PremiumFahadh Faasil: A rare talent that Mollywood has ever witnessed
As the actor is celebrating his 39th birthday today, take a glimpse of his outstanding acting career
Last Updated: 03.45 PM, Aug 08, 2021
The cinema world has seen many actors making outstanding debuts. Some of them survive with the same enthusiasm while some others fade away over the course of time. In the case of Fahadh Faasil, it didn’t work either ways. Anyone who has seen him awkwardly delivering his dialogues in the 2002 film Kaiyethum Doorathu, would be astonished to witness the same actor cementing his position in the industry after several years through some of the spectacular performances and diverse characters he pulled off effortlessly, conveying varied emotions intensely with his eyes.
After Kaiyethum Doorathu, which was directed by his father Fazil, opened to negative reviews and ended up as a colossal failure at the box office, the 19-year-old actor took a break from the industry and moved to the US for his studies. When he slowly found his way back to cinema after seven years through the Malayalam anthology Kerala Cafe, none in the industry had anticipated the storm the young actor was about to create.
Breaking the conventional alpha male image in terms of physical appearance and character selection, the actor started gaining a strong fan base among moviegoers of different age groups with his natural acting. When he received the State Award for Best Supporting Actor in Chaappa Kurishu (2011), little did film enthusiasts expect that he would go on to become one of the most admired actors in the country in a few years’ time. The role of a flawed man who betrays his girlfriend and later gets castrated by the latter, was something unheard for a mainstream actor to take up. Fahadh played the role in Aashiq Abu’s 22 Female Kottayam, which is still considered as the beginning of a revolution in Mollywood with regard to breaking the stereotypes.
While deep diving into his character selection since then, it is clear that he has never yearned for a ‘star value’; instead, he was ready to showcase realistic and vulnerable characters. The womaniser in Diamond Necklace, the selfish politician in Oru Indian Pranayakadha, a reclusive husband with a flawed past in Bangalore Days, a person with OCD in North 24 Kaatham, the naive man who seeks revenge in Maheshinte Prathikaram, and the psychic villain in Kumbalangi Nights are some of the evidences that made us clearly see the change he was bringing to Malayalam cinema.
The acting skills of Fahadh has been a matter of discussion ever since his comeback a decade ago. His usage of eyes to convey diverse emotions is regarded as something extraordinary by movie buffs from other industries as well. The opening scene of Thondimuthalum Driksakhshiyum was a testimony to this, which left the viewers in awe. Needless to say, with his unique body language, the actor has flawlessly nailed too many characters and has earned fans from other states as well. From the irresponsible, funny politician in Oru Indian Pranayakadha to the godfather Sulaiman in Malik, Fahadh seems to have aced the knack of giving birth to different characters by intriguingly blending his body and expressions.
Fahadh Faasil is a reminder who constantly reminds us that the actors should not necessarily be stars always, but what they should predominantly do is to act, and explore different terrains of acting. He is all set to team up with Kamal Haasan in Vikram and is debuting in Telugu with Pushpa, sharing screen space with Allu Arjun. As the remarkable actor is celebrating his birthday today, on August 8, his fans and movieholics have set expectations high for him hoping that he will bring more memorable characters which will be celebrated forever.