Narain on '2018' being India's official Oscar entry: Fulfilling to be part of the film

2023 saw Malayalam cinema's biggest hit when director Jude Anthany Joseph's '2018' hit screens in May. The film went on to gross over Rs 200 crore worldwide and received overwhelming responses from all quarters. Tovino Thomas, Kunchaco Boban, Narain, Lal, and several others mesmerised the audience with their performances. Narain, who played the role of a fisherman, spoke to IndiaToday.in about the milestone and representing the community in the film.

NARAIN REACTS TO '2018' BEING INDIA'S OFFICIAL OSCAR ENTRY

Malayalam film '2018' shattered several records to become the film industry's biggest hit. The film is currently streaming on SonyLiv.

After '2018' was chosen as India's official entry to Oscars 2024, Narain spoke exclusively to IndiaToday.in and shared his happiness. He said, "I am deeply humbled seeing '2018' achieve this milestone. It's always happy to be part of a film like this. But, with '2018', it was fulfilling to play a part. By Malayalam film industry standards, it was a big film in terms of budget. It was extremely difficult to be made. However, '2018' was a film that dealt with the Kerala floods. It connected with the mass not just in Kerala or India but across the globe. It has a universal emotion. Credit goes to the director, technical team and the production house."

Narain recalled how difficult it was to shoot for the film. "We had to shoot the flood scenes. You can't control the water, hence we put in so much hard work to shoot those scenes. I was fortunate to be part of the biggest film in the Malayalam film industry. Rather than a commercial film holding that record, it makes me happy that a meaningful film like '2018' being the highest-grossing Malayalam film ever. It's not just about Kerala, this could have happened to anyone. And to see everyone come together to help each other is what makes one truly humble," he explained.

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The actor took pride in representing the fishermen' community in '2018'. "My thanks to director Jude who cast me as a fisherman. In Tamil, I've mostly played serious roles. But, in Malayalam, I have done sweet roles, comedy films and rom-coms as well. No one actually saw me as a fisherman. We shot in real locations and there were fishermen there. I was talking to them during the shooting and they went on to help others during the floods, not knowing whether they'd come back. According to me, this is a mass character. They should have a special day to celebrate the community. Doing this character was an icing on the cake for me. '2018' will now be representing India on a global arena. It has opened up plenty of opportunities for people in the South," he explained.

SSHIVADA NAIR ON '2018' BEING SELECTED AS INDIA'S ENTRY FOR OSCARS 2024

Sshivada Nair played a small yet pivotal role in '2018'. On this honour, she said, "I'm extremely happy for it. The film is worth it and nothing matches the joy. When I signed the film, many asked why I was doing a guest role. It's our movie. It's about what we went through in 2018. I was shooting for the film and just blindly trusted the director. I am glad it worked well. And this honour is well-deserved."

ALL ABOUT '2018'

Directed by Jude Anthany Joseph, '2018' is a Malayalam film based on the Kerala floods of 2018 which devastated the state. The movie stars Tovino Thomas, Indrans, Kunchacko Boban, Aparna Balamurali, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Asif Ali, Lal, Narain, Tanvi Ram, Sshivada, Kalaiyarasan, Aju Varghese, Siddique, Joy Mathew, Sudheesh, and others.

'2018' grossed over Rs 200 crore worldwide with overwhelming reviews.