Aju Varghese: After reading Oru Jaathi Jathakam's screenplay, I said I won't do it because…

Actor Aju Varghese has been a constant in Malayalam cinema for more than a decade, after starting off in supporting lead roles. But the actor, mostly popular for his comedy roles, has said that he hardly ever reads scripts, but the one time he did, he ended up turning down a film. Vineeth Sreenivasan’s film Oru Jaathi Jathakam was the movie that he turned down after the director M Mohanan insisted he read the screenplay, as the character did not 'work' for him.

Aju Varghese on rejecting Oru Jaathi Jathakam

Actors Aju Varghese and Nivin Pauly turned up for the recent Parle Maaney Show ahead of the release of their upcoming film, Sarvam Maya. During the chat, Aju revealed that director Mohanan had approached him for Oru Jaathi Jathakam, starring actor-director Vineeth Sreenivasan. He promptly agreed to do the film, as they have previously worked together on Aravindante Athidhikal. 

However, the director insisted that he read the script, and Aju casually picked it up on a day free of shooting. However, the Pheonix actor said that he ended up rejecting the film after reading the screenplay. “After reading the screenplay, I said I won’t do it because that character did not work for me,” he said during the show. He further said that he would have gone ahead and done the film, if he had not bothered to read the script.

Oru Jaathi Jathakam is a 2025 Malayalam film, starring Vineeth as 38-year-old Jayesh who is unable to find a suitable woman to tie the knot to. Rakesh Mantodi has written the script for the film, which had received flak for its portrayal of LGBTQIA+ community. The film also featured PP Kunhikrishnan and Kayadu Lohar.

On the other hand, Aju Varghese is busy with the promotions for his upcoming film Sarvam Maya, which reunites him with friend and actor Nivin Pauly. Helmed by Akhil Sathyan, Sarvam Maya releases in theatres on December 25 for Christmas.

Meanwhile, Oru Jaathi Jathakam is streaming on Prime Video, and OTTplay Premium subscribers can also watch it with a top-up.

Also read: Sarvam Maya star Aju Varghese: 'Akhil Sathyan didn't want to hurt any religious sentiments so..' 

Aju Varghese FAQs

Q. Who is Aju Varghese?

A. Aju Varghese is a Malayalam actor, popular for his comedy roles in Malayalam. After starting with supporting roles, Aju transitioned into lead roles in movies such as Phoenix and the series Kerala Crime Files Season 1.

Q. Which is Aju Varghese's next movie?

A. Aju Varghese's next movie is Sarvam Maya, starring Nivin Pauly and helmed by Akhil Sathyan. The film will release in theatres on December 25, 2025