Prior to the lockdown, Fahadh Fasil was not known to the Telugu audience. But the heavy exposure to Malayalam content at that time made the OTT lovers to know about this highly talented hero. After playing the villain role in ‘Pushpa’, he became familiar with everyone. With the success of ‘Pushpa’ where he was seen as a crooked police officer, he got good craze in Telugu and the hero recently scored a hit with ‘Aavesham’ as well.

During an interview with Film Companion, the Malayalam actor stated that ‘Pushpa’ didn’t make him a pan-Indian star and he did the only because of his love for Sukumar. He stated, “No, I don’t think Pushpa did anything for me. I tell Sukumar sir that. I don’t have to hide it. I have to be honest. I am doing my stuff here. No disrespect to anything. People expect magic from me after Pushpa… no. It’s pure collaboration and love for Sukumar Sir. My stuff is here (Malayalam cinema). Very clearly, my stuff is here. That’s one.”

Talking about the laurels and stardom across the nation, he said, “Two, it doesn’t get to me because many friends and I here think and believe that Vicky Kaushal is the find of the decade. Rajkumar Rao is one of the finest actors India has ever produced. Ranbir (Kapoor)… I mean… the best actor in the country. So, I don’t know what they see in me. I was surprised that people are following films from here… they are seeing Kumbalangi Nights and Trance. And I kept wondering about the connection and what they are identifying with. Even now I believe it is the art form they are connected to more than the performances or the performers.”

He added, “For me, I don’t believe that Pushpa would change me or it would take me to another… No, I don’t believe that. I am just an actor here. I have nothing to do with pan-India and whatever. I just do things that I believe in. The film should do business, that’s secondary. But the film that I do here… I mean I can never do it anywhere else. I can easily set up a film in Tamil, but everything will fall into place except the idea. I assume that will be the case in Hindi as well.”