Every actor has a story to tell about how they found their way into the world of cinema. For many, it didn’t start with the spotlight—they began with small roles or worked quietly behind the scenes, slowly carving out a space for themselves. Take stars like Mammootty, Indrans, Dileep, Salim Kumar, and Prem Nazir—before becoming household names, they were part of the industry in different ways, wearing many hats before finally stepping into the limelight as actors. Their journeys are a true reminder that every big dream begins with a humble start.At the same time, many of these stars have earlier revealed that they were getting roles in movies after some of their on-stage performances or off-screen work were recognised by people who were in the industry at that time, and they suggested their names for roles. As we know, big stars like Mammootty, Prem Nazir, and many more started their journeys in small roles and on-stage performances.The landscape has changed a lot in the industry, especially when the auditioning process became one of the major ways to cast actors. It saw a surge in numerous talents entering the industry with grace. Later on, Kerala’s Kochi opened its eyes to theatre artists, and many of their plays grabbed attention among industry insiders and artistic groups. Young talents created groups and communities for exploring acting. Their collectives helped them to fuel and polish their wish to become actors and stars.In Mollywood, there are a lot of communities and gatherings that support each other through their journeys, and these young talents shape the industry with a realistic approach to cinema. Actors like Santhy Balachandran, Roshan Mathew, Darshana Rajendran, Grace Antony, Rajesh Madhavan, and many more have never failed to explore and refine their craft through theatre plays.Through this article, we explore how these actors have been making their way into the world of entertainment through different mediums, and how the paths were different for them compared to the older generation. There has been growing discussion about how social media presence and content creation have recently helped people to get into cinema. Amid all these notions and beliefs, we are exploring the importance of getting a chance in cinema vs getting a role in it. Let’s read how the casting process has evolved in Mollywood over the years with an inclusive approach.‘Being a capable actor has nothing to do with social media metrics ‘- Santhy Balachandran
Actress Santhy Balachandran is one of the most recognised names in Malayalam cinema in recent times, and she made her debut as a leading actress with Tovino Thomas in the movie Tharangam. She is known for her compassionate approach towards plays, and her character choices also stunned audiences in movies like Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Jallikkattu, Shambhu Purushothaman’s Paapam Cheyyathavar Kalleriyatte, and more.When asked about her experience transitioning from stage to screen and making her film debut with Tovino Thomas in Tharangam, Santhy told ETimes, “Tharangam and Randuper were shot in tandem in early 2017. I was approached for both films thanks to my work in a play I had done in Kochi in 2016. The director of Tharangam got his casting team — Launchpad Casting — to call me for an audition, and that’s how I landed the part. Over the last decade, the industry has definitely become more accessible to those from a non-film background, thanks to the inclusion of professional casting directors in a film’s crew. Casting calls and auditions are now standard practice when it comes to discovering fresh talent.”When asked whether becoming a lead actor in films was always part of her dream, she was also prompted to reflect on her early experiences in the industry. She was asked if she had attended auditions during the initial phase of her career and, if so, to share how those auditions felt at the time and how the experience compares to auditions today. Santhy stated, “I have been involved in the performing arts since my childhood, but I had not really planned on becoming a professional actor. Tharangam was the first project I auditioned for — it was an unexpected opportunity that paved the way for more work in films. Barring a few roles, I have landed most of my parts through auditions. Auditioning has become de rigueur now, even if you are no longer a newcomer.”She also addressed the ongoing discussion about the role social media plays in many aspiring actors’ entry into cinema. She spoke about how social media gave newcomers more opportunities compared to the traditional path many actors took in the past. “Social media helps actors stay informed about new projects. Actors are also often advised to treat their social media as a professional portfolio so that they stay on the radars of casting teams. The only trend I worry about is the increasing importance being accorded to social media following when making casting choices. Being a capable actor has nothing to do with social media metrics,” she shared, expressing her valid concerns on the matter.
