Malayalam actor Roshan Mathew may be only two films old in the Hindi film industry, but he is enjoying his run. In Darlings, he was charming as Zulfi, who is always happy to help the mother-daughter duo — essayed by Shefali Shah and Alia Bhatt — in their endeavours. His earnest portrayal has earned him a Best Supporting Actor: Film nomination at the upcoming mid-day and Radio City Hitlist OTT Awards. Looking back at his role, Mathew says while the powerful script gave him a solid foundation, perfecting the Mumbaiyya accent proved tricky. “In Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai [2020], I played a south Indian character, but Zulfi is a little more ambiguous. He might have his roots in Kerala, but he had to convincingly come across as someone who belongs to that locality [in Mumbai]. A lot of prep went into acing the language,” he shares.
Zulfi’s unexpected romance with Shah’s Shamshunissa was one of the highlights of Jasmeet K Reen’s directorial venture. Mathew credits his co-star for making it a love story that people rooted for. “Shefali is warm and has a great sense of humour. So, the sense of intimidation ended as soon as I saw her. We were comfortable at our very first reading session.” Working with Shah, Bhatt and Vijay Varma made him raise the bar. “I was inspired by watching these three bring in their best for every shot.”
Juggling Hindi and Malayalam projects can’t be easy, but Mathew says it keeps him on his toes. “I enjoy when someone suddenly picks me up and puts me in a different context. Whenever I get comfortable, I like to be pulled out of that comfort zone.”
Also Read: 7 must-watch films of `Darlings` actor Roshan Mathew
More about Darlings
The Netflix film marks Jasmeet K Reen’s directorial debut.
Cast your vote for the Hitlist OTT Awards
Roshan Mathew has been nominated in the Best Supporting Actor (Male): Film category for Darlings. The other nominees are:
. Amit Sial (Qala)
. Anil Kapoor (Thar)
. Gajraj Rao (Maja Ma)
. Naseeruddin Shah (Gehraiyaan)
. Sikandar Kher (Monica O My Darling)
There are 16 categories that the public can vote in. Log on to www.radiocity.in/hitlistott to cast your vote.
Voting lines close on February 22.