Unni Mukundan recently appeared in the Malayalam film Malikappuram, which puts the actor in a happy place. The movie, which had a meagre budget of Rs 3.5 crore and debuted on December 30, 2022, has made close to Rs 100 crore at the box office. Following the success of this film, Unni Mukundan had three back-to-back hits, including Meppadiyan and Shafeekinte Santosham. In an exclusive interview with IndiaToday.in, the actor from the movie “12th Man” talks about fame, the movie “Malikappuram,” and being harassed.
In light of the success of the original Malayalam version, the hit Malikappuram, directed by Vishnu Sasi Shankar, will be released in Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada on January 26. Unni agreed and verified it. The Hindi version will be accessible one week later.
How confident was he that Malikapuram would be effective? “I had a lot of faith in the script. Lord Ayyappa and Sabarimala are central to it. Due to the Sabarimala dispute, I was aware that it would perform well in Kerala, but Malikappuram is not about the controversy and is uncontroversial, according to Unni Mukundan.
He continued by saying that despite the positive reviews and financial success of his prior films, Mepaddiyan and Shafeekinte Santosham, he continued to face abuse on social media.
“Some people attempted to do that even with this Lord Ayyappa movie, but this film is not about Hinduism. Unni Mukundan continued, “Some people were hesitant to see the movie because they believed it had religious overtones, but after they did, they saw it was a wonderful story of a young girl who wants to meet Lord Ayyappa. It has to do with the idea of tatvamasi, or the notion that God resides within you.
Unni is Ayyappa’s fervent devotee. He recently paid a visit to Sabarimala to offer his appreciation to Lord Ayyappa for the success of the film.
People should watch the movie, enjoy it, and recognise the actors’ efforts, especially those of Deva Nandha and Sreepath, two small children. Malikappuram is intended to entertain and is developed as a film, the Bro Daddy actor stated with a beaming smile.
In Tamil Nadu, Malikappuram was shown prior to Thalapathy Vijay’s Varisu and Ajith Kumar’s Thunivu, the two Pongal films. “When these two movies came out in Kerala, they reduced the number of screens for Malikappuram, but viewers still opted to see my movie, and the film has already generated Rs 4 crore. Currently, it is among the highest-grossing Malayalam movies. Obviously, celebrities and bigger movies will have a bigger share of the action, but in my opinion, a celebrity is created by the film. Unni Mukundan said, “For me, a national release is more vital than competing with anyone.
“When Malikapuram is released throughout India, things will change for me. You know, the movie’s script was circulating around the business for four years. Before I agreed to Mepaddiyan, it was also rejected by others. Despite the little resources we had, I’m glad we were able to construct Malaikapuram so expertly in 40 to 50 days. It would have backfired if it had been a lousy movie, the Shefeekkinte Santhosham actor said bluntly.
Unni said, “I am a 90s kid, and I try to manage with all these social media remarks,” when asked how he handled the abuse he received on social media. I am aware that no matter what, people will have an opinion of you. I received teasing when I put on weight for a role. As someone who is accustomed to face-to-face communication, I find it difficult to deal with all of these faceless faces.
Unni said that he is now reading the scripts for his upcoming films, although he is currently working on the two-part movie Gandharva Jr., which is being directed by relative unknown Vishnu Arvind. “Youth, children, and families will enjoy watching this fantasy film. I appeared in Samantha’s Yashoda, and I’m currently considering Telugu screenplays since they provide me opportunities that Malayalam film doesn’t. It’s not the best idea for me to sign movies in every language just because I’m being offered them. My career would undoubtedly alter if India visits Malikappuram, said Unni Mukundan.
