The unconventional heroes of Mollywood

Malayalam cinema is home to a number of unconventional heroes whose contributions find a special mention. There are quite a few actors who do not have the prerequisites of a typical Mollywood hero but have made it big with their spectacular performances on screen. Let us look at some of the actors who have created a niche for themselves in Malayalam cinema without an enviable physique and killer look.

Vinay Fort

Hailing from a theatre background, Vinay Fort chose to be different in all respects. After ‘Apoorvaragam’ he had to wait for two whole years to get the kind of roles and recognition that he was looking for. Joy Mathew’s ‘Shutter’ proved a turning point in his career wherein he was appreciated from all quarters. He co-starred with Prithviraj and Indrajith in ‘The Blueberry Hunt’ with Naseeruddin Shah in the lead. Without a doubt, he is now one of the favourite picks of filmmakers.

Biju Menon

Biju Menon gave a new definition to the whole idea. An actor with splendid performances in films like 'Mannar Mathai Speaking,' 'Vellimoonga,' 'Romans' and 'Run Baby Run.' This talented actor has made his presence felt among the other superstars in a number of hit movies. He has also appeared in a few offbeat movies with directors like TV Chandran and Lenin Rajendran. He won the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor twice for films like ‘Krishnagudiyil Oru Pranayakalathu’ and ‘T. D. Dasan Std. VI.’

Anoop Menon

From a small time TV anchor to an actor to reckon with, the simpleton hero has come a long way since making his screen debut in ‘Kattuchembakam’ in 2002. ‘Vikramadithyan’ and ‘Thirakkatha’ won him the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor. Anoop Menon is one of the most talented actors of the current generation who have made the audience sit and take note of his acting. The actor has now graduated to lead roles and his best is yet to come.

Aju Varghese

Aju’s very first film 'Malarvadi Arts Club' under Vineeth Sreenivasan was a super hit. Later, he starred in ‘Oru Vadakkan Selfie’ with Nivin Pauly which created a bigger mark at the box office. His performance was praised by the critics and audience alike, as it turned out to be a blockbuster. He might not be a typical Mollywood hero but his brilliant acting and comic timing were enough to make filmmakers take notice of him. He has also been a part of sport action movies like ‘Sevens’ directed by veteran director Joshiy.

Vinayakan

He is someone who can terrorise you with his looks. Vinayakan is one of those unconventional faces who can give any hero a run for their money. He has portrayed negative characters with relatively much ease. However, it was his performance in ‘Kammatipaadam’ which has been a true revelation where his performance was much appreciated. Vineeth Sreenivasan praised the actor‘s performance saying that Vinayakan was a revelation and he opined that Rajeev Ravi had brought the best out of Vinayakan.