While many actors from the Malayalam film industry have been part of Tollywood, Unni Mukundan has been selective and has only starred in three Telugu films so far. Unni, who will now be seen in his fourth Telugu film Yashoda, says that he only takes up stories where his roles are different from what he does in Malayalam cinema.
The actor tells indianexpress.com that his selection of Telugu scripts is based on a very specific criteria. “The reason is very simple. I do Telugu movies when I get offered roles and parts which I have not been offered in Malayalam. Every character is coming across very differently and my Telugu profile is getting much more versatile.”
Unni Mukundan feels content with his choice to work in Tollywood. So much so, the actor believes that his role in Yashoda will affect the way filmmakers see him.
”If you compare my work, I feel I am doing many varied roles in Telugu as well. I am really happy that way. It’s not about the timing or number of films which I am signing, I think I am doing really well. I feel post Yashoda, I might be offered more intense roles in Telugu because this movie has that kind of potential,” he says.
The trailer of Yashoda gives a glimpse of Unni Mukundan, who is playing the role of a doctor in the film.
While Unni remains tight-lipped about the details of his role in Yashoda, he said that “this role will keep the audience engaged.”
“Yes, I play the role of a doctor in the movie but I cannot divulge more about that. You need to watch the movie for that,” says Unni but he is also quick to add, “What I can guarantee is that it’s something very new for me. Every Telugu film I do is to satisfy the actor in me. So, this part has offered me the freedom and potentially helps me to evolve as an actor. The role of the doctor is very good and will definitely keep the audience engaged.”
Unni also heaped praise on the makers of Yashoda. “From the first sitting, these guys had a very clear idea about how they want my character to behave and the look and feel of the movie. It was very easy for me to get into the details. Kudos to the writer-director duo for being so good. It’s a huge movie and it has a futuristic take on surrogacy.”
Yashoda also stars Samantha Ruth Prabhu, who is seen fighting a crime syndicate exploiting surrogate mothers. Samantha recently revealed her struggle with the autoimmune disease myositis. In a social media post, the actor spoke about undergoing treatment for the condition. The news came as a shocker to Unni Mukundan as well, who says that Samantha never spoke about it while shooting for the film.
“She is very hardworking and committed. She never spoke about her health or anything related to it and it comes as a shocker to me. Having known how she is professionally, I am sure she will emerge victorious and I give my best wishes for her,” says Unni.
Yashoda is set to release in theatres on November 11. Besides this, Unni Mukundan has multiple films in the pipeline including Shefeekkinte Santhosham, Mindiyam Paranjum, Bruce Lee, Malikappuram, Yamaha and Gandharva Jr.
