It’s been 38 years in films and I've got what I desired: Jayaram

With a career spanning nearly four decades, Jayaram has remained a familiar and beloved presence across the South Indian film industries. In a candid conversation, the actor speaks about reuniting with his son Kalidas Jayaram on screen in Ashakal Aayiram, navigating character roles across languages, his enduring love for family stories, and finding joy beyond cinema. Excerpts:

'Kalidas and I waited for something good to act together'

Speaking about reuniting with Kalidas on screen after almost two decades, the actor recalls, “When Kalidas was young, we acted in two films together. He ended up in Sathyan Anthikad's Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal by chance. Later, we did Ente Veedu Appuvinteyum together — a Sibi Malayil film. We did get offers for father-son roles in the past in both Tamil and Malayalam, but it felt like the script was made for the sake of it. So, we waited for something good. That’s when Jude Anthany Joseph told us the one-line of this film. We all felt like this would suit us.”

'I've never guided Kalidas as an actor'

I have never guided Kalidas as an actor. When he did the first film, the guidance came from Sathyan Anthikad — it’s his brilliance. The second film was thanks to the strong script from Bobby–Sanjay and a legendary director like Sibi. I have never gone to him and told him about a shot or how to do it. We never even discuss selecting films.

'Malayalam is my own home, like my parents’ house'

I haven’t worked in Malayalam for a few years now other than Sathyan Anthikad’s Makal and Midhun Manuel Thomas’s Abraham Ozler. Malayalam is my own home, like my parents’ house. If a good project happens — even something that gives us satisfaction but might not work in theatres - I do want to do it. People also ask me why I don’t do the sort of films I used to do in the '80s and' 90s — the family movies. The truth is… such films don’t reach me now. Everything about cinema has changed now. Technology and people’s taste have changed. At this time, an '80s family entertainer won’t work. But if there is a freshness to it, it will work. Family relationships are timeless. So, the stories woven around that is something that Malayalis can always relate to.



'My life taught me that if you work hard, you can achieve your goals'

Kalidas is very passionate about cinema and works hard irrespective of success or failure. I also strongly believe that if you work hard, we can achieve our goals at some point. My life taught me that. I started as a medical representative. Even when I was standing in front of doctors’ rooms with a tie on, my only thought was cinema. Then, I became the marketing executive of a chemical company. I used to go to various factories and units to sell and even then, my thought remained on cinema. I wished for cinema sincerely, and perhaps that’s why it found me later. Similarly, his passion for cinema will give him great results at some point in time.

'When final edit happens, sometimes our character gets sacrificed'

When asked about his character roles and the sentiment that actors like him are not properly utilised in these roles in other languages, Jayaram explains, "It didn’t happen in all films. It has happened, especially in Telugu and to some extent in Tamil. When we hear the story, we are there from beginning to end. We will fix that when we like it. Their way of filming is not like ours. The filming may go on from a year to three years. When that happens, the final output may be four to six hours long. In theatres, we can have a maximum of two-and-a-half hours. So, when the chopping happens, our character may get sacrificed."


"The films Malayalis complained specifically about — I would go for dubbing, setting aside a day or two, and my dubbing would end in half an hour. When I ask them about the rest of what was filmed… they would say length was an issue. The audience see this final cut and wonder why I did that role. But I'd have acted in that for a while. Take Kantara, it gave me great space. They filmed properly and used what was filmed properly too. Now, I am doing a humorous Kannada film with Shivarajkumar. Sai Kumar is also part of it. In Tamil, my next is alongside Madhavan — GDN — and another with Dhanush. GDN is about G. D. Naidu from Coimbatore. I play an equally important character — Ambalapara Krishnan. I can’t specify more. The film with Dhanush is currently being filmed. After two decades, I am reuniting with Urvashi on screen for a movie again, this time in Tamil, directed by Pandiraj. He is a very promising director. We play the lead roles in the film. The films I have done with Urvashi are in a separate category for me — chemistry or what not. This is also a very hilarious film. The filming is mostly complete. In Telugu, I am currently part of Naga Chaitanya’s next, playing a character I feel would be one of my best."







'I live within my own world, with small happy moments'


“I have done a variety of roles in other languages. If you ask me whether I have had similar variety in Malayalam — I can’t be sure. I think the break allowed me to come back with a film like Ashakal Aayiram. I am a person who lives within my own world, with small happy moments. I don’t think about cinema every second of the day round the year. I had only wished for this much (where I am now). I got enough of what I desired. It’s been 38 years and even now, without a gap, I have had the fortune to put makeup on my face, be it in any language. My own likes include playing chenda, farming, and travelling with my family. I always find the time to do all these. I have been playing chenda for a very long time. Whenever I get time, I watch videos of other practitioners.”




'I can't claim that I become a character, I somehow behave'

I have only heard people talk about mentally and physically preparing for characters. I have never done that. I don’t live for the character. I go to the set and after hearing the story from the director, if I have any doubts or suggestions, I ask them. Take Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan. When I walked in front of him to see if my presentation works, he said, ‘This is my Nambi. Just do it like this.’ I ask all the directors if I am doing it right. Other than that, I can’t claim that I become the character or anything. I somehow behave (laughs).



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