I’m glad I didn’t get into acting earlier

Joy Mathew might look far from a conventional actor, but in the last 15 months, he has created a record of sorts in the industry by acting in 40 films. He even had to temporarily shelve his plans of directing his next film, after Shutter, because of his acting assignments. The theatre actor-filmmaker speaks about how he never confines himself to be a film person, and how he enjoys his late start in films. After Amma Ariyan in 1986, you were missing from the scene, but right now you are a busy actor. Do you wish you had started out earlier? Absolutely not. It was never my ambition in life to become an actor. If I had started acting as a youngster, there would have been two possibilities. Either I would have been a star and my life would have been limited to a box. Or I would be a failed actor, hanging around in bus stops. But now, I get challenging characters which need acting ability. I can sport grey hair without fearing ageing. I get money and recognition, I even have fans now! What more do I want? But I can easily live without all this as well. And the best part of it is, many youngsters say they want to watch Amma Ariyan. What are your upcoming projects? I have nearly 10 projects coming up, and in each of them, I have different and interesting characters. I look forward most to my role in Angels, where I play a priest again.But this one is the direct opposite of the priest in Amen, this one is a psychic priest called Father Varghese Punyalan.In Sapthamashree Thaskara, I play a character called Pious Mathew, an out and out fraud, a social evil in fact. In Munnariyippu, I play a Delhi returned journalist while in Vikramadithyan, I am a Konkini doctor. In Dulquer starrer-Njan, I play myself, Joy Mathew, the director. And in Joshiy’s Avatharam, I play an underworld don.I also have a part in an upcoming film scripted by James Albert, as a Portugese-Malayali. There are a few other interesting projects as well. And of course, I am scripting a Manju Warrier-starrer, where I too have a part, as an investigative officer.What about your next directorial? I will be directing my next film as soon as my acting commitments are over. But as everyone knows, I don’t believe in superstars and there won’t be any in my movie. Even for Shutter, I cast relatively new actors in important roles, though I was branded insane. Do you think Bangalore Days would have been such a hit if not for its star cast? For my next film, I plan to rope in all new faces.Joy Mathew on MATTERS CLOSE TO HIS HEARTRecently, you made a strong statement in support of the transferred headmistress of Cotton Hill school… Yes, I have never considered myself as only a film person, I react to social issues the way I can. Regarding the headmistress, I feel the minister did something unforgivable. It reminds me of the age of royalty where anyone who displeases the king was sentenced to death immediately. If these ministers did everything for the state with such vigour and implemented it at this speed, we would have reached great heights! It was no terrorist attack that the headmistress did to merit such a punishment. Where are all the ‘so-called intellectuals’ who are keeping silent on the issue? Probably they fear the wrath of the minister. Since I work in the film industry, I don’t need to fear anyone to make such statements. If I was in Trivandrum, I would have joined the strike, if at all there is one.