'I always wanted to play serious roles'

Veteran actor Kochu Preman is now thrilled that he could check off playing a lead character from his bucket list. The actor will next be seen playing the central character of a blind lottery-seller in M B Padmakumar's Roopantharam.
'I have always wanted to play a lead role but that wish never materialised because my comedy characters were appreciated more. I kept getting such roles and so had to put my dream on the back-burner,' says Kochu Preman.'However, Roopantharam gave me the chance to accomplish it.'
The actor recounts that he had started his career in theatre before making it in the movies. 'While comedy is my forte, Rajiv Anchal is the first to realise my potential as a serious actor, when he offered me a part in Guru,' he says, adding that his roles in Mizhikal Sakshi and Munnariyippu enforced that perception.
For Roopantharam, the actor plays a 65-year-old visually challenged protagonist, who is pushed to undergo an eye-transplant. On gaining sight, he finds it extremely difficult to come to terms with the world. 'It's a poignant character and also an insightful story on how people with disabilities perceive the world in a positive light,' he says.