Roshan Mathew: 'Even with a big star like Alia Bhatt, never felt her stardom was hindering filmmaking'

Coming soon to SonyLIV (OTTplay Premium), the suspense series Kankhajura will star Roshan Mathew as the multi-faceted Ashu. The actor gushes about the role, calling it "unmissable" and expressing his gratitude for the chance to explore the complex mind of a guy readjusting to life with his family following a 14-year jail sentence.

Story of estranged brothers and hidden truths

Ashu and his older brother Max, played by Mohit Raina, are reunited in the series, which is about their changing relationships. The story explores familial strife, hidden truths, and the many facets that form their relationship as Ashu rejoins a society that has forgotten him.

Roshan Mathew on getting into the skin of Ashu

Mathew (Puthiya Niyamam and Moothon) explained his approach to portraying the demanding and unpredictable character when asked about it. He told Mid Day, "I tried to understand his core — who is Ashu when he is just by himself? What’s his base layer that no one else sees because he is pretending in front of almost everyone?"

Mathew has maintained a steady work-life balance since making his Hindi cinema debut in Choked (2020) directed by Anurag Kashyap. His filmography includes C U Soon (2020) and Night Drive (2022), two important Malayalam features, as well as Darlings (2022) and Ulajh (2024), two Hindi features.

On cultural differences between Malayalam film industry and Bollywood

Kashyap has frequently made remarks about the hierarchical and cultural differences between Malayalam and Bollywood filmmaking. While Mathew concurs with the overall evaluation, he notes that his encounters with Bollywood have not been quite as bad.

The actor said, "Everything that he said is true. However, in Bollywood, I’ve not had the kind of negative experiences that he has had. I’ve been lucky that even when I worked with a big star like Alia Bhatt, I never felt that her stardom was hindering filmmaking. In fact, her being the star only helped the process, be it Darlings or Poacher [2024]."

When it comes to so-called "star behaviour," Matthew went on to explain how Malayalam film industry handles it. He noted, "Everybody is on equal footing there. When it isn’t the case, it’s an anomaly."

Kankhajura is the latest in the actor's string of roles that have complex psychological issues and real-life emotional drama. May 30, 2025, is when SonyLIV is planning to debut the series.