Simple and minimal is the home decor of actor Hareesh Kanaran

Actor Hareesh Kanaran lights up the screen with his perfect comic timing and has charmed the Malayali cinema goers with a handful of entertaining roles. However, the talented comedian has had his own share of struggles to make it to the top league. The actor, hailing from the picturesque hamlet called Perumanna in Kozhikode, lost his mother Sarojini when he was studying in class 2. Hareesh recalls that theirs was an ordinary house with a roof, paved, with mud tiles.

After his mother's death, his father Ramachandra Menon married a second time and Hareesh was sent to stay with his uncle's family in Maankavu. "More than my own ancestral home where I was born, I vividly remember this house where I spent my growing years. Later, my father took me to my step mother's home. I lived there for some time. Perumanna is my mother's place. Her ancestral home was ruined as no one was staying in it. Later I sold 20 cents of plot which belonged to my mother and built a home in another 27 cents plot which was also in my mother's name. It was to this house that I came with my wife after getting married," explains Hareesh.

Hareesh's wife Sandhya is a trained Carnatic singer and often conducts concerts. She holds music classes for kids. The couple has two children – son Dhyan Hari who is five years and 10 months old daughter Dwani.

Hit Kanaran

Hareesh Kanaran was a star of the mimicry stages from his school days itself. However, he had to wait for years for his big break to happen. It was the super hit 'Comedy Festival' aired on Mazhavil Manorama which introduced the talented artist to the Malayali audience. In the program, he essayed the role of 'Kanaran' which earned him praise and ultimately won him roles in the movies. Serials and films were then made with 'Kanaran' in the lead. Thus, artist Hareesh Perumanna adopted the name of the character, which made him popular, as his screen name.

Dream home

"I built a 1200 sqft house which is simple and minimal in style. There are 2 bedrooms, a living room, dining area and kitchen in the house. The interiors are designed elegantly with minimal decor. It is my wife who maintains the house so well. I love houses with padipura (a traditional gateway), so I have built one at my house as well. Tovino, Sidhique Ikka and a few other friends had visited my home while we were filming in Kozhikode," says Hareesh.

Since the Malayalam cinema has Kochi as its base, many ask Hareesh why he hasn't moved to the city yet. The actor who is clearly reluctant to leave his home town says, "Even though my mother is no more, this house constantly reminds me of her presence. Our roots are all in Kozhikode. It was Kanaran, who speaks the local dialect of Kozhikode, which brought a breakthrough in my career. So there is no chance whatsoever for me to leave Kozhikode."