Sandeep bhaiya chale south

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Fans of TVF offerings already knew him as Sandeep Bhaiya, his breakout role in Aspirants, the wide popularity of which sparked a spin-off series. But Sunny Hinduja believes Netflix's The Railway Men (2023) - which featured R Madhavan, Kay Kay Menon, Divyenndu and Babil Khan - introduced him to the mainstream audience. "The Railway Men reached far and wide, and people from across the world lauded our work. I felt grateful for the love that came to me," says Hinduja. While the appreciation has given him a boost, it has also encouraged the actor to push his boundaries. It reflects in his next step as he ventures into Malayalam cinema with Hello Mummy.

The actor is set to join the shoot of the fantasy comedy, helmed by ad filmmaker Vaishakh Elans, in Kochi next month. To Hinduja, it is the realisation of his wish to go beyond Hindi offerings. "I want to do all kinds of roles across different languages. I want to work in different countries too, but it begins at home. I have loved Malayalam cinema. Content matters greatly to this industry."

Before he faces the camera, the actor will have to pick up the basics of the language and perfect his dialogues. The trick, he says, is to not think of language as a barrier. "If you don't think of it as a barrier, it is not," he laughs. "I don't have to speak a lot of Malayalam. When I read the story, I was thrilled with its fresh thinking, and the team's honesty [towards their work]."