Vinod Kumar is enjoying this phase of his life.
The former head of the holiday division of a UAE travel agency is now well known as Namboodiri in the TV show Nandini.
We met on the set of the show in Chennai and our conversation is often interrupted by other actors keen on clicking a selfie with him. VK, as he is popularly known, is happy to do so.
Kumar’s cinematic journey began with Oru Thalai Ragam Shankar’s Manal Naharam in 2015 as a villain. Subsequently, he went on to work in more Malayalam films.
When Nandini happened, Kumar was initially reluctant to work on TV but director Raj Kapoor (of Nandini) convinced him to take it on and the move has paid off.
Malayalam film Veeram is Kumar’s first release this year. He plays a kalarippayattu (martial arts) teacher in this adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Kumar trained in kalarippayattu for the role.
“I train Unniyarcha [one of the characters] and her son to fight in the rain,” said Kumar.
Releasing on March 23 in India is Kumar’s other film, Honey Bee 2 directed by Jean Paul Lal. In this family comedy Kumar plays a freaky priest.
“I am Asif Ali’s on screen uncle, a priest who arrives in India from Rome and talks unpriestly things,” revealed Kumar.
From participating in elocution contests and performing on stage during his college years in Delhi, Kumar now seems to be fulfilling a long calling of the heart.
Waiting for release is another Malayalam film, Satya directed by the late Diphan. Kumar plays a villain in this thriller featuring Jayaram.
Soon he will begin work on two Tamil films, one under director Selva and the second a Sundar C. production.
