Sudev Nair bulks up to play a warrior

Sudev Nair seems to be bitten by the ‘period film bug’.

The actor, who will be playing a prominent historical figure in the Rosshan Andrrews film Kayamkulam Kochunni, has bagged a similar role in the upcoming Mammootty-starrer

Maamaankam

as well. Sudev will be seen as a warrior who is adept at kalari, sword fighting and horse riding. The actor has also been building his body and gaining muscle to play the role for the past few months.

“It was a month ago that it got confirmed that I will be a part of Maamaankam. Ever since I heard about the project, I have been after the director Sajeev Pillai, requesting him to make me too a part of this project. But even before we sealed the deal, I started working on my body. Even if I don’t get the role, I would at least bulk up, I thought,” he says with a laugh. “I put on around eight kilos. The process of muscle building is great, and I am enjoying it,” he says.

Sudev has been shooting for the second schedule of the film for the past 10 days, at Kochi.
He will be shooting with Mammootty too in this schedule. “This is my second project with him, the other being the upcoming film Abrahaminte Santhathikal. It’s just recently that I wrapped up dubbing for the latter. I met Mammukka a few days ago and he seemed really happy about Maamaankam. It feels great,” Sudev says.

However, Sudev, who is trained in various art forms, alongside gymnastics and yoga, isn’t new to kalari or horse riding. “As part of my curriculum at the Pune Film Institute, I had to learn kalari and out of my interest, I even joined my juniors in their kalari classes. I have also been practising it on and off, ever since. The only difference is that I trained mostly in stick fighting, rather than swords. Once the action choreographers are here, I would have a better idea about how we will be wielding swords for the film. I have also done recreational horse riding, but will get special training to master the warrior moves,” he says.

Currently, the actor is also shooting for the Indrajith- Murali Gopy film Thakkol. “It’s been more than a month since I started with the project; its shoot is on in Goa,” he says.