He has acted in over 100 films in Malayalam cinema and yet continues to experiment and opt for roles that allow him to dig deeper as an actor. Malayalam actor Kunchacko Boban, or Chackochan as he is popularly called, is happy with what he has achieved today, saying he didn’t plan his career and still doesn’t. In a chat with Hindustan Times, Kunchacko Boban talks about his latest hit, Officer on Duty, his career and more.
You had said you came into films by accident but today you are known for your talent and experimentation. Are you happy you became an actor now?
I’m more than happy to be an actor and I’m proud as well because my family legacy in the Malayalam film industry dates back from 1949. My grandfather put up the first film studio (1946) in Kerala that was Udaya Pictures and my father was a child actor, producer and director. During my childhood, my family was going through a very bad phase because of the movie failures and financial crisis.
At the time, I hated the film industry because I blamed it for our problems. Life had other plans and I’m an actor and producer now. When I began acting, I didn’t have a proper plan and even now I don’t. But I was labelled as a chocolate hero and a romantic hero thanks to the films that succeeded initially and even now that label lingers. I made it a point to try different roles which challenge my talent. With Officer on Duty, that tag has gone and it means a lot for me moving forward as an actor.
Your latest film Officer on Duty is a big hit and you’re being appreciated. Does the box office matter to you at all?
Of course, box office success matters. It will be a lie if I say otherwise. Anyone who makes a movie does it for the audience to accept it – not to watch it by themselves. But if you make a movie for theatres, we want the audience to come to the theatres, watch it, accept it, and get entertained. Seeing house full shows does give you goosebumps or thrills. And that’s what we live for.
As an entertainer, the audience reactions matter. Awards do count but I value the acceptance of the audience more. Officer on Duty was a huge hit in theatres and on OTT (Netflix) as well and it means a lot to me.
Do you think there is too much focus on box office now in the Indian film industry or it is very important?
Yes, that is one factor which has been overemphasized; getting hyped up these days. I don’t think box office numbers should be the ultimate priority. Whether the movie still remains in the hearts of the audience or whether it can bring about a good change in the society, that matters more. Box office numbers are an additional bonus. Promoting a movie solely on the basis of financials will make cinema just a business. Cinema is not only a business; it’s an art form as well. People get entertained through every genre possible and this matters more than box office numbers.
There are so many cop thrillers in Malayalam so what made you sign on this role in Officer on Duty?
“There was a period in my life in my career where I couldn’t even dream about a police role coming my way because of the romantic or campus hero tag I had. I took a break from cinema and came back to do character roles and I started to select different kinds of movies. I then got roles which people previously thought I wouldn’t be able to pull off. The role of cops was something that people couldn’t imagine me in. My first police role was in 2016 in School Bus.
Then I did Anjaam Pathira and Nayattu. Officer on Duty, where I play Harishankar, was a very different cop role in Malayalam cinema as well. Harishankar has his own personal trauma but he’s a very arrogant police officer. He is chauvinistic but also emotionally fragile. He’s very smart and he doesn’t do things that are politically correct but society probably wants to see a hero like that because of what is happening in real life. This was the kick I got while playing Harishankar. Everyone wants to do a police role but I made it a point to not play the typical police character. So, all the police roles and the movies in which I play a cop are very different.”