Kunchacko Boban on Ariyippu: I was able to reinvent myself through the intense role in Mahesh Narayanan’s film

Since Kunchacko Boban turned 40 in 2017, the actor had made a promise to himself and his fans that he would keep pushing his boundaries as a performer. A look at his filmography proves that he has stayed true to the word, by being part of films such as Nayattu and Pada. His latest Ariyippu, however, could be that golden feather in his cap.

The actor is currently in Switzerland as part of the 75th Locarno International Film Festival, where he will be part of the global premiere of the movie, helmed by Mahesh Narayanan. The movie will be screened as part of the festival’s competition section and Kunchacko had taken to his social media to announce the joy of attending his first ever film fest in his 25-year-old career.

The movie, which is also produced by Kunchacko, Mahesh and Shebin Backer, revolves around a couple named Hareesh and Reshmi, played by the actor and Divya Prabha, respectively, who work in a medical gloves factory. The changes that happen to their lives after an old video resurfaces, form the plot of the movie, which deals with marital troubles as well as a medical scam.

Talking to Variety ahead of the film’s screening on August 4, Kunchacko said that playing Hareesh was one of his most challenging experiences in his career. The actor said that the “emotional trauma” the characters go through in the film was so draining that it would leave him physically and mentally exhausted by the end of the day.

The actor also says that Hareesh isn’t like any of the previous roles he has portrayed onscreen and has so many layers. “It has become one of the most exciting roles in my career where I was able to reinvent and remould myself to get under the skin of such a complex character,” he said, adding that Mahesh deserves all the credit for pushing him to do something that he never attempted before.