New Delhi: The visceral intensity of the Malayalam film Marco may have made a woman throw up but this isolated incident of shock isn’t the only reason the film is grabbing eyeballs. It’s the first South Indian film, after Baahubali, to release in South Korea. It also delivered the long-awaited recognition to Kabir Duhan Singh, who plays the ruthless antagonist Cyrus Issac.
“I read about it (the puking incident). And, it’s sad but on the contrary I have visited theatres and not just youth but families and 60-year-olds are also enjoying the film,” Singh told ThePrint.
After releasing in the Hindi belt on just 35 screens, the film now commands over 500 screens and approximately 1,000 daily shows.
“It’s the highest-grossing ‘A’ certificate film in Malayalam cinema and is getting popular in the Hindi belt due to word of mouth,” said Singh. “It is a notch higher than Bollywood’s action seen in Kill and Animal. It’s equivalent to Korean cinema.”
Singh said that his phone hasn’t stopped buzzing; social media is flooded with praises; fans aren’t tired of praising his acting chops.
According to him, the audience never expected to witness such a level of brutality and action in Indian cinema, but with films like Marco the action genre is carving its own position.
“Not just the youth, everyone is loving action right now,” Singh said.
The film’s dominance has put significant pressure on other big-budget Christmas releases, including Mohanlal’s directorial debut Barroz and Varun Dhawan’s Baby John. While Barroz explores children’s fantasy with Mohanlal playing a whimsical ghost, Baby John—a remake of Vijay’s Theri—boasts the direction of Atlee.
Sleepless nights and meditation
For the audience, witnessing a character like Cyrus Issac in Marco was a first—and for Singh, portraying such an intensely dark role was equally an uncharted territory.
“This character crossed all limits—it’s easily the most brutal villain in Indian cinema,” Singh said. “Playing it wasn’t easy. It’s not just a switch-on, switch-off kind of job. Meditation was my anchor throughout.”
Singh recounted how a particular scene, where his character cuts the umbilical cord on a pregnant woman, deeply disturbed him.
“That scene haunted me. I couldn’t sleep properly; the flashes would keep me awake,” he said.
But, fans have been showering him with love.
“The messages are usually, ‘we hate Cyrus, but we love you’,” said Singh.
The toll of portraying such a dark character led Singh to seek spiritual solace. After wrapping up the 18-day pre-climax shoot, he immediately booked a flight from Kochi to Delhi and travelled to Uttarakhand with a friend.
“I visited six temples, including one famous ‘mata ka mandir’ for its high magnetic waves. People say it’s a perfect place to meditate. I stayed there meditating for four hours,” Singh revealed.
Also read: Malayalam cinema has found its Animal moment. Audience loving extreme violence in Marco
‘Adopted son’
Despite working in pan-India films like Pailwaan (2019)with Sudeep Kiccha and Shaakuntalam (2023) alongside Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Marco has finally delivered the breakthrough Singh had been chasing for nine years across 69 films.
Singh’s character enters the story in the last 30 minutes, yet his performance has left an indelible impression on audiences. The Malayalam audience have even claimed to “adopt” the Haryana-born actor.
“Actors don’t easily find acceptance in Malayalam cinema,” Singh said. “For the audience to say they’ve adopted me and don’t want me working in Hindi films is a huge validation.”
He continued, “This was long overdue. Now, I’m getting calls from both Bollywood and Malayalