‘L2: Empuraan’ director Prithviraj Sukumaran says, "Never thought of myself as very good-looking"

Filmmaker-actor Prithviraj Sukumaran has revealed that he never considered himself exceptionally good-looking, despite being admired for his striking screen presence. Reflecting on his Bollywood debut Aiyya (2012), he admitted that the film was a refreshing change, as it focused on his looks—something he hadn’t encountered in his other projects.

"I've never thought of myself as a very good-looking guy ever. And also, the kind of cinema that I do, I don't end up doing a lot of films where it's about my looks, which is what was very refreshing for me about my first film," Prithviraj shared in an interview with IANS.

The actor played Surya, a mysterious Tamil artist, in Aiyya, opposite Rani Mukerji. The film revolved around the eccentric Meenakshi, who becomes infatuated with Surya based purely on his physical appeal. Prithviraj acknowledged that the film uniquely positioned him as a visual spectacle, something he had not experienced before.
"I did a film called Aiyya, where the whole film was about me neck downwards. That was very refreshing for me because I didn't think that I could be shot like that objectively," he explained.
He acknowledged that Aiyya was one of the rare films where his physical appeal took center stage. Unlike most of his projects, which prioritize storytelling and character depth over appearance, he noted that he has never been conditioned to see himself as exceptionally good-looking. While he appreciates being considered attractive, he expressed a greater desire for audiences to admire his work rather than just his looks.
Prithviraj is currently gearing up for the release of L2: Empuraan, the highly anticipated sequel to Lucifer (2019). The movie is set to release on March 27.
On the other hand, Prithviraj’s previous outing was ‘Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil’. ETimes review for the movie reads, “There are some issues with the writing. Primarily, we don't get to see what the women are thinking. It would have been a little more interesting to see what they thought. Some actions aren't properly explained, say, why are the uncles conspiring. It seemed like it was just pushed into the plot to add some drama. The film lacked flow in some places which makes the audience lose their grip on the plot. The supporting cast performed exceptionally well, matching the energy to the two male leads. Be it Jagadish, PP Kunhikrishnan, Siju Sunny, Joemon Jyothir, Saaf or Akhil Kavalayoor, all of them did their parts well. However, in the second half, the film doesn't keep up with the energy it had in the first. Some jokes don't work. Or maybe they aren't intended to be jokes but it doesn't make any sort of impact. The Nandanam shoutout was cool but somehow the impact was lacking as it progressed. When Aravind Akash shows up on screen, the nostalgia element shoots up but when we reach the part where Anandan does an Unnimaya, it falls flat not because it was done poorly but by then the climax had already stretched on for too long.”