Abhimanyu Thilakan’s menacing turn in Marco may have opened doors to more antagonist roles, but the actor isn’t looking to be boxed into them.Speaking to us, Abhimanyu says, “My roles in Baby Girl and my next, tentatively titled HT5, by Parole director Sharath Sandhith, are not that of antagonists. But I play an antagonist in Shaji Kailas’ Varavu. I was initially not keen because it’s a villain role.
However, it was an opportunity to work with a legend like Shaji Kailas, so I just said yes.”The actor is also set to make his Tamil debut with Renigunta 2, the sequel to the 2009 action film. Filming is currently underway, and Abhimanyu has already wrapped up his portions. “The offer came right after Marco, and I finished my parts in about 20 days. Around 95 per cent of the shoot is complete,” he shares.Elaborating on his role, he adds, “In the first film, the kids escape from jail and end up in Renigunta.
This time, they finally reach their destination, Mumbai. I play a gangster they come across — an antagonist.”Despite stepping into a new industry, language wasn’t a major hurdle, he says. “But I had to be more expressive. It was a quick casting, and since I can’t read Tamil, the dialogues were written in English. The director, Paneer Selvam, was very helpful. He’s a wonderful actor, too, and guided me a lot with body language,” he adds.
Speaking about Baby Girl, Abhimanyu reveals a more personal connection to his role. “I love doing cop roles. I had actually wanted to be a police officer. But when I understood what kind of officer this character is — someone looked down upon, trying to find a child no one wants — I struggled with it. Director Arun gave me clear instructions on body language and performance. Compared to that, Marco was much easier,” he says.Apart from Malayalam films, the actor has more Tamil projects in the pipeline, including another film with the team behind Renigunta 2.
