‘There are no rules’: Roshan Mathew on playing a dangerous man in ‘Kankhajura’

One of Indian cinema’s most exciting young actors, Roshan Mathew gets over five hours to showcase his range in Kankhajura. In the upcoming Sony LIV series, 33-year-old Mathew plays Ashu, who dangerously burrows centipede-like through the minds of various characters in order to protect his brother Max (Mohit Raina).

Kankhajura, which will be out on May 30, is a remake of the Israeli show Magpie. The cast includes Sarah Jane Dias, Mahesh Shetty, Usha Nadkarni, Trinetra Haldar and Ninad Kamat. Co-written and directed by Chandan Arora, the Hindi series has been shot by Rajeev Ravi, whose wife Geethu Mohandas directed Mathew in his breakthrough film Moothon (2019).

Mathew, who speaks both Malayalam and Hindi, has been in several noteworthy projects since Moothon, including Kappela (2020), C U Soon (2020), Darlings (2022), Poacher and Paradise (2023). “Moothon was the film that showed me that there is more than I am capable of, and that for me will always remain the biggest milestone,” Mathew told Scroll in an interview.

Who is Ashu from Kankhajura?

A really naive person, but don’t take him lightly. Just be slightly on your guard around him and don’t treat him like he’s stupid.

How do you build such a complex character inside out?
The possibilities are endless. You can play any scene, any situation anyway. You can use your body in any manner...

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