“I wish to do a lot of work in Malayalam cinema” – Suresh Menon

For many, Suresh Menon is an actor who brings a smile on their faces through his wonderful portrayal of comedic characters. Menon, however, is much beyond that. As an actor, he has experimented with different kind of roles and worked across different mediums. He is a writer, filmmaker and entrepreneur as well.

Last seen in ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’, Menon has spent more than three decades in the entertainment industry. While his work as an actor in films and presence as a television personality have been widely acknowledged, the work he has done in some of the other spheres needs to be documented as well.

In this interview, the multi-faceted artist talks about his long journey in the entertainment business, popular shows, actors getting stereotyped, the art of mimicking, love for Malayalam cinema, favourite co-actors and more.

In the year 1995, one saw you in ‘Main Bhi Detective’. It was your first major television show. In it, you played various characters and made the audience laugh for quite a while. Interestingly, the opportunity to co-host the show with Sajid was first offered to Manoj Bajpayee.

That’s right! ‘Main Bhi Detective’ was helmed by Adi Poacha, the great adman. He was one of the important people at Lintas back then. He had formerly produced ‘Saanp Seedhi’ with Mohan Kapur. They started putting together the show in 1994. They had organized an audition for the show. Those days, an audition being organized for a TV show was unheard of. Manoj Bajpayee and I were two of the many people who auditioned for it. We auditioned for it together. In terms of acting, there was good chemistry between us. Suddenly, having this kind of show, which was based on cludo, was a lot of fun. Manoj backed out at the last moment as he wanted to focus on his acting career in films. As an actor, as we all know, he went on to do some fabulous work after that. While working on the show, I found a friend in Sajid. He was the host of the show. I was an actor on it along with Jitu Shastri and Rajesh Jais. Sajid and I did a lot of work, including ‘Sajid No. 1’ on Star Plus, after that. We did a lot of improvisations on the spot. We would play around with props like chairs, slippers and belts. It was great fun. We went on to do ‘Ikke Pe Ikka’, one of the longest countdown shows in our country. I have been a part of many shows that were ahead of their time.

One of the finest shows you were a part of was ‘The Great Indian Comedy Show’. It boasted of smart writing and would have some incredible performances as well. The show was one-of-its-kind. You were a part of it for years. They don’t make such intelligent comedy shows anymore.

‘The Great Indian Comedy Show’ was a path-breaker as far as comedy was concerned. It is, perhaps, one of the best comedy shows to have been produced in India. It had a brilliant ensemble cast. As you rightly pointed out, the writing was superb. A lot of those writers who worked on the show, including Varun Grover, Tanmay Bhat, Ashish Shakya and Sorabh Pant, today are stand-up comedians. All these boys were a part of the writing team led by the brilliant Arshad Syed. We had a wonderful director in the form of Shashant Shah. Hats off to Sameer Nair for bringing this kind of show on Indian television. It was on Star One, which I believe would be one of the earliest forms of an OTT platform. With Star One, we had premium television for the first time in India. It had a different kind of programming. They pushed sophisticated storytelling to the forefront. Most of the shows were finite in nature. Sameer was a visionary. He did what nobody else was doing at that time. ‘Sarabhai VS Sarabhai’, ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge’ and ‘Hotel Kingston’ were some of the shows which Star One produced at that time. The channel was a little ahead of its time, no doubt. It was a sign of things to come. It was one of the most wonderful journeys in my career. Waking up in the morning and going to shoot for ‘The Great Indian Comedy Show’ was always a happy occasion for me. Maybe it’s time we get a show like that back with the same ensemble cast.

Did you grow up in Mumbai?

Yes! I am a Keralite but I was born and brought up in Mumbai. I call myself a Mumbaikar as I have been in this beautiful city all my life. I speak Marathi fluently. The first eight years of my life were spent in Santacruz. After that, we shifted to 7 Bungalows.

You earned a degree in B. Com and then, worked as a salesman with a few companies including the Diners Club. During one of your job interviews, your friend informed the interviewer about your mimicry skills. The interviewer then asked you if you wanted to get into films. He asked you to go to RK Studio to audition for a film. The audition did not work out but you ended up bumping into Rishi Kapoor. That was, perhaps, the first time you met a filmstar. Between 1991 and 1993, you went through a lot of struggle. Was it an easy decision to quit a career in the corporate world and get into the entertainment business?