Santhy was also asked whether she believes in taking up any opportunity that comes her way or prefers to wait for the ‘right’ role. She was encouraged to share her thoughts on the different paths actors take to enter the industry. With many beginning their journey behind the scenes — be it in costume design, mimicry, or television — she was asked for her perspective on starting out with smaller roles or off-screen work before transitioning into acting. “There is no prescribed pathway into films. Each person’s journey is unique. My personal opinion is that there is no such thing as a small role, and that every experience contributes to your evolution as an artist,” the Gulmohar actress concluded.‘How much you have prepared yourself is very important, regardless of the importance of the role- ‘ Ashwin Kkumar
Actor Ashwin Kkumar joined ETimes for a conversation to discuss how he entered the world of entertainment with the Malayalam movie Jacobinte Swargarajyam in 2016 and how he cemented his career with the next release in Kollywood the same year, Dhuruvangal Pathinaaru.The actor made headlines when Kamal Haasan re-shared one of his dance videos on Twitter in 2020. The dance moves were performed on a treadmill for Kamal Haasan’s iconic track “Annatha Adurar” from Apoorva Sagodharargal. Ashwin never failed to stay in the limelight with his talent in mimicry, dancing, and content creation.Ashwin revealed how he entered the industry in 2016 with his Malayalam movie, “I was doing a lot of short films because I had to make an opportunity to work for myself. When there are people like us who have no background at all and no connections or network at all in the industry, then it is very important that we establish what our talent is and what our potential is through some way or the other. And our generation, especially right since 2007 onwards, I used to make a lot of videos, short films. So one of my short films is what brought me a very small role in Jacobinte Swargarajyam. So that one small scene was with Nivin Pauly and Lakshmi Ramakrishnan. I was really happy to have got an opportunity to work in one scene.
And then what happened is, this came in as a surprise when Vineeth Srinivasan brother himself sort of messaged me saying that, you know, we’d like you to play the negative lead that was made for Gautham Vasudev Menon. At that time, sir couldn’t fly to Dubai and I couldn’t fly—the airport was shut down. So at that time, when sir couldn’t come in, people over there in the team, including the head himself, Mr Vineeth Srinivasan, decided that they could use me for that role because maybe for that one small thing that I did, they got the vibe that I would probably pull off that entire villain role.The best part is the person who was meant to do that small role was away that day. He was working elsewhere. And I ended up doing that small role. And then I got promoted into the main villain—Gautham Menon sir’s role that was written for him. The person who was supposed to play the small scene came back and played his scene. So this was all something like a very universal message or magic, I would say—something much more beyond human control. There’s nothing that is under our control—you just get it when you get it.The Ranam actor further shared his views about how the industry has evolved in terms of inclusivity in casting compared to earlier times. “One thing is it’s very diverse now. The casting happens through many ways. It’s not just casting companies alone, but casting companies have come out in a very major way now because it’s a little more organised. Basically, before there used to be a casting director for a film—and still we have, we do have casting directors. But now what happens is it is more streamlined, where you have online media which also helps in boosting new talents and putting them across different teams.Second, there is so much content out there that whether it’s a series or films or whatever it is, you always have easier access now to so many contacts and networks. You have easier access to talents. You have easier access to a lot of—let’s say—when you have casting companies, the casting companies go through a lot of workshops and they try to build a lot of database for the industry. When you keep working on yourself, what happens is through some or the other way, you try your best that you are somehow reaching out to the people who need to be seeing you, who need to be recognising you back, who need to observe you basically.So only when somebody of a particular power or a particular position—either in the casting company or through the casting company into the direction department or the film itself, the production team—you need to be reaching out to them. So how to reach out to them—there are a lot of channels nowadays. So that is what I meant by saying it’s a lot more accessible.”He continued, “So, basically the access—ever since I came into the industry, for example, I complete 10 years in 2025—10 years in the industry and in Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi, three languages. So the thing is, I basically feel that before, it used to be a lot of direct calls—like either the production manager or the production executive would call us, would call the talents, get our contact and somehow call the talent either through our profile or through some other team. Or it could be directly from the direction department—on a one-to-one basis, an associate would call based on the director’s instructions and how much they observe.And the associate—sometimes what happens is an AD or an associate or a director will give them a list of talents, because they are the