Sangeeth Prathap: From accidental actor to sharing screen space with Mohanlal

From ‘Hridayam’ to ‘Hridayapoorvam’ for actor Sangeeth Prathap, what might seem like a short journey in Malayalam cinema has already become a golden chapter in his life. Every character he has played has turned into a lived experience, shaping his career and growth as an artist.

Acting, for him, was an accidental career, an unexpected knock at the door of life. But once the opportunity came, Sangeeth seized it with sincerity and dedication, which has now taken him all the way to performing alongside the legendary Mohanlal. From his debut in Premalu to his memorable role as Jerry in Hridayapoorvam, his career graph has risen steadily without losing balance.

Looking back, Sangeeth remembers with gratitude the people who guided and uplifted him. When the directors compare him with stalwarts like Sreenivasan and Jagathy Sreekumar, he says his mind gets filled with gratitude. “There is a void in cinema left by those great actors. If I can fill even a small part of that gap through my performances, and if audiences accept those characters wholeheartedly, it is deeply fulfilling.”

Memories with Mohanlal

“When I was unwell with fever, the doctor and nurse took me to Laletten’s room and gave me medicine and administered injection. Laletten came to the room and caressed my head and asked the doctor about my health. I was brought back to my childhood memories of my parents' care during fever. Today, after my parents, it feels like Lalettan holds that place in my life, and it gives a chilling effect to my heart. Not just as an actor, but as a person, I’ve learnt so much from him; above all, to be a good human being.

Laletten’s humility off-screen has left me stunned. He treats people with such grace. He teaches us that audiences are everything, not only when we visit theatres but always. That sincerity is the most valuable lesson I’ve learnt from him.”

To meet Laletten was one of my greatest wishes; that’s why I committed to ‘Thudarum’, despite the movie being a small budget one.

Even actor Asif Ali once said that, “I feel jealous of you, because you got to share a scene with Lalettan!” For many actors, it remains a dream. You got a chance to not just act beside him but to hold a strong character alongside him, where you will get advice and criticism.

Sathyan Anthikad magic

“Sathyan Anthikad is a trademark of Malayalam cinema. To become a part of his cinema is a great opportunity. He called me after seeing the movie Premalu. He appreciated my flexibility in acting with actor Oduvil Unnikrishnan, and it was above my expectations. It was after that he called me to be cast as Jerry in this movie.

Sathyan Sir will narrate the story himself. He asked me if I can come to hear the story of Anthikkad. Then, by hearing just that question, I was off to the spot immediately. Until then I just saw his story narration only in certain interviews and during that time I listened to it with great attention and enthusiasm. Listening to his story narration will leave us unbothered about time. His story narration is like reliving Malayalam cinema’s history with the chapters from his previous experience and memories and humorous incidents from cinema. It was one of the best story narrations that I have ever heard. While hearing some lines from the story itself, I had an intuition that it would work perfectly when it hits theatres, and it happened the same way. When I got fever while on the shooting set, he immediately said, 'Jerry we can call for a pack-up.' Even when I said I was ok, he said that there was nothing urgent for me here and instructed me to pack up early. On some film sets, more than health concerns, people often worry about whether they can complete the shoot on schedule — and this is where Sathyan Anthikad stands apart. While in sets he addresses me by my character’s name ‘Jerry’. His clarity on every shot, how a dialogue and expression must be placed. Also, he never forgets to appreciate minute performances. He is one of the few directors who enjoys filmmaking process wholeheartedly. After the completion of shooting of Hridayapoorvam, during interviews when Sathyan sir compares me and Lalettan combo alongside legends like Jagathy-Lal or Sreenivasan-Lal, it feels like a great experience.

From editing to acting

I address myself as an accidental actor, and there is a reason for that. While watching my own short film once, I decided never to act again. I consider editing as always flexible for me because that is what I have learnt in my academics. But my admiration for Vineeth Sreenivasan as a brand led me to take a role in Hridayam, and that’s how it started. Initially, acting was not my passion but now it is an important career as well as a passion for me. Life has now changed a lot. During the time of ‘Hridhayam’ movie, there was no audition for me. Acting is about being fully present and truthful in the moment. Presenting this perfectly, even when there are no dialogues, or with a dialogue, is how to catch the attention of the audience. I tried my maximum to bring this while acting. In Hridhayapoorvam there is a scene when actor Baburaj restricts the entry of Jerry to a room when he comes to apologise to his father. Some viewers have told me they wished my character had appeared in scenes where I wasn’t present. Our success lies in giving the audience the impression that our on-screen presence is essential, even when we are not present in a scene. At the same time, my character is equally enjoyed by 5-year-olds and 65-year-olds, and when they come and appreciate me for that, I feel happy.

After Premalu, I realised the importance of the names of each character in my career; it was an important factor because later the audience will address us through the characters we have done.

From Premalu’s Amal Davis to Bromance’s Hariharasuthan and now Jerry in Hridayapoorvam, they often call me by those character names. That is the biggest recognition.

Lessons from Failures

During my editing days, I wished for the success of each and every film I worked. But many flopped at the box office. It was only after Premalu that everything changed, including my life. Our belief isn’t always right. We might think certain stories will do well at the box office, but they won't. Try to build maximum trust in yourself. When you trust yourself, success will follow. Now I make films guided by that trust.

There was a time when I had to pay for a hard drive from my pocket in order to complete a project while editing a movie. I had met with an accident during the shoot of Bromance movie. It was during the celebration of the Bromance movie’s success that the Hridhayapoorvam shoot was happening. During that time I lost my voice. The very next day I had a shoot scheduled for Hridhayapoorvam, where I had to deliver a dialogue too in the scene. I struggled to manage all those situations. Everyone will acknowledge our right choices in film. We are committing to movies in the expectation that we have made the right choice. No film passes without giving something. Each one leaves behind a lesson, a step upward. Failures don’t break me; I consider them like an energy drink for the next step.

In the film industry, everyone recognises only our right choices. We commit to films believing that we’ve made the right decision. But no film goes by without teaching us something — each one leaves a lesson, a step forward. Failures don’t break me; I treat them like an energy drink that fuels me for the next step.