Siju Wilson: I am stepping into a new phase of my life, both personally and professionally

2020 and ‘21 are horrendous years for most of us, but that isn’t the case for actor Siju Wilson. The actor is going through the happiest phase of his life.
“I believe everything happens for a reason, a good one,” says Siju Wilson in an exclusive conversation with ETimes. From signing up for Vinayan’s period drama ‘Pathonpatham Noottandu’ to being part of a state award-winning film ‘Vasanthi’ and now welcoming his first child, a baby girl with wife Shruthi Vijayan, Siju Wilson is in the happiest phase of his life.
Siju Wilson and his lady love welcomed their bundle of joy a week ago. And as the personal and professional developments in his life happened around the same time, Siju Wilson had to balance both. Also as ‘Pathonpatham Noottandu’ is not any regular movie, but a career-defining one for Siju Wilson, it was important for him to make both work and the actor shared that it wouldn’t have been possible if not for his wife Shruthi, “Both the announcement of ‘Pathonpatham Noottandu’ and the good news - our pregnancy, arrived around the same time. As ‘Pathonmpatham Noottandu’ is a period drama, I had to do a lot of work on myself, including body transformation and training in martial arts. I was mostly busy with the preparations, while Shruthi was pregnant. So, she basically had to take care of both of us (laughs). She never complained, and she knows me better than anyone else, so she managed both.”
Although Siju Wilson was a bit occupied with the shoot during their pregnancy period, he was able to be there with his lady love during childbirth. And he swears by the fact that ‘everything happens for a reason,’ and ‘a good one’ in particular, and he firmly believes that the same helped him to be with his wife during the arrival of their baby girl.
“The shoot of ‘Pathonmpatham Noottandu’ was scheduled till May. So, we both knew that I might not be able to be with her during her delivery. And Shruthi was prepared for it without me. And when we completed 89 days of shooting, the covid situation started worsening and we went for a schedule break. Again, the team was happy as completing an 89 days shoot is great, considering the current scenario. So that part was happy and I was also able to be with my wife during the arrival of our baby,” Siju Wilson says.

“I am stepping into a new phase of my life, both personally and professionally. And also, I have begun accepting life the way it is. And yes, we are equally thrilled and prepared for embracing parenthood,” adds the actor, as he is embarking on a new journey as a father.
Vinayan’s directorial ‘Pathonpatham Noottandu’ will feature Siju Wilson in the lead role of Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker, a warrior and social reformer. The period drama is made on a massive budget and is backed by one of the prominent production houses in M-Town and is expected to be taking Siju Wilson’s career to new heights. The actor who has also completed a decade in Malayalam cinema, affirms that ‘Pathonpatham Noottandu’ is nothing short of a dream project for him. “I was also longing to play a substantial role. When Vinayan sir asked me to meet him, I was thrilled. He narrated the script and gave me a brief about my character. So this happened last year, in February, and I remember coming back highly charged. Although my part wasn’t confirmed yet, I decided to work on my body and get the physical appearance that the character required. And a couple of months later, Vinayan sir confirmed my part,” the actor recalls.
From getting into shape in a matter of months to taking training in Kalaripayattu, a martial art form and horse riding, Siju Wilson has done everything to fit into the shoes of Arattupuzha Velayudha Panicker.
“This isn’t a movie that happens very often. So I wanted to make sure I do my best for the role. Working with Vinayan sir was one of the best experiences in my career. Be it the way he handles the crew or communicates with the artists, it is something I would always cherish,” Siju expresses.
One of the many wonderful moments in Siju Wilson’s career also happened this year when he became a quintessential part of ‘Vasanthi’, a Malayalam film that won three Kerala State Film Awards including the best feature film. Siju Wilson, who had both backed the movie and played one of the leading roles in the films, shared that the success belongs to everyone associated with the film. “The movie is directed by my friends Shinos Rahman and Sajas Rahman. As the movie didn’t cater to the commercial perspective, they found it hard to get producers. As I was a part of the film, I decided to back it. And it was a really challenging role for me as an actor. We are eagerly waiting for the film to reach the cinemas,” Siju concludes.
Apart from ‘Pathonmpatham Noottandu’, Siju Wilson also has a handful of movies in the pipeline, including ‘Varayan’, ‘Upacharapoorvam Gunda Jayan’, ‘Maareechan’ and ‘Innu Muthal’ among others.