Well-known Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran believes learning the art of detachment from his work has helped him in navigating the highs and lows of his career with ease. The actor, who has featured in over 100 films since his debut in 2002, says it’s crucial to take a step back after the completion of a project to avoid getting sucked into the trap of a film’s fate dictating one’s state of mind.
“I am detached with the eventualities of my films. When I do a film, I throw myself into it more than 100 per cent. There has never been a film I have finished thinking I didn’t give it my best. But the moment I am done working on a film, I mentally start walking away from it. If a film of mine is a spectacular success or a disappointing failure, it will not affect me,” the actor told PTI.
Prithviraj has witnessed success throughout his career. If the early phase was dominated by hits like Classmates (2006), Ayalum Njanum Thammil (2012), and Celluloid (2013), he continued his winning streak with blockbusters in the last decade with Ennu Ninte Moideen (2015), Ezra (2017) and his directorial debut Lucifer (2019).
The 39-year-old actor said he is immune to the fate of his films. “I am neither going to wallow in misery in the eventuality of a failure nor painting the town red, partying for a week if it’s a success. Once you have mastered the art of detachment, you shield yourself against that pressure as well. Because all that pressure is happening at a time when I have already moved on from the film,” he said.
“This detachment has come over the years, it wasn’t always there. It came through years of extreme highs and disparaging lows, going through all emotions. It came through me giving my heart and soul to films and then those projects not working, through breezily walking through a film where I felt that was no effort at all but that film going on to become a smash hit,” he added.
