Actor Prakash Varma recently stunned audiences with his performance as CI George Sir in Tharun Moorthy’s Malayalam thriller ‘Thudarum’. The film, starring Mohanlal in lead, premiered on JioHotstar on May 30 after its theatrical release on April 25, and has received widespread acclaim.

Varma is no stranger to storytelling, he’s the founder and principal director of Nirvana Films and the mind behind iconic campaigns such as Vodafone’s ZooZoo ads. However, ’Thudarum‘ marked a rare turn in front of the camera. Interestingly, he is also the nephew of late actor Jagannatha Varma.

In an interview with Dhanya Varma, Prakash opened up about the psychological toll of portraying the brutal police officer, particularly in the film’s most violent sequences.

"I felt that especially in the torture sequences. In the scene where I had to torture Mohanlal’s wife, played by Shobana, and daughter, I had to hold one down with my leg and the other with a stick. The child was only one or two years older than my own daughter. It was very difficult for me,” he said. 

Having never enacted such intense violence on screen before, Prakash admitted he struggled emotionally. One scene, in particular, left a lasting impact when he had to torment the character who played his own daughter.

“I felt disgusted by that situation. So after every take, I kept on apologising to whoever was in front of me or who had to be tortured by me. I was too intimidating in those scenes, and the shouting happened at close range. When you are performing, you don’t realise how your face or eyes look. You can’t predict the expressions,” he added.

Understanding the emotional impact such scenes might have on young actors, Prakash made it a point to check on their well-being between takes.

“For a young kid, those expressions wouldn’t be easy mentally or physically. But then it is a profession, and you are doing it. I used to check with the person in front of me if he or she was okay after I delivered my scene. Only then would I move on to the next,” he said.

About ‘Thudarum’

Directed by Tharun Moorthy, who previously helmed ‘Operation Java’ and ‘Saudi Vellakka’, ‘Thudarum’ marks the 360th film in Mohanlal’s career and features a screenplay by Moorthy and KR Sunil. Produced by M Renjith under the Rejaputhra Visual Media banner, the film brings back the celebrated on-screen pair Mohanlal and Shobana. Alongside Varma, the ensemble cast includes Farhaan Faasil, Maniyanpilla Raju, Binu Pappu, Irshad Ali, Aarsha Chandini Baiju, Thomas Mathew, and Krishna Prabha. Shaji Kumar handled the cinematography, with editing by Shafeeque V. B. and Nishadh Yusuf.