I was asked to lose 10 kilos but managed to shed only three

Kunchacko Boban can’t contain his happiness these days and even falling off a boat into a lake couldn’t dampen his spirits! The reason, the actor tells us, is that he’s loving every minute of filming Lal Jose’s Pullipulikalum Aatinkuttyum (PPAK). In a free-wheeling chat, the actor tells us about how he fell for the film after hearing its title, working with one of his closest friends, Lal, being asked to drop 10 kilos for the role and shooting in his home-town, Alappuzha.Excerpts:
You are part of a film shot extensively in your home town, Alappuzha, and the surrounding areas, and you seem to be enjoying it...
It was Lalu’s wish that we do an entire film in the Kuttanad region and I was elated to do such a film. Also, the last time I shot for a movie here was Jalolsavam almost a decade ago.
It’s got an interesting title...
M Sindhuraj, the scriptwriter of PPAK, told me its thread towards the end of filming Elsamma Enna Aankutty in 2010. I wanted to do the film the moment he told me its title. It’s a story of three roughneck brothers and their naive, innocent youngest brother, who incidentally bears the brunt of his brothers’ wrong doings from the people around. Talking about names, even for Elsamma... my initial interest in the character was just because of his name, Paalunni. Similarly, in PPAK, I play Chakkattutharayil Gopan, who is also called Aadu Gopan or Chakka Gopan, depending on people’s temperament.
Could you explain about your character
I play a houseboat owner who has the current generation’s outlook and wants to accomplish a lot of things. His appearance is that of someone who has moved on from Kuttanad but has not quite reached Fort Kochi yet (laughs). It’s a complete entertainer with an impetus on humour.
It’s also the first movie in a long time where you will be single-handedly handling a comedy unlike your recent films Romans, 101 Weddings and Ordinary. Is that challenging?
When I take up a project, what I look for first is if I’m entertained by a role. My character in this film passes that test with flying colours. Also, I have an experienced set of comedy actors with me in this film such as Suraj Venjaramoodu and Harisree Asokan.
You’ve been experimenting a lot with your looks lately...
I do what the role demands and it’s often satisfying too. When Lalu first described the appearance of Chakka Gopan, it came as a bit of a shocker. He told me to lose 10 kilos, grow a goatee and the worse had to be when he said the hairstyle was going to be even shorter than the one in Elsamma. I managed to shed about 3 kilos before turning up at the start of the shoot and fortunately Lal said that was enough. And about the rest of the appearance, I thought the makeup guys did a really good job.
Do you have an Alappuzha slang in the film?
I don’t think there is an Alappuzha slang per se but it’s a character which I can play freely. Usually directors point out the nuances in the language; for this film, I can tell them this is how people from Alappuzha talk.
How’s it working with Lal in this film after Elsamma and Spanish Masala, which gave you a solid footing in your second coming?
More than me, Lal’s got a lot of confidence in this character and has a clear idea about what he has to be and what he has to do. For the PPAK shoot, most of the time, we were either on a boat or in water. Right on the first day of shoot, my canoe toppled over and I fell into the water. But these are things I’m really enjoying at the moment.
What’s your next project?
Motorcycle Diaries. It’s worlds apart from PPAK in all ways. Right now, I’m more of a day scholar. I stay at home in Alappuzha, go to work from there, eat homely food and enjoy everything good that happens when you are home. Once Motorcycle Diaries begins, it would be some time before I see home. The locations are at different parts of the country — Leh, Ladakh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Kolkata and Goa. So, the plan right now is to make the most of my time in Alappuzha.