Actor Jean Paul Lal is enjoying the success of his latest Malayalam thriller. Balan: Boy. had an exclusive conversation with India TodayHe talked about his father Lal’s emotional reaction to the film, the appreciation he has received from filmmakers from different industries, and why he believes comedy is more challenging than playing negative or gray characters.

For Jean Paul, the greatest reward of the film was seeing his father, actor-director Lal, celebrating its success.

“My father was very happy. It’s a great and refreshing feeling when your father is really proud of you – calling his friends and even throwing a party because he is happy with his son’s work. It was fantastic, especially for a ‘Nepo kid’ like me,” he said.

The actor admitted that he was not prepared for the scale of appreciation he received after the film’s release. “The response has been tremendous. I try to stay away from social media, but I still get a lot of messages and calls. Chidambaram (director) and I have been traveling to places like Chennai and Hyderabad for previews, and people we have always admired, filmmakers we had only dreamed of meeting, are appreciating the film. This doesn’t happen with everyone. You can work in the industry for years and not even once experience something like this. I have been fortunate to experience it twice, and Chidambaram has done it thrice,” he said. Added.

The 38-year-old actor also revealed that his father never interferes in his choice of films. “When it comes to choosing films, my father doesn’t interfere. But once I commit to a project, he always wants to know about the character and the story. BalanThere was really no question whether I would do the film or not because Chidambaram and I are like family, and we have been friends since before we became directors,” he told us.

The actor further said that his father had tears in his eyes after hearing the story of the climax.

“When I told the story to my father and told him about the climax, he actually cried. He said, ‘This is what we’ve been looking for.’ Since he is also a director, he was looking at it from that perspective. He told me, ‘If I cry after hearing the climax, the audience will also cry.’ He understood the emotional impact immediately.

The film marked Jean Paul’s first screen appearance as a policeman. While he has played darker characters before, he described this role as more layered.

“I am playing a police officer for the first time, although I have done negative roles before; they were not widely seen. Wearing the uniform helps you get into the character. Half the acting is already done when you see the role. I have actually played darker characters before. What made this role more challenging was that it is morally grey. He is not really a bad person. But when someone loses something they value deeply, one of them A part gets deeper. That complexity made the role a very enjoyable experience,” Jean explained.

For the actor, brown characters more closely reflect real life than straight-up heroes or villains. “As an actor, I really enjoy playing gray characters. Most people are a little gray in real life, and I think that’s why the audience connects with them. They feel like, ‘I’m one of these characters.’ I’m sure many people have seen this type of police officer at some point in their lives, so there’s a sense of familiarity there.”

Interestingly, despite earning praise for his intense performances, the actor believes comedy demands more skill.

“I don’t think playing a gray character is more difficult than doing comedy. In fact, making people laugh is much more difficult than making them cringe or scare you. I’m a little taller than the average Indian man, I have a beard, and I can look naturally scary. It’s quite easy for me. But making people laugh as an actor—that’s the real challenge,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, the film had its first screening at the Marché du Film section of the Cannes Film Festival 2026, where it received positive response.

Balan: Boy It also marked Chidambaram’s reunion with composer Sushin Shyam after their collaboration on Manjummel Boys. The film is written by Jeethu Madhavan, who is known for directing the acclaimed Fahadh Faasil-starrer Awesham.