'Felt like an insult, got fired'; actor Joju George opens up

‘Thug Life’, the new Mani Ratnam movie, waiting to hit theatres on June 5th, comes with an ensemble cast. Malayalees Joju and Abhirami are part of the big project alongside veteran Kamal Haasan.

The spotlight fell on actor Joju George after Kamal Haasan showered praises on him during a promotional event for the movie.

“In 'Iratta' movie, Joju played double role and even without the help of cosmetics, he made the audience differentiate the two roles. It is nothing but the brilliance from an actor who is now at the crescendo of his career with a slew of engrossing films.” Said Kamal Haasan leaving Joju in tears.

Joju George:

“Nothing but gratitude. I started playing menial roles and ended up acting in 125 films. I started weak as I could not master the knack of acting. In 2010, I started considering acting on a serious note and in 2013, a few movies helped me raise the bar. The big break happened in 2018 with Joseph. Last year I directed one movie and now I’m acting in a Mani Ratnam film.

I worked hard to become what I am now. So if people praise me for the same, I will be elated. However, there have been instances when a few words from big names pierced my heart and left an indelible mark. Every such remark was wiped from my mind with Kamal Haasan’s remark made during the promotional event.

My first film was with Prithviraj. There was a scene where I was supposed to cry. I tried but the director was not pleased. Without showing any niceties, I was fired and the role landed up to my assistant. It may seem like an insult but was a realization for me.

From then I had just one mission in life. To learn and learn more about acting.