One of the standout performances in Chidambaram’s ‘Balan’ comes from debutant Muhammed Zinaan, whose portrayal of the teenage Balan has earned widespread praise for its emotional depth and natural screen presence.
The film follows the journey of a young boy and his mother, who are forced to assume new identities in order to survive before being separated by circumstances. As the story progresses, Zinaan takes over from child actor Adhisheshan K.R., seamlessly portraying an older Balan shaped by years of hardship, fear and resilience. His understated performance, particularly in the emotionally charged police station sequence opposite Jean Paul Lal, has been widely appreciated for conveying emotion through silence rather than dramatic dialogue.
Interestingly, Zinaan says he never knew the full story while filming. “I only received the scenes we were shooting each day. I understood the complete story only after watching the finished film,” he revealed.
As Gold 101.3FM, UAE’s No.1 radio station, reports, the Fort Kochi teenager had never acted before landing the role. His only experience in front of the camera had been creating social media reels. He came across the audition announcement on actor Ganapathi’s Instagram story, auditioned, and was selected the very next day by director Chidambaram.
Even after being chosen, convincing people around him wasn’t easy. “When I told my family I had been selected, nobody believed me. Only after I signed the contract did they realise it was true,” he said. Only a few close friends at school knew he was preparing for his first film.
Preparing for the role proved equally challenging. Since Balan speaks Tulu, Zinaan underwent language training with filmmaker Basil Alchalakkal, director of Toby. He was also asked to watch around 20 films, including acclaimed titles such as ‘Capernaum’ and ‘City of God’, and write reports on each of them. The exercise, suggested by Chandu Salimkumar, helped him better understand cinema and performance.
Despite sharing several emotionally demanding scenes with Tovino Thomas, Zinaan says he always felt supported on set. “Whenever I made mistakes, Tovino chettan would simply tell me, ‘It’s okay, you can do it.’ That gave me confidence,” he recalled.
Following the release of ‘Balan’, the young actor has been flooded with appreciation from audiences and continues to receive messages praising his debut. From a teenager dreaming of entering the film industry to delivering one of the year’s most talked-about debut performances, Muhammed Zinaan has quickly established himself as a promising new talent in Malayalam cinema.
