Actor Jean Paul Lal on Balan success: It's fantastic, especially as a nepo kid
Actor Jean Paul Lal has spoken about the success of Balan The Boy and his father Lal's emotional response to the film. He said the appreciation feels amazing, especially as a nepo kid.
Actor Jean Paul Lal is enjoying the success of his latest Malayalam thriller, Balan:The Boy. In an exclusive conversation with India Today, he spoke about his father Lal's emotional reaction to the film, the appreciation he has received from filmmakers across industries, and why he believes comedy is more challenging than playing negative or grey characters.
For Jean Paul, the film's biggest reward was seeing his father, actor-director Lal, celebrate its success.
"My father was very happy. It's such a nice and refreshing feeling when your dad is genuinely proud of you—calling his friends and even throwing a party because he's happy about his son's work. It was fantastic, especially for a 'nepo kid' like me,” he said.
The actor admitted he was unprepared for the scale of appreciation that followed the film's release. "The response has been overwhelming. I try to stay away from social media, but I still receive so many messages and calls. Chidambaram (director) and I have been travelling to places like Chennai and Hyderabad for previews, and people we've always admired, filmmakers we only dreamed of meeting, have been complimenting the film. This doesn't happen to everyone. You can work in the industry for years and never experience something like this even once. I've been fortunate enough to experience it twice, and Chidambaram has done it three times,” he added.
The 38-year-old actor also revealed that his father never interferes with his choice of films. "When it comes to choosing films, my father doesn't interfere. But once I've committed to a project, he always wants to know about the character and the story. With Balan, there wasn't really any question of whether I'd do the film because Chidambaram and I are like family, and we've been friends since before we became directors,” he told us.
The actor continued that his father was moved to tears after he heard the narration of the climax.
"When I narrated the story to my father and told him about the climax, he actually cried. He said, 'This is what we're looking for.' Since he's also a director, he was looking at it from that perspective. He told me, 'If I cried hearing the climax, the audience will cry too.' He understood the emotional impact immediately.”
The film also marked Jean Paul's first outing as a cop on screen. While he has portrayed darker characters before, he described this role as more layered.
"This is my first time playing a police officer, though I've done negative roles before; they just weren't widely seen. Wearing the uniform itself helps you get into the character. Half the acting is already done when you look the part. I've actually played darker characters before. What made this role more challenging was that it's morally grey. He's not really a bad person. But when someone loses something they value deeply, a part of them becomes darker. That complexity made the role a very enjoyable experience,” Jean explained.
For the actor, grey characters mirror real life more closely than straightforward heroes or villains. "As a performer, I actually enjoy playing grey characters. Most people are a little grey in real life, and I think that's why audiences relate to them. They feel like, 'I'm one of these characters.’ I'm sure many people have come across a police officer like this at some point in their lives, so there's a sense of familiarity."
Interestingly, despite earning praise for his intense performance, the actor believes comedy demands greater skill.
"I don't think playing a grey character is more difficult than doing humour. In fact, making people laugh is much harder than making them feel intimidated or scared of you. I'm a little taller than the average Indian guy, I've got a beard, and I can naturally look intimidating. That comes quite easily to me. But making people laugh—that's the real challenge as an actor,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the film had an earlier screening at the Marche du Film section of the Cannes Film Festival 2026, where it received a positive response.
Balan: The Boy also reunites Chidambaram with composer Sushin Shyam following their collaboration on Manjummel Boys. The film is written by Jithu Madhavan, best known for directing the acclaimed Fahadh Faasil-starrer Aavesham.
Actor Jean Paul Lal is enjoying the success of his latest Malayalam thriller, Balan:The Boy. In an exclusive conversation with India Today, he spoke about his father Lal's emotional reaction to the film, the appreciation he has received from filmmakers across industries, and why he believes comedy is more challenging than playing negative or grey characters.
For Jean Paul, the film's biggest reward was seeing his father, actor-director Lal, celebrate its success.
"My father was very happy. It's such a nice and refreshing feeling when your dad is genuinely proud of you—calling his friends and even throwing a party because he's happy about his son's work. It was fantastic, especially for a 'nepo kid' like me,” he said.
The actor admitted he was unprepared for the scale of appreciation that followed the film's release. "The response has been overwhelming. I try to stay away from social media, but I still receive so many messages and calls. Chidambaram (director) and I have been travelling to places like Chennai and Hyderabad for previews, and people we've always admired, filmmakers we only dreamed of meeting, have been complimenting the film. This doesn't happen to everyone. You can work in the industry for years and never experience something like this even once. I've been fortunate enough to experience it twice, and Chidambaram has done it three times,” he added.
The 38-year-old actor also revealed that his father never interferes with his choice of films. "When it comes to choosing films, my father doesn't interfere. But once I've committed to a project, he always wants to know about the character and the story. With Balan, there wasn't really any question of whether I'd do the film because Chidambaram and I are like family, and we've been friends since before we became directors,” he told us.
The actor continued that his father was moved to tears after he heard the narration of the climax.
"When I narrated the story to my father and told him about the climax, he actually cried. He said, 'This is what we're looking for.' Since he's also a director, he was looking at it from that perspective. He told me, 'If I cried hearing the climax, the audience will cry too.' He understood the emotional impact immediately.”
The film also marked Jean Paul's first outing as a cop on screen. While he has portrayed darker characters before, he described this role as more layered.
"This is my first time playing a police officer, though I've done negative roles before; they just weren't widely seen. Wearing the uniform itself helps you get into the character. Half the acting is already done when you look the part. I've actually played darker characters before. What made this role more challenging was that it's morally grey. He's not really a bad person. But when someone loses something they value deeply, a part of them becomes darker. That complexity made the role a very enjoyable experience,” Jean explained.
For the actor, grey characters mirror real life more closely than straightforward heroes or villains. "As a performer, I actually enjoy playing grey characters. Most people are a little grey in real life, and I think that's why audiences relate to them. They feel like, 'I'm one of these characters.’ I'm sure many people have come across a police officer like this at some point in their lives, so there's a sense of familiarity."
Interestingly, despite earning praise for his intense performance, the actor believes comedy demands greater skill.
"I don't think playing a grey character is more difficult than doing humour. In fact, making people laugh is much harder than making them feel intimidated or scared of you. I'm a little taller than the average Indian guy, I've got a beard, and I can naturally look intimidating. That comes quite easily to me. But making people laugh—that's the real challenge as an actor,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the film had an earlier screening at the Marche du Film section of the Cannes Film Festival 2026, where it received a positive response.
Balan: The Boy also reunites Chidambaram with composer Sushin Shyam following their collaboration on Manjummel Boys. The film is written by Jithu Madhavan, best known for directing the acclaimed Fahadh Faasil-starrer Aavesham.