It was quite tough. My last job was in The Times of India. When I quit, my parents were shattered. They wondered why would anybody give up a job in The Times of India. I told my dad to give me one year’s time. If things did not work out, I will get back. Those days, walk-in interviews used to happen all the time. I was very confident about getting a job if I did not succeed in this field. In my 40s and 50s, I did not want to live with the regret of not trying. I decided to give it my best shot.

Thankfully, I did not have to struggle to get work for a long time. In 1993, I quit my job and ‘Main Bhi Detective’ went on the floors in December the same year. The show went on air in 1994. I remember a friend of mine, who was working with 20^th Century Finance, had told me that I didn’t seem to be interested in a desk job. I wanted to be in sales. He took me to meet Imran Merchant, who was then the editor of TV and Video and World Magazine. There, Javed told him that I do mimicry. He stated that I do a fine mimicry of everybody who comes to the office. Imran told me I might get some work at RK Studios as they were looking for newcomers. He asked me to go and meet Major Ashok Kaul. I went to RK Studios and met him but what truly left me hooked was the fragrance and ambience of the studio. It was the first time I was visiting a film studio and I was mesmerized by it. Bumping into Rishi Kapoor sahab was the icing on the cake. He was very friendly and polite as all Kapoors are. I thought if I became an actor, I will get to meet all these stars in a friendly atmosphere and interact with them. Around 1995-96, we were shooting for ‘Ikke Pe Ikka’. At that time, we got the chance to sit in Rishi saab’s cabin. Thanks to Sajid, I got to meet him. I was too nervous to tell him that I had bumped into him a few years back.

In some of your early films like ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ (1997), ‘Doli Saja Ke Rakhna’ (1998) and ‘Kabhi Na Kabhi’ (1998), you played the ‘hero’s friend’. ‘Badhaai Ho Badhaai’ (2002) was the first time you got the opportunity to play a substantial role in a film. You were nominated for a few awards for your performance in the film. In ‘Krazzy 4’, you played one of the leads along with Irrfan, Ashad Warsi and Rajpal Yadav. You started your career in television. Was it tough to get into films?

It is always a touch-and-go for character artists and comedians. People call you when they require comic relief in a scene. Such opportunities were a lot during those days. People would call me up to play ‘hero ka dost’ or a character who will create some laughter in a few scenes in the film. I was fortunate to get a plum role in ‘Badhaai Ho Badhaai’. After that, people started taking me a little more seriously and I started getting bigger roles.

Did you feel you were getting typecast at some point in your career?

That always happens in the Hindi film industry. However, I was fortunate to come across filmmakers who had the vision to see an actor playing different kind of roles. In ‘Krazzy 4’, I did not play a regular comic character. It was quiet different and was an integral part of the story. When I met Raja Sen, the director of the film, he told me he could see only me playing that part. Rakesh Roshan sir also believed I would do justice to that role. Most characters I have played on-screen have had interesting shades to them. In 2009, I got the opportunity to act in a Malayalam film called ‘Brahmaram’ with the great Mohanlal. I played a negative role in the film. Doing that film gave me a lot of confidence and made me feel that if one moves out of their comfort zone, there is a scope to do a lot of interesting work. ‘Brahmaram’ is hailed as being one of the most iconic films in Malayalam cinema. It was directed by Blessy who recently made ‘Aadujeevitham’ or ‘The Goat Life’. Working on that film has been one of the most memorable experiences in my life. When I participated in ‘Bigg Boss Malayalam 6’, a lot of contestants spoke to me about that character and asked me how I prepared for it. I feel fortunate to have got the opportunity to do different things in life. I have worked on different mediums like TV, films, radio, podcasts. I firmly believe one should go with the flow. Sitting at home and waiting for things to happen doesn’t help.

Would you like to do more Malayalam films in the future?

Yes, I wish to do a lot of work in Malayalam cinema. Look at the kind of stories that are coming out of the Malayalam film industry. Their films are also doing very well. Look at the kind of business ‘Manjummel Boys’ did. Apart from the rich content they create, one has to laud them for their efficiency. They shoot fast and keep things simple. Thanks to the OTT boom, consuming regional films has become much easier now. Now, the entire country is discovering the magic of Malayalam cinema.

As a child, your biggest dream was to take a rocket, go to the moon and never come back. When was the first time you realized you had a penchant for acting?

When I was growing up in Seven Bungalows, we used to have the Ganapati festival every year. During the festival, there would be many competitions including the fancy dress competition. I would participate in these competitions. I would also act in plays organized during the festival. These things got me drawn towards performing arts. However, at that time, I didn’t think it could be a career for me. I had a penchant for acting. I loved making people laugh. I would go the extra mile to say or do something funny. Ganapati ji is known for being a patron of arts and music. I feel very lucky to have been blessed by Him. I still go to the building for the Ganapati festival and attend the aarti and pooja.

A couple of months ago, Jackie Shroff approached the Delhi High Court to protect his personality rights. Back in 2009, Sunny Deol had sued a radio station for mimicking his voice. Do you think actors are being overly sensitive about these things?

I think more than them, it’s the people around them who are being overly sensitive. They ask them to do certain things. The fact of the matter is that a lot of apps have been misusing their voice and likeness. Some are using their voice to promote gambling apps and other such stuff. When you have a blanket ban on somebody using the word ‘bhidu’, it’s wrong. If somebody asks Jackie Shroff to prove he coined the term ‘bhidu’, he would not be able to do it. ‘Jhakaas’, which Anil Kapoor says all the time, is a colloquial Mumbai word. If they are trying to safeguard their voice or personality, they have my support. However, if they want to stop artists from mimicking them, it is rather sad.  You are unnecessarily troubling individuals who are just trying to earn a living through their art and skills. You are cutting down on your popularity quotient. Mimicry is an art. Back in the day, when the country was ruled by rajas and maharajas, the courts would have behrupiyas or jesters. The jesters used to imitate the kings and the ministers.The original will always be the original. I always blame social media for blowing such things out of proportion. With deepfakes and AI, things are getting more difficult.

In the past, you have participated in reality shows like ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6’ and ‘Bigg Boss Malayalam 6’. Did these shows implore you to step out of your comfort zone?

Staying with strangers inside the Bigg Boss house for a long duration is tough. I was inside the house for fifteen days and that itself was very difficult for me. When the team at Asianet called me for the show, I asked them why they need me. They told me that I have a good fanbase and people in Kerala love me and therefore, I would be a good fit for the show. I thought if I do the show, producers in the Malayalam film industry might notice me and give me the opportunity to work in the wonderful films being made there. While doing such shows, you are out of your comfort zone. You are constantly aware of what’s happening. You could get into fights. You need to learn to control your emotions. When so many intense things are happening, it gets a little difficult to maintain your composure at times. It is a tough show to do. Dancing on ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’ was also a lot of fun.

Do you have a favourite co-actor?

Shah Rukh Khan and Irrfan Khan have been my favourite co-actors. Shah Rukh is a thorough gentleman and one of the sweetest people I have worked with. The way he behaves with his co-actors is something everybody should take a leaf out of. Irrfan bhai was such a wonderful co-actor in ‘Krazzy 4’. Both of them are my favourites. Paresh Rawal is wonderful to work with. Johnny Lever is a marvellous person and a great human being.

Apart from being an artist, you have been an entrepreneur as well. You worked as a creative consultant for the music channel ETC back in the day. You were the content and creative head at MX Studios for a while. You own a company called One Network Entertainment that produces content. How did entrepreneurship happen?

In 2011, I had the dream of starting a comedy channel with Sameer Nair and Abraham Thomas. We realized it needed a lot of investment and it was difficult to get that kind of money at that time. We then set up the first online entertainment business called Comedy One. It was later rechristened as One Network Entertainment. It was one of the first multi-channel networks in our country. We had seventy-six channels on YouTube. As an app, Comedy One was launched around 2015-16. It had several movies and shows streaming on it. If we had found funding at that time, we could have been the early movers in the OTT space. Ten years back, people didn’t understand this concept but now, they do. If I look back at my presentation and the number of subscribers I had predicted, I realize I was quite accurate. Soon, One Network pivoted towards making advertisements. I got my wife Shurobi Menon on board and she directed several ads for brands like Big Basket and Nykaa. We had a nice bouquet of clients. Then, Covid came and derailed a lot of businesses like ours. The company is still there and we are now getting back at doing some interesting things. We are exploring long-format content now. We are in talks to creatively produce some films in Hindi and regional languages. It is going to be a collaborative effort.

You worked as the content and creative head at MX Studios a while back. Did that lead you towards taking lesser acting projects during that period?

No. In fact, when I was working at MX Studios, my CEO Nikhil Gandhi encouraged me a lot. He told me acting is my core strength and I should never put it on the backburner. Doing a job like that gave me a lot of insight about business.

What are you doing next?

I have shot for a film produced by Karmaa Media called ‘Dil Bill’. Chintan Shah is the director of the film. I have played a comic villain in it. It is a wonderful film with some great songs.

Do you plan to direct a film in the future?

Yes, I am planning to direct a film soon. I have worked on a script. The first draft is ready and we are looking for producers we can collaborate with.