Pani has given me a new identity

JOJU George's directorial debut Pani has given a new lease of life for many in the cast, some freshers and some who have been toiling for a break for years.

- VIGNESH MADHU

JOJU George's directorial debut Pani has given a new lease of life for many in the cast, some freshers and some who have been toiling for a break for years. Dony Xavier Johnson is one such actor, who, after a struggle of almost 25 years, has finally landed a solid role. Despite appearing only briefly, the actor's quirky dialogue delivery and mannerisms as Vella Joy, a local thug, have made an impression. The word 'moodesh', which he repeatedly uses in the film, is already part of the ever-expanding Malayali social media slang.

"Most of these words like 'moodesh', 'poweresh', and 'vilakoodhi' are all part of our everyday talk among friends, but I never expected them to go viral. Everyone, including women, calls me 'moodesh' now," says the excited actor.

Dony, who owns a small-scale garment business in Kochi, has been part of the film industry for over two decades now. Initially, Dony was a dancer with the Kalabhavan troupe for a few years before debuting as a background dancer. "I'm one of the dancers beside Kunchacko Boban in the song 'Avva Avva' from Sathyam Sivam Sundaram (2000). My cinema journey started from there in that bus stand in Kakkanad," recalls Dony.