Just one dialogue, yet a chilling villain: Aashish Antony on his ‘Thudakkam’ debut | Interview

Every now and then, Malayalam cinema introduces a villain who stays with the audience long after the credits roll. If George Sir in ‘Thudarum’ became a talking point for his chilling presence, and Sagar Surya’s menacing turn in ‘Pani’ left a lasting impression, ‘Thudakkam’ now has its own unsettling antagonist in newcomer Aashish Joe Antony. The son of producer Antony Perumbavoor, Aashish may be familiar to the industry through his close association with Mohanlal and his family, but his performance in Jude Anthany Joseph’s ‘Thudakkam’ is helping him step out of that shadow and create an identity of his own.

What makes his turn as Jithu particularly striking is that he has only one dialogue in the entire film. Yet, for over two hours, Aashish’s presence on screen is enough to unsettle the audience. His silence, expressions and unpredictable actions create a sense of menace that is especially palpable in the first half. Interestingly, before the film’s release, much of the conversation around Aashish centred on his voice. But once ‘Thudakkam ‘reached theatres, it was his almost wordless performance that became one of the talking points.

There is a deliberate reason behind giving Jithu just one dialogue. Director Jude Anthany Joseph wanted the character to remain unpredictable, someone whose intentions the audience could never fully read. And that uncertainty, in turn, was meant to make him more frightening. “We have another villain, Esthappan, in the film played by Bobby Kurian, but he is talkative, which is why no one would fear him or his actions as much. If he says that he would kill someone, we don’t really think he would actually do it. But we can’t say that about Jithu because he has not opened his mouth. But I gave him one dialogue because I wanted to prove a point that he is not mute and is also a Malayali,” Jude said in an interview with Onmanorama.

For Aashish, the role was a golden opportunity. The nature of the villain immediately attracted him, while the chance to be part of Vismaya Mohanlal’s acting debut made the project even more special. The actor had previously appeared in Prithviraj Sukumaran’s ‘Empuraan’, where he played Antony Rawther. Though it was a brief role, Aashish managed to make an impression. However, ‘Thudakkam’ is arguably the film that has given him his first distinct identity as an actor.

Aashish says his interest in cinema goes back to childhood, with Mohanlal being his biggest inspiration. “100 per cent Lal uncle is my inspiration. I have been seeing him and his movies since I was a kid. I still get nervous when I see him because I also view him as a fan. So, that is how I got interested in films. Throughout my life, I was part of the movies, like my dad. I got interested especially since it is Maya chechi’s movie,” he said.

Aashish and Vismaya, Mohanlal’s daughter, had known each other since childhood. However, despite growing up around the same film-industry circles, they never had much of an opportunity to interact, having attended different schools and lived in different places. The sets of ‘Thudakkam’ changed that.

“On the sets, it became a different experience as we were really comfortable with each other,” Aashish said.  The actor is currently heading the UAE distribution for Aashirvad Cinemas.