Rekha Ratheesh to Arun Raghav: Malayalam TV actors who went an extra mile for their on-screen characters

Malayalam telly audiences have witnessed some extraordinary talents who never hesitated to give their hundred per cent for their characters. From losing weight to going for an exhausting prosthetic makeup, here are some of the actors who went an extra mile for their on-screen characters.

Actress Swathy Nithyanand left everyone surprised with her makeover as an acid attack victim in the show, 'Namam Japikkunna Veedu'. Recently, in an exclusive interview with ETimes-TV, the actress shared her struggle behind playing the first-of-its-kind character in Malayalam TV.

"We tried prosthetic makeup and a mould was created for my face. I played an acid victim for 13 days. Every day the makeup starts by 8 am and it will last for almost two hours. At the end of the day, it takes almost an hour to remove the same. Firstly, they use alcohol and then oil to remove the makeup. Initially, it was very tough to get used to it, further, I got a hang of how to talk and do facial movements with the same," she said.

(Photo: Instagram)

The gorgeous actress Mersheena Neenu left everyone surprised with her tomboy avatar Satya, in the show 'Satya Enna Penkutty'. From her tomboy getup to learning to ride a superbike, the actress has tried everything to make her character stand out.

"There will be a minimum of 30 hairpins on my head. We mostly have outdoor shoots, the humid and dust all give me a tough time. Soon after packup, I rush to the room and take the wig off," she shared about the special hairdo for the character.

(Photo: Instagram)

Arun Raghav has many interesting makeovers under his belt. In his show, 'Bharya', the actor, who was seen playing a fraud, has portrayed many avatars on-screen. From playing a woman named Yamini, to a Punjabi man, he impressed the audience with different getups.

(Photo: Instagram)

Actor Aneesh Ravi also gained much appreciation for the efforts he had put in playing barber Sahadevan in the short series, ''Oru Barbarian Sidhantham'.

"Playing an experienced barber is tough. From the way they hold the scissors to their signature gestures, it is very unique. I closely watched some of them and practised the style for days. Also, Sahadevan had the habit of using snuff. I haven't used it in my whole life. Before the shoot, I bought some bottles home and started using it, so that I won't sneeze when I use it for the shot. Another preparation was stopping my daily workouts to look pale. To make the climax scene realistic, I starved the whole day. Happy that my hard work has paid off now, feeling overwhelmed by the responses I am getting from viewers," Aneesh said in an interview.

(Photo: Instagram)

38-year-old actress Rekha Ratheesh is currently seen playing a 60-year-old in the recently launched show, 'Sasneham'. The actress has opted for an interesting look for her character.

"The makeover was a bit challenging for me. As I am a fitness enthusiast, I am keen on keeping my body fit. So, to transform the 38-year-old me into a 60-year-old was tough. The first thing was grey hair, I realised that my character demands it, so I decided to go for the same. People have mostly seen me dolled up in colourful sarees, but Indira is an ordinary woman who is draped in Settum Mundum. The only makeup we did for Indira is adding some wrinkles on my face to showcase my age. The next change I made was the walking style, I tried to walk with a limp to portray my character in a more convincing way. Now, people even ask me how I do it. Also, in dubbing, I changed my voice for the character. I am trying a mixture of husky, weak and low pitch voice for Indira, which is the opposite of whatever I have done in my career," she said.

(Photo: Instagram)

Actor Kishor Satya had also undergone a weight loss transformation for his character Prakashan in the show 'Ennu Swantham Sujatha'.

"Prakashan is an ordinary businessman who is facing a severe financial crisis during the lockdown. To play such a character, I had to lose weight. I almost lost 5 kgs. Then I decided to grow a beard and didn't cut my hair for a while, to get a shabby look. It feels great to make such efforts for a character, I feel content. Thanks to director Ansar, he pushes me to give it my best. I am the director's actor and now I am in safe hands," the actor said.

(Photo: Instagram)