Exclusive! Minnal Murali actor Shelly N Kumar talks about social media comments on Shibu’s toxicity and more

It has been five days since the Tovino Thomas starrer Minnal Murali was released, and the superhero movie is already a super hit. Mollywood’s first superhero film, directed by Basil Joseph, also portrays the backstory of the supervillain Shibu and his love interest Usha. Played by Guru Somasundaram and Shelly N Kumar respectively, the narration has left us in awe with their character arcs and the impeccable performances of the actors.

When OTTplay caught up with Shelly for interaction, she was overwhelmed by the responses her character has been receiving of late. It has come as a surprise for her that her role is being much acclaimed and the movie has become a ‘blockbuster’.

‘The lightning that struck us by surprise'

She said, “The intensity of the characters and the narration was like lightning that struck us by surprise, as we never expected this warm welcome for the same.” She never thought the scene in which Usha confesses her love to Shibu would turn out so ‘magical’. The actors were briefed by the director Basil Joseph about what he wanted in that scene. They rehearsed it once and Shelley claimed they could nail it in the first shot. “We didn’t require another shot, or glycerin to bring the emotions out, as everything we needed was there in the first attempt,” she said.

When asked about seeing Usha as an actor and as a viewer, Shelly revealed that she was in tears when she watched the movie. The actress had a clear idea about what her character is but was clueless about her importance in the plot. “Basil had told me all about the character, but not its arc. I tried and felt it by heart while performing it, but the prominence and the depth in Usha’s character certainly left me teary-eyed. After all, with the soothing background music and the lyrics, it was a one-of-a-kind experience,” she said as she recalled the shoot.

‘A page of Malayalam cinema’s history is already dedicated to Basil’

Shelly is super confident and proud of her director Basil and the superhero team he has created. She thinks the filmmaker has already carved his name in Malayalam cinema history. “Basil’s superpower is being confident and relaxed at the same time, even when he has huge responsibility on his shoulders. He has done complete justice to the movie with regards to its hype and promotions, which is the same reason why the filmmaker is a card of hope for Mollywood’s future,” she said, adding that the film’s success is the result of efforts put in by every person on the team.

‘Despite being a Tamilian, Guru Somasundaram could yet perfect the mannerisms of a Malayali’

Her co-actor Guru Somasundaram was nothing less than astounding regarding what he has done as Mollywood's first supervillain. Shelly thinks that he deserves all the appreciation he is receiving now, as she has seen his hard work. He did a year-long homework for the role. “Bringing out the mannerism of a Malayali is not an easy job being a Tamil actor, yet Somasundaram has taken care of even minute body language to perfect his role,” she said.

‘The film addresses the toxicity, not glorifies it’

Though the film has been widely appreciated, there has also been discussions on social media on whether Shibu's love is toxic. But Shelly feels the problem is, however, addressed in the movie and it is actually society that made the man the way he is. “Shibu and Usha are social outcasts, and the former is the only man who did not judge her based on the number of men she slept with. For Shibu, the acceptance that Usha gave him matters, unlike the society he lives in. Both had love and compassion for each other, as both of their individual lives were fragmented. Society is the main factor that created the ill-situation for them, and in that case, it is the society or the context, which turns anything toxic,” she opined adding that people always talk about the problems but never the solutions and the need to be politically correct has risen after the advent of social media.

“Minnal Murali has portrayed and addressed two such flawed human beings and narrated their story,” she said.

‘OTTs are convenient, still a fan of theatres’

Minnal Murali was released on December 24 on Netflix. Speaking about the OTT release for the film, she said though OTT has its positives, a theatre experience is irreplaceable. “I asked Basil if we could watch Minnal Murali on the big screen,” she said innocently, expressing her love for cinemas. But, she also thinks OTTs are convenient as the movie and the artistes get more exposure and recognition. “One could watch a movie multiple times on OTTs, which is unlikely in the case of theatres. As we put it to deeper thought, both have their pros and cons,” Shelly concluded.