Jayasurya: People are not going to watch your films if you don't put in the hard yards

Actor Jayasurya has been missing in action for most part of this year. He has had just one release, Fukri, and has spent the majority of the year shooting for Captain, the biopic of the late Indian footballer V P Sathyan.
However, since the beginning of this month, things have started getting busy for the actor again with him having two sequels lined up – Ranjith Sankar’s Punayalan Private Limited and Midhun Manuel Thomas’ Aadu 2.Jayasurya takes some time off from shooting for the sequel of the 2013 film Punyalan Agarbattis, to talk about his love for motivational films, his upcoming projects and more…
What’s with the love for sequels this year?
Ranjith and I always wanted to do a sequel of Punyalan Agarbattis but we couldn’t zero in on a plot. That's when Ranjith had a story in mind for another film but somehow thought it would work out best if the protagonist was Joy Thakkolkaran. He’s an entrepreneur in this film too, and it's again about his professional struggles. But the movie has got an important social message.
You had said that Joy’s tenacious personality is something you enjoyed in the first film…
Persistence is an integral part of his personality; it stays intact in this film too. In fact, the movie begins with him facing one of the biggest hurdles of life. But he remains determined. He is someone who has strong values and stays true to his ideals. It’s like that quote: A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because its trust is not on the branch but on its own wings. Similarly, Joy believes in himself.
The movie marks your fourth film with Ranjith in the last four years. What clicks between you two?
Both of us are friends and we are willing to break our backs to make good films. Ranjith is someone who is constantly thinking and talking movies, and he works really hard for his projects. I personally think if you don’t put in the hard yards, it would reflect in the quality of your movies. Once that standard goes down, people won’t watch your films in theatres.
You have dedicated close to half a year for Prajesh Sen’s Captain. It is something actors rarely do in our industry especially when the director is a newcomer…
When you truly believe in a subject and absolutely adore it, you don’t mind investing your time in it. The dates or the money don't matter if I get to work on such a movie. It’s true that when Prajesh came to me with the project, he hadn’t done a film and I knew nothing about his potential. However, when he narrated the script, I could visualise what he had in mind and since then, giving my best for the character is the only thing that mattered.
How much did the football training help?
Just because I trained for three months, I won’t pretend that I play the game well. But I have been able to grasp the basics and what is required when you are doing a movie that focuses on a footballer and his love for the game. I believe the training has lent authenticity to whatever we are showing onscreen. That said, the film also touches on VP Sathyan’s life off the field – his struggles and victories.
Are motivational films your forte now?
I love doing motivational movies. I am someone who takes everything in life in a positive stride and that’s one of the reasons why I wish to do more such characters. If a movie of mine inspires people and influences them so much that it helps them pick a career, then there isn’t any bigger award than that. After watching Punyalan Agarbattis, a lot of entrepreneurs told me that it had a few scenes and dialogues that actually gave them strength when they were at the bottom of the barrel. Others told me they realised that they were stuck in the wrong profession and the film helped them correct their career path. I consider it fortunate to be part of such movies.