Kunchacko Boban: Our priority should be ensuring good health and peace of mind, and not chasing fame and fortune

Kunchacko Boban had made a promise to his fans on his last birthday that he would be doing only different roles from that point onwards. So, it’s safe to say that his character Shaheed in the movie Take Off is definitely a step in the right direction, with the acclaim that the film has fetched.
Up next, he is part of Ranjith Sankar’s love story titled Ramante Edenthottam. The actor, who is currently on vacation in Paris, took some time out to talk about his film, why the character Raman is close to his heart and how Take Off is a turning point in his career.
Shooting for Ramante Edenthottam must have been a totally different experience, especially having to stay in a massive estate in Vagamon. Could you describe it?
I had shot a few movies in Vagamon before but what’s special about Ramante Edenthottam is that the theme stands closer to nature. So, it was also an opportunity for me to experience nature closely. I enjoyed it. Also, my wife Priya was with me; Ranjith Sankar, Ramesh Pisharody and Sreejith Ravi had also brought their families for the shoot. So, the concept of Edenthottam that we are trying to show in the film very much reflected the mood in the location, as well. I don’t think any of us felt like we were turning up for work during the course of the shoot. We were all working with people who we liked and enjoyed spending time with.
Your character Raman in the film is someone who spreads positivity and Ranjith had said that story is very much relevant to the contemporary society. How so?
Everything is fast paced in our society right now. Technology has pretty much hijacked how two people communicate with each other. What it is doing is robbing the opportunity for people to talk face to face and take time to understand each other. Life is becoming more mechanical now. Also, there is a lot of pressure on people with the current lifestyle.
Personally, I know a lot of my friends who view life as just a rat race to achieve fame or make money, and when they fail to do it, they are pushed to the brink of depression. I could relate to Raman’s character better because I am someone who believes that the priority in life should be happiness, peace and sound health. He tries to spread that idea to others when they visit his Edenthottam, and help them experience it. He also creates urban forests in cities and helps bring people and nature closer. There is that positivity such an experience exudes, which is what Ranjith wanted to showcase when he conceived the project and which, I believe, is present throughout the film.
You had also put in a lot of work preparing for the movie…
Raman is someone who loves spending time in the forest with animals, and climbing trees. So, to play him, I needed a sturdier frame. I didn’t take up a film for close to two months to get in shape and also grow out my hair and beard. We haven’t used any makeup for my character in the film. Even during the shoot, I used to wake up at 4 AM to work out and go for a jog before I reached the sets. Tree climbing is also something I learnt for the movie.
It’s also a mature love story?
Raman is 40 years old. He has been through a lot in his life and has had a lot of experience, so that reflects in his words, expressions and mannerisms. So, when Raman is involved in anything that he loves — not just his romance but also in whatever he does — there’s a certain amount of maturity attached to it. That said, it’s not like he’s a sombre character. He’s got a soft side and the romance in the film is also exciting; there are also a few thrilling elements that make him very different from the characters I have played.
Recently, you had said that your choice of movies will be different — starting from Take Off. So, the movie’s success must have been satisfying…
Take Off has been a special movie for me. Similar to how Traffic has been a turning point for my career, Mahesh’s film has been a take-off — not just for me but also Malayalam cinema. When people say that the film is on par with international ones, I feel extremely proud especially because we had all pitched in as a tribute to our friend and late director Rajesh Pillai.
It also proves that if a movie is good, despite the genre it belongs to, people will flock to the theatres and make it a success. This year, a lot of films — be it ones with stars or fresh faces — have been received well, and that’s a really good sign for Mollywood. And as an actor and a member of the audience, I am very happy to be associated with that change.