‘Identity has been the greatest gift of the year so far’

Vinay Rai delivers a stylish and compelling performance in Akhil Paul and Anas Khan’s recent thriller Identity, now streaming on ZEE5. Despite the positive reception to his performance, Vinay remains grounded, acknowledging the importance of voice in acting.

“I commended Amal (Jose) on his excellent dubbing work,” Vinay shares. “He also dubbed for me in Christopher (2023). I am still learning Malayalam, and while I tried dubbing for Identity myself, I felt it sounded too anglicised for people to buy.”

Despite the mixed reactions to the film, Vinay regards his involvement in Identity as his “greatest gift of the year” so far. Crediting Akhil and Anas for the screenplay, he says, “I was fortunate to collaborate with such a talented and dedicated team, including Akhil, Anas, Tovi (Tovino Thomas), DOP Akhil George, editor Chaman Chakko, and the rest of the crew. Akhil’s direction allowed me considerable creative freedom in developing my character.”

The film’s intriguing concept of ‘facial blindness’ presented a unique challenge for Vinay and Tovino.

“Beyond all the fights, our biggest task was to keep the audience guessing about our characters’ motivations,” explains Vinay. “Tovi and I had to maintain a strong on-screen camaraderie. Thankfully, Akhil and Anas gave us the liberty to question the screenplay, which helped bring out the best in each of us,” asserts Vinay, adding, “I have never collaborated this way in my 18-year career.”