Marco: Abhimanyu Thilakan says Joker came to his mind when he first heard of 'psycho villain' Russell

As Unni Mukundan’s most violent film, Marco continues its rampage in cinema halls in Kerala and beyond, the 'psycho villain' Russell and his brutal actions are also being much talked about. Abhimanyu Shammy Thilakan played the blood-thirsty villain in Marco, which also happens to be his debut movie. Abhimanyu recently said that he first thought of Joker when he heard about the 'psycho villain' Russell in the movie, directed by Haneef Adeni.

Also read: Marco movie review: Unni Mukundan’s raging portrayal fuels this brutal no-holds-barred revenge thriller 

Abhimanyu Thilakan on playing villain in Marco

In a recent interview with The Cue Studio, Abhimanyu Shammy Thilakan spoke about the reference points for him as he prepared for his antagonist character. The young actor, who is the son of Shammy Thilakan and the veteran Thilakan, said that Joker was the first name that popped up in his head when he first heard of his character.

Also read: Marco: Who is Abhimanyu Thilakan, the blood-thirsty villain in Unni Mukundan's brutal film? 

"When Haneef sir told me that it is not an ordinary villain, Joker is the first film that I thought of. When I heard words like psycho villain, Joker came to my mind. That along with some other characters, I modelled the character of Russell," Abhimanyu said.

Further explaining his preparation for the role, the young actor said that he watched several movies with iconic villains including the ones in Hollywood. "Because this character is also about the swag and the attitude. He is not just content with killing. He finds an eccentric pleasure in the murder," the actor said.

For the unversed, Joaquin Phoenix starred in the psychological thriller film Joker, which was released in 2019. Joaquin Phoenix delivered a stellar performance, establishing the character as one of the iconic villains. You can watch Joaquin Phoenix's Joker on JioCinema and OTTplay Premium.

More about Marco

Unni Mukundan headlines the film, which is based on his character from the 2019 Mikhael which starred Nivin Pauly. 

Jagadish, who has transitioned into more character roles in his recent outings, plays Tony Isaac, the father of Russell. Marco was released in theatres on December 20, 2024, and has been seeing tremendous responses.