Thatteem Mutteem's Sahadevan made me more popular than my roles in comedy shows in the last 20 years: Rajesh Paravoor

Comedian Rajesh Paravoor’s performances in skits or films never fail to tickle the funny bone. With hilarious counters and impromptu comedy segments, the actor has been entertaining the audience for the past 20 years, but it’s his stint in the TV show, Thatteem Mutteem, as the wealthy NRI Sahadevan aka Sahu that has catapulted him to fame.
The actor, who plays the younger brother of the show’s central character Arjunan, says that he was initially apprehensive about the audience’s feedback when its director Gopalan Manoj offered him the role.
“Thatteem Mutteem is a hit sitcom that has a great viewership. So, I was scared if the audience would accept new characters in the mix. But after a few episodes, I fit in and soon became their Sahu,” says Rajesh.
His experience in skits and comedy shows also helped him to contribute to the spot dialogues in the sitcom. “We perform our scenes live with sync sound. We are only informed about the situation or what the overall scene should be, and we come up the dialogues. This helps lend a natural feel to our dialogue delivery and the acting too doesn’t not artificial to the viewers,” he explains.
As for being part of the team of the show, the actor is all praise for his on-screen elder brother played by Jayakumar Parameshwaran, who he says is the opposite of his character Arjunan. “Though Arjun is a lazy government official, in real life Jayakumar chettan is an eminent retired senior public official. He has good knowledge of literature and art. The quirky poems Arjunan pens down are actually written by Jayakumar chettan. During breaks, I make him recite them to me and we have fun chats about them.” Rajesh also shares his happiness acting with KPAC Lalitha, Manju Pillai and Shalu Kurian in the show. “I have adored Lalithamma’s acting from my childhood. So, to get to play the role her son and act along her is blissful,” he says.

While he also performs stage shows in Kerala and abroad, he says the public keep enquiring about Sahu and his family at these venues. “Whenever I meet the audience during a function or at shows they ask me about Shalu’s character Vidhu aka Vidhubala and about others. People love Sahu and Vidhu combination. It is my first time acting with Shalu but we have good chemistry. We get the most feedback from people abroad as they say that the family show makes them nostalgic and reminds them of home.”
Enjoying his stint in the show, Rajesh says, “Though I have been in the industry for the past 20 years performing comedy shows and stage skits, the popularity I get for playing Sahu is twice that I got earlier. This show has given me an identity as an artiste.”
Rajesh also talks about his companion and co-artiste Shaju Navodaya aka Pashanam Shaji who is now a contestant in Bigg Boss Malayalam 2. “Long ago, our team Stars of Cochin emerged as winners of the comedy show, Comedy Festival. Shaju got famous as Pashanam Shaji for his role in the skit performed on the show. We share a 13-year-old friendship through stage and TV shows. Apart from Shaju, Veena is also there in Bigg Boss. I wish they both become winners as they are both talented.”
Apart from the small screen projects, Rajesh along with with Rajesh Panavalli will be making their script writing debut with Nadirshah’s I Am A Disco Dancer “It has been a dream to write a script and I consider it a blessing to debut as a scriptwriter for a Mammukka film. Rajesh and I are in the final leg of scripting the movie, which is scheduled to go on floors by July. Hope this year helps me achieve more of my dreams.”