In the limelight for his recent hit ‘Marco’, Unni Mukundan is a star and for all the right reasons!

Unnikrishnan Mukundan, widely recognised as Unni Mukundan, made his acting debut in 2011 with the Tamil film Seedan. After several smaller roles, his career took off when he landed the lead role in the Malayalam film Mallu Singh (2012), marking a significant turning point in his career. Since then, Unni has become a prominent name in the Malayalam film industry, starring in a variety of commercially successful films such as Vikramadithyan (2014), KL 10 Patthu (2015), Style (2016), Oru Murai Vanthu Parthaya (2016), Achayans (2017), Malikappuram (2022) and more recently, Marco (2024). In addition to his work in Malayalam cinema, he has also made notable appearances in non-Malayalam films, including the Telugu hit Janatha Garage (2016) and the Tamil film Garudan (2024). Unni Mukundan’s most recent project, Marco, which recently premiered on SonyLIV, has garnered significant attention, propelling him into the limelight once again. We had the opportunity to catch up with him to discuss his journey, his craft and his experience working on Marco.

Marco has been receiving a lot of praise, do tell us about the journey of the film, since this was a home production for you?

We set out to make Marco with a lot of heart and once the film was ready, we let it find its audience. The journey has been incredible, what started as a passion project has now travelled far and wide. That’s the best feeling. Good content will always resonate. We were focused on telling an honest story and we’re grateful for the way Marco has connected with people, ensuring its reach and success.

The film has also been called extremely violent, but we’re sure you made it in that style being fully conscious about these repercussions. Was this a conscious choice?

Absolutely. The style and intensity of Marco were very much a conscious choice. The story demanded that kind of raw, unfiltered treatment and we stayed true to it. We never set out to make something just for shock value, it was always about authenticity. Of course, we understand that such storytelling comes with its own set of reactions, but at the end of the day, it’s about staying honest with the world we created. If the film resonates, even in its brutality, then we’ve done our job right.

You have often been portrayed a romantic hero and then you chose to move into action and antagonist roles, do tell us about that journey?

It’s always about evolving as an actor and finding roles that challenge me. I started with romantic characters and they had their own charm, but I didn’t want to be confined to a single image. The shift to action and antagonist roles was a natural choice, stories like Marco excite me because they offer depth and complexity. At the end of the day, it’s about good content. If a character feels right, I go for it, without worrying about labels. The audience has been open to this transition, and that’s what matters the most.

Working in Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil — how has your career been as a multilingual artiste?

It’s been an enriching journey. Working across Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil industries has given me the chance to explore different storytelling styles and collaborate with some incredible talents. At the core of it, cinema is cinema — language is just a medium. What matters is good content and a strong connection with the audience. Of course, navigating multiple industries comes with its own challenges, but it also allows the film to travel, which is essential for the business to thrive. I’ve never looked at it as a strategy, just an organic way of growing as an artiste.

We know you also do some playback singing, how did that journey begin?

It was something I had never really planned, but it turned out to be a beautiful experience! Though I had given voice overs for my films, stepping into a studio to sing was completely new for me. It all started spontaneously, just a casual jam session that turned into something more. It all happened so organically and before I knew it, I was in the studio recording. It was a memorable experience and I’m glad I got to explore this side of creativity!

We were quite impressed at the fact that you’re a lyricist too? How are you so good at so many languages?

Thank you! Honestly, I never set out to be a lyricist, it just happened in the flow of things. Writing lyrics was a completely new experience for me and it turned out to be fun and beautiful. As for languages, I think being in the industry and working across different regions naturally exposes you to them. It’s not about mastering them but about feeling the rhythm and emotion of the words. When you love storytelling, language becomes just another tool to express it!

What can we look forward to from you next?

Right now, I’m really excited about Get Set Baby, it’s a film that’s close to my heart and I can’t wait for everyone to see it.

Marco is streaming on SonyLIV.

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