had been cut into pieces and placed in a large bowl there. I was told to stir the contents with my hand. I also picked up the pineapple pieces and gave them to the elephant. I kept thinking there were other ways to bond with the elephant.

When acting fervor scripted the scenes
The mahout understood and told me to look into the elephant's eyes for ten minutes! The mahout was right. The elephant’s eyes kept following me. That's how I began shooting for the scene. During the rehearsal, I just did what I was directed to do. But during the original take, I embraced the elephant. It just happened. The emotions were real.

Was it you in the role?

Many people shared their doubts on social media groups, asking whether I had played the character. From the second day of the film’s release, I kept receiving non-stop calls on my phone. A lot of people appreciated my performance. After watching the preview of this film, the director of 'Thullatha Manamum Thullum'' called me and offered me a role in his new film. It is a kind of role I have not done till now. It is a full-length comedy role which I am looking forward to.

The role in 'Appan'

The director of 'Appan' had explained how I would be playing both the villain and the hero in the movie. When I first shot the climax scene, the director asked me to take a retake because it reminded him of my Kammattipaadam-style performance. He narrated the character's past to me. After this, I got right into the mould of that character. The piece of dialogue, “Hey, Itty, why did you enter my house?” was praised by everyone at the time of the film’s release. But, during the shooting of the scene, I got that dialogue wrong several times. I kept repeating, "Hey, Itty, why did you enter my house when I was not in?" The director said it lacked punch. But, the scene was approved after repeating the takes.

The fight scene in 'Appan' was filmed without a dupe. Actor Sunny Wayne cooperated well and was very friendly towards a budding actor like me. At first, a stunt master arrived from the Tamil movie industry and choreographed the fight scene. However, the director felt it was not organic. Later, Kalari expert Ashraf Gurukkal arrived, and that particular part was reshot. The sequence was used in the film by combining both the versions.

Remuneration in Tamil film industry

I don't have a manager. I speak for myself. I determine my compensation. I have done ten movies in Tamil and am getting ready for my 11^th film. I get more opportunities in Tamil. They also pay me the right remuneration. In Malayalam, however, there is no clarity in paying the remuneration. They give a small amount in advance and say that they will pay the rest later. But this is not the case in Tamil. I have a good role in the film 'Captain Miller' by Dhanush. I play the role of an arms smuggler. In Malayalam, I am acting in Joju George's film 'Pani' and Mahesh Narayanan’s film. In 'Pani,' I play the usual 'quotation' character! But in Mahesh Narayanan's film, I play a different character. Besides, I am playing the lead role in 'The Dramatic Death' directed by Zaheer Ali. This is also a film I am looking forward to.