PremiumMarco’s Unni Mukundan on his career plans: ‘Before I turn 40, I want to…’
Taking the Marco franchise forward is definitely priority, but there are some genres that actor Unni Mukundan is keen to explore alongside.
Last Updated: 01.58 PM, Feb 12, 2025
These days, Malayalam actor Unni Mukundan is on the radar of audiences across the country owing to his latest release, Marco, a film that’s touted to be the most violent in Indian cinema to date. The film did well in its Malayalam original version and was celebrated in the Hindi-dubbed version as well, getting it to the Rs 100 crore club, despite being A-rated for its extensive and gross violence. Marco’s ended its theatrical run and is headed to OTT on February 14, ahead of which, Unni has been doing a fresh round of promotional interviews.
Unni Mukundan: I want to do a romantic drama, like, say, Nivin Pauly's Premam
Talking to Galatta Plus, Unni spoke about something that he’d want to do before he turns 40. While Marco was a film meant for the 20-something audience and Malikappuram was for those above 50, Unni says that he wants to do a film meant for the in-betweeners and couples. A romantic comedy or drama is what he’d like to do. “I’ve never got to do a romantic film, like, say, Nivin Pauly’s Premam. Before I turn 40, that is a genre I would like to explore,” said the actor, who isn’t keen to try and play a 25-year-old when he is in his 40s.
In fact, if this plan does not materialize soon enough, he will leave it unfinished. “In the next 3-4 years, it should fall in place, but if it doesn’t because I have other things lined up, which will take up some time, I will explore romance after the 40s. If I can maintain myself and come across as a 25-year-old man, I may try, but chances are slim,” he said. Unni adds that, unlike most other leading men, his filmography does not have a wide mix of genres, whether it is a family drama, romantic comedy, action flick, etc.
What the actor had was a period of lull that lasted 6-7 years during which he did films that he believed were really good but didn’t work out commercially. “I tried really hard, but it neither helped me; I wasn’t being discussed, nor were they commercially successful. I was left in no man’s land. The best thing I did was not to do lead roles in B-grade films, but rather be a sidekick or a good part in big commercial movies,” he says, adding that most of what he did between 2014 and 2019 was playing second-fiddle to actors who were trying to do good work. The idea was to stay afloat and remain relevant, while also waiting for his moment in the spotlight.