Harishankar Narayanan: I got the role in 'Kattalan' because of a selfie! (IANS Exclusive)
Chennai, June 6
Actor Harishankar Narayanan, a well known sports analyst turned actor who has now made his debut in Malayalam cinema with 'Kattalan', has now disclosed tohow a selfie he had taken casually fetched him the impressive role in the film.
Harishankar, who was a sports analyst with the IPL franchise Mumbai Indians before turning an actor, plays one of the three main villains in the Antony Varghese-starrer Kattalan. The actor is a happy man today as his performance as Nelson in the film has now come in for appreciation from various quarters.
Talking to IANS, he remarks with a smile, "How I landed this role is interesting. The casting director of the film saw my web series 'Label' and sent me a message on Instagram informing me that he had referred my name to the makers of Kattalan for the role. I was excited and anxious at the same time as this film marks my Malayalam debut."
Stating that after a point, he left for Kerala to meet casting director Abu Valayamkulam in person to find out if he had been chosen for the role, Harishankar said, "When we met, the casting director told me that I had not been picked. I was nevertheless thankful he had suggested my name. So, before returning, for memory's sake, we decided to click a selfie together."
The actor continued, "The casting director kept this picture on his profile and the film's producer happened to see it and said that it was me they were looking to cast as Nelson and that is how I got this role."
For the unaware, Cube Entertainments, the production house producing the film, had at the time of casting, taken to its social media timelines to welcome the actor onboard the unit of the film. It had then said, "Welcoming the Allrounder @keeperharish to the World of 'KATTALAN'! Harishankar Narayanan is a versatile actor and Content Creator-cum-Sports Analyst known for films like 'RETRO' (2025) and the upcoming movie 'SIRAI' (2026) and gained recognition for his role in the viral Hotstar web series 'LABEL' (2023)."
For the unaware, producer Shareef Muhammed of Cubes Entertainments, best known for making the blockbuster 'Marco', produced 'Kattalan', a high-octane pan-Indian action thriller directed by Paul George.
Actors Antony Varghese (Pepe) and actress Rajisha Vijayan played the lead in the film. Story for the film had been penned by Paul George, Joby Varghese and Jero Jacob. The film had music by Ajaneesh Loknath, the musical genius behind 'Kantara 2' and choreography by Sharief. Costumes for the film were by Dhanya Balakrishnan and cinematography was by Renadive. Editing for the film was by Shameer Muhammed.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Wow, what a unique way to land a role! It's nice to see sports analysts crossing over into acting. Harishankar seems like a genuine guy. I'm curious about 'Label' web series now. But honestly, the best part is that the casting director Abu Valayamkulam didn't just ignore him after the rejection—they took a selfie and things worked out. True Malayalam cinema magic! ✨
Selfie se role mil gaya! 😂 This is the power of social media and good connections. But on a serious note, it's refreshing that the article highlights how the casting process worked—even if the initial rejection was disappointing. Harishankar's humility in accepting the no and being grateful is commendable. Hope his performance as one of the three main villains is as good as the praise he's getting.
Interesting story but I'm a bit skeptical. Is this just good PR for the film? The industry is full of such tales but we rarely hear the struggles behind it. Still, Harishankar deserves credit for his versatility—from sports analysis to acting. I just hope 'Kattalan' doesn't rely too much on this gimmick for promotion. The film needs to stand on its own content.
As a Malayali, I'm always excited to see new talent enter our cinema! The fact that 'Kattalan' is produced by the same team behind 'Marco' (which was a blockbuster) gives me high hopes. Harishankar's story is so relatable—sometimes things fall into place when you least expect them. That selfie truly changed his life! 🎬
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