Acting was something I felt I should never do: Sangeeth Prathap
What was the moment in your life when you realised cinema was your calling?
My father, Prathap Kumar, was a cinematographer and worked as an associate with Jayanan Vincent. I grew up hearing stories about cinema and his experiences on the sets. I suppose that's where the thought of coming into cinema first took root, somewhere in the back of my mind.
Editing is a difficult skill to master. What made you choose editing as your career?
Even though cinema was my passion, I also wanted the security of a proper job and income. So, instead of jumping straight into filmmaking and its uncertainties, I chose to study BSc Animation.
Editing was one of the subjects in our course. When I edited a trailer for the first time, everyone liked it, and I realised I enjoyed editing far more than 2D or 3D animation. Maybe it was again that pull towards cinema because editing was the only part of the course directly related to feature films.
After the course, I got placed in an animation company, but the income wasn't what I had hoped for. So I began editing wedding videos. It paid better, and I enjoyed it more. From there, I started editing short films, and eventually, cinema happened.
Could you elaborate on your big break?
I started as an associate editor on Swathanthryam Ardharathriyil and later worked independently on Pathrosinte Padappukal. Before that, I was an associate and spot editor for about 10-12 films.
Anoop Kannan, my father's friend and a director-producer, recommended me to editor Shameer Muhammed. The reason I got to work as an associate editor in my very first film was because Thomas P Sebastian, who was the associate editor of the film at the time, had to leave for another project, That opened a slot for me. Thomas is also the co-writer of Bromance.
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New Indian Express
16-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Acting was something I felt I should never do: Sangeeth Prathap
What was the moment in your life when you realised cinema was your calling? My father, Prathap Kumar, was a cinematographer and worked as an associate with Jayanan Vincent. I grew up hearing stories about cinema and his experiences on the sets. I suppose that's where the thought of coming into cinema first took root, somewhere in the back of my mind. Editing is a difficult skill to master. What made you choose editing as your career? Even though cinema was my passion, I also wanted the security of a proper job and income. So, instead of jumping straight into filmmaking and its uncertainties, I chose to study BSc Animation. Editing was one of the subjects in our course. When I edited a trailer for the first time, everyone liked it, and I realised I enjoyed editing far more than 2D or 3D animation. Maybe it was again that pull towards cinema because editing was the only part of the course directly related to feature films. After the course, I got placed in an animation company, but the income wasn't what I had hoped for. So I began editing wedding videos. It paid better, and I enjoyed it more. From there, I started editing short films, and eventually, cinema happened. Could you elaborate on your big break? I started as an associate editor on Swathanthryam Ardharathriyil and later worked independently on Pathrosinte Padappukal. Before that, I was an associate and spot editor for about 10-12 films. Anoop Kannan, my father's friend and a director-producer, recommended me to editor Shameer Muhammed. The reason I got to work as an associate editor in my very first film was because Thomas P Sebastian, who was the associate editor of the film at the time, had to leave for another project, That opened a slot for me. Thomas is also the co-writer of Bromance.
New Indian Express
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Mathew Thomas Interview: Bromance response taught me there's a line you shouldn't cross in commercial cinema
Mathew Thomas had a very accidental entry into cinema. "A career in cinema was not even in the wildest of dreams," chuckles Mathew today. It was his adolescent curiosity that lead him to this world. When the 10th-grade student attended auditions for a new film held in his school, he had no idea of what destiny had in store. The film was Kumbalangi Nights (2019), and the role he bagged— Franky, the youngest of the Napolean brothers. It was a carefully curated launch that helped Mathew learn and absorb from some of the finest talents around. There has been no looking back since then. "It has been an exciting journey so far. I never even imagined being an actor, but in these six years, I haven't come across anything that's even remotely as exciting as this." With a strong appetite to learn and improve, Mathew says he adopts multiple means to hone his skills. It can be through watching films or attending workshops, or purely by observing his fellow actors. "Watching films is my primary source of inspiration. I gain something out of each film and try to incorporate these learnings wherever they suit. It might succeed or backfire, but I feel it's important to experiment and upgrade because everything in cinema is achieved through a trial-and-error process. You can't be guaranteed anything in this business." Mathew's latest release in Malayalam, Bromance, saw him experimenting in a space that he hadn't ventured before. He plays Binto, a youngster with Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED), a condition that triggers repeated episodes of impulsive and violent behavior that are out of proportion to the situation. While some lauded Mathew's performance, a section of the audience felt it was exaggerated and annoyingly loud. The trolls have grown nastier post the film's recent digital premiere on Sony LIV. While most break under such panning, Mathew is pragmatic enough to understand where the comments are coming from. "As per the brief, Binto has a high BP issue and gets riled up easily. When triggered, he acts illogically and makes absurd decisions. The emotional layers were added on the go, and it was quite a challenge to portray his complexities. I agree when people say the performance went overboard because that's what we also intended. But what I didn't realise is how the performance would look visually on a big screen. We could have toned it down, but we erred in judging the aesthetics," admits Mathew, adding, "But I don't regret it because I did it with total conviction. I've now learnt that there's a line you shouldn't cross in a commercial film, however over-the-top the character is. That's my takeaway from this whole episode." Bromance is Mathew's fourth outing with director Arun D Jose after Jo and Jo (2022), 18+ Journey of Love (2023), and Samadhana Pusthakam (2024), which the filmmaker just wrote. Mathew says their rapport goes beyond just being an actor and a director. "I've known Arun from Prakashan Parakkatte (2022), in which he was the chief associate. I trust his skills and vision, and we're also good friends, which makes it much easier. If you take Bromance, most of them on the team are my friends. Sangeeth (Prathap) ettan, cinematographer Akhil George, editor Chaman (Chakko), writers Raveesh (Nath) and Thomas (Sebastian)... these are people with whom I can discuss things beyond cinema." So, does working with friends make the process a lot easier? "Yes, you can say that, because with friends, there is a certain comfort factor. You have the freedom to experiment and improvise. At the same time, I also love working with a new team because I get introduced to fresher working styles. It's crucial to grow as an artist."
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