closest to the story, they are the closest to the makers. So it used to be like that before. It used to be more of a one-to-one thing. And then obviously you also had all the talents waiting in the production house offices and the director’s offices. So it used to be like that before. But now it is more streamlined where you have a person in between to bridge the gap between the talent and the film team—basically whether it’s production or the direction team. So there is easier access now.Nowadays, what happens is you have your own channels like social media that are so powerful that you do not necessarily need a short film. When you just finish it in a minute of a reel, you have so many other shorter, crisper ways to just establish and prove yourself and show yourself on the camera and how your camera appeals. So your camera appeal and the performance have to be just proved sometimes even just in a minute or two. So that is how you’re probably—I wouldn’t say it’s easier—but the access is easier.”When asked about starting with smaller roles or off-screen work before transitioning into acting, he said it basically depends on how well you’ve prepared yourself. “What you do before you bag a role—or you somehow land a role in a film, whether it is big, medium, small, whatever it is—regardless of the importance of the role, how much you have prepared yourself is something that is very, very important. You need to prepare yourself. The waiting time is actually the working time as well. It’s not like when you wait for one film and then another. The time taken between films—or even to land your first film—you should have prepared yourself to an extent where you look like you’re meant to do this. This is what my take is. That you are cut out for cinema.You have to understand the craft and how much you have understood the medium. The legends say—including Mr Kamal Haasan—that cinema is a language nowadays. What effort do you take in understanding and delivering that same language is very important. Your understanding of cinema is of utmost importance because your approach towards cinema is only going to land you up in the kind of path that probably you think of something but end up somewhere else. Why? Because you do not have a clear vision about what cinema really is.So you really need to have a basic practice, knowledge about what cinema is—and more than anything else—the talent and the passion. Basically, nowadays, how much time, patience, hard work, and passion you have has become a lesser priority. This is a fact. What happens before that is how are you visible in something that you need to be visible in. The talent and the passion, dedication and hard work, are always going to be permanent—whether you are a nobody or a somebody or someone very big. It doesn’t matter. Talent, hard work, dedication, passion, perseverance—all this has to be constantly there, no matter what status you’re in.How you need to understand cinema is also how you need to understand the industry—the psychology in the industry of how people work and how it works in cinema. The psychology, the kind of understanding people have about you as a talent—or talents in general—and how they land up on a road. And more than that, I think it’s about good timing and luck. So basically, you cannot wait till luck strikes you or knocks at your door. You have to keep working on yourself until that luck happens to you. What happens is, when suddenly one day luck comes to your doorstep, you suddenly feel you’re not prepared. ‘Oh, I should have prepared myself. I’ve missed out on so much time.’ So time is really, really important—how much you can work on yourself.”Ashwin recently shared his experience dubbing for Jackie Shroff for the Tamil version of Singham Again, and the actor reacted to the question about how he, as an actor and as a dubbing artist, strikes a balance between the two.“Basically, Ashwin is not at all there when I’m doing either of them because I’m either doing a role. Dubbing is nothing but voice acting. So basically, I am either in front of the camera or behind the mic. But at the end of the day, what I’m doing is the same thing, which is acting—performing and being a character, being in a role. So, actually, there is no Ashwin there at all. The other times, apart from these two moments, is when I’m Ashwin. Either when I’m before the camera or behind the mic, there is no Ashwin there. There is only a character.So, dubbing actually helps me indirectly. Yes, it is an income for me. At the same time, it helps me not deviate too much from what I’m good at—what my speciality is—which is acting. When I am acting over there, behind the mic, it gives me more of a detailed perspective on how I can deliver dialogues and a particular performance. It helps me with my breath—because breath is the start of any kind of performance. Whether you have a dialogue or you don’t, maintaining a particular breath for a character—that breath saves the psychology of the character. The pattern in which we breathe—whoever it is. So that helps me actually become a better actor by being a dubbing artist.”He is now lending his voice for actor Javier Bardem in the much-awaited F1 series. “My latest release that I’m looking forward to is a very big one that I did for dubbing. Brad Pitt’s film is releasing on 27th June. So I have dubbed in Tamil for an actor called Javier Bardem. I dubbed for Mr Harrison Ford in Captain America. I dubbed for Mr Tinnu Anand in Lucky Baskhar. I’m a part of a web series called Akka. It is my Hindi debut. It’s a web series by Yash Raj Productions. Keerthy Suresh and Radhika Apte are playing the leads in it,” he concluded.
