The
3' tall actor, Vijayakrishnan AB, is carving out a niche in
Mollywood, in the footsteps of the pioneer, Guinness Pakru
By
Shevlin Sebastian
Photos: Vijayakrishnan AB by Ratheesh Sundaram; Guinness Pakru
Vijayakrishnan
AB was feeling nervous. He had a scene with Tamil comic superstar
Santhanam for the 2014 Malayalam film, 'Salalah Mobiles'. Just before
the shoot was to commence, at the AVM Studios in Chennai, the
director Sharath A. Haridaasan introduced Vijayakrishnan to
Santhanam. The star bent down, shook Vijayakrishnan's hand, and said,
“Hi Sir.” Says Vijayakrishnan: “I was stunned for a few moments
by the respect he showed.”
The
shoot was a brief one: Vijayakrishnan plays a robot, while Santhanam
is an over-the-top businessman. After the shoot was over, an
impressed Santhanam told the director that in his next film
Vijayakrishnan should be given a bigger role. “The director
promised to do that,” says Vijayakrishnan.
The
28-year-old draws attention because he is only 3' tall. He grew up in
a village called Pookkottumpadam in Malappuram district, Kerala. “In
school, I took part in mimicry contests and won prizes,” he says.
“That is how my interest in acting was sparked off.”
Vijayakrishnan's
life changed when he got a chance to act in the 2005 film, 'Athbutha
Dweep'. It is a film where the men on an island are dwarves, while
the women have normal height. Vijayakrishnan had heard that director
Vinayan was looking for short people, so he got in touch.
Subsequently, he got selected.
“It
was a momentous experience for me,” says Vijayakrishnan, who was
then a Class 10 student. “I had an inferiority complex regarding my
height. But when I met 250 men, of the same height, more or less, I
felt elated. And it was the first time in my life that I could put my
arms around somebody’s shoulders, and that person was not a child,
but an adult.”
Vijayakrishnan
had another revelation. During the shoot, he was staying with the
other actors in a hotel at Malampuzha in Palakkad district. One
evening the group wanted to go out of the room, but they could not
reach the door handle. And it was Vijayakrishnan who opened the door.
“I was the only one who had long arms,” he says. “Even Guinness
Pakru Sir's arms are short.”
Guinness
Pakru has been the pioneering short actor in Mollywood. Despite being
2'6”, he has acted in numerous films in Malayalam and Tamil, and
became a director for 'Kuttiyum Kollam'(2013). In 2008, he earned an
entry in the Guinness Book Of World Records for being the shortest
lead actor to act in full-length films.
“Pakru
Sir has been an inspiration,” says Vijayakrishnan. “And he has
always encouraged me.”
So
far, Vijayakrishnan has acted in eight films. These include 'Ee
Pattanathil Bhootham', 'Seconds', 'Chirakodinja Kinavukal' and the
about-to-be released 'Viswasam Athalle Ellam'. Apart from films and
stage shows, Vijayakrishnan has taken part in a popular comedy show
on a Malayalam television channel. He belonged to a troupe called
'Little Stars'. It comprised of five short people: Pradeep
Perumbavur, Shafeek Kollam, Sumesh Vaikom, Baiju Kodungallur and
himself.
“Once
the episodes were aired, people began to recognise me,” says
Vijayakrishnan. “I received a lot of love and affection. Viewers
would often call me, and give comments on Facebook and Whatsapp. So,
unlike what most people think, I believe my biggest advantage is my
shortness. It has enabled me to stand out from the crowd.”
But
to stand out further, Vijayakrishnan has one request. “Scriptwriters
should write meatier roles for short people like me,” he says. “It
is only then that we will be able to shine.”
(Sunday
Magazine, The New Indian Express, South India and Delhi)
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