When the film was released, the response was very poor but word of mouth publicity has made this offbeat movie a big hit. Were you disappointed in the initial days?
I was holidaying in the US when the film was released in December. I would have felt sad if the film had flopped, not because a film of mine flopped but because that would act as a deterrent to those who want to make good films. A good film becoming successful will trigger off more good films. Good films will happen only if there are people to produce good films, and there are people to encourage the endeavour.
In the case of Thanmatra, I feel it is not the story of a hero or a man; it is about the state in which he is. This state can happen to anyone, any human being; the arrogant, rich, famous, poor. That is why people from all walks of life identify with him and his family. Though he is portrayed as an ordinary employee in the Government Secretariat, his plight and the plight of the family is universal. Confronted by illness, there is no difference between one human being and another.
When 40-year old actors are acting as college students, you at 45 acted as the father of a 17-year old. Then, to promote the film, you came on television with a French beard streaked with grey. Were you not bothered about your image?
My association with the people of Kerala goes back 26 years. They have seen me growing up from a 19-year old to a 45-year old. They know me more than I myself do. So, why do I have to camouflage my grey hair? If you are born, you have to grow old and die. Nobody can change that inevitability.
Only in India do actors have problem about their age. In Hollywood, actors act their age, and they get powerful roles when they grow old.