Biju Menon in a feel-good movie

Versatile actor Biju says his new movie will connect with the Gulf audience

Before Puthran happened, and even while he was doing television, Biju Menon had a go-to comfort jaunt - and that was by the playgrounds in Trichur, where he would meet his friends for a game of cricket or football. Biju's warmth and friendship is legendary, so it is no surprise to see him hang out with his childhood friends despite his soaring popularity as a bankable actor. It is his own memories of the days past, says Biju that had him hooked to the script of Rakshadhikari Baiju Oppu. A superhit back home, the film directed by scenarist Ranjan Pramod (of Meesha Madhavan fame) was the smaller films to brave the Baahubali juggernaut and win over family audiences that have been swamped by political clichés and cheap comedy.
"This is a film I wanted to do from my heart," asserts Biju, who plays the title role. Biju is not known for flippant interviews, and he rushes to his own company (or with friends) rather than make tall claims to promote his movies. So it comes as a bit of surprise when Biju says in a matter-of-fact tone that, "it is good film - one that made me genuinely happy."
Childhood thrills
A highly realistic film, Rakshadhikari Baiju Oppu pans the camera on a village, the people there and the myriad games that happen at the local playground led by the local sports club, patronized by Baiju. A government official, Baiju takes more delight in spending time with his friends and the kids. He is a driving force in organising local-level tournaments - and if you are anyone from the pre-social media era, when you actually spent time with friends, this is a film you will connect with effortlessly.
"There are many moments in the film that you can relate to - so can your brothers and parents. Many people have come up to me saying it took him straight to their childhood and youth," says Biju. But Rakshadhikari Baiju Oppu does not merely peddle nostalgia; it focuses on a positive social message - of children being increasingly disconnected from the trivial joys of life, of being confined to interiors and now truly discovering the world.
"There is a character played by (director) Dileesh Pothen, a resident of the US, who comes on a short break. There is a wistfulness in him about the land, the place and the people - which I think most of you in the Gulf would relate to," says Biju.
Rooted in the community
Shot in sync sound, the film is also a great comeback vehicle for Ranjan Pramod, a writer known for gauging the pulse of rural communities with razor-sharp precision. The detailing in the film is tremendous - and to evoke the natural feel, without showing the effort, is what makes Rakshadhikari Baiju Oppu, a true delight to watch.
"Only Ranjan and a few others really knew what the film's story was all about," says Biju. "There were like 200 actors on set and only when they watched the film on-screen did they realise how carefully crafted each moment and each character was and how it links into the narrative."
Biju Menon says Rakshadhikari Baiju Oppu is the kind of film that warms your heart. "It was word-of-mouth that made the film a superhit, and I am pretty sure that people in the Gulf will enjoy it even more because it presents a much-cherished part of their lives."
And it also leaves behind a simple yet profound message says Biju. "There is no need to complicate your life unnecessarily. There are simple things that make you happy. Cherish them." That is why, he says, when he returns from work, he does not ask his 11-year-old son Daksh Dharmik about studies. "I ask him, if he played. I am not joking. I want him to play, and discover the joy of childhood."
With two of his films - Rakshadhikari Baiju Oppu and Lakshyam - playing at theatres now, Biju says that going solo hero with successful films such as Vellimoonga has not changed his outlook to cinema. "It is the story first and the character - be it villain, supporting or whatever. I believe that the right stories and right characters always work - just as Baiju did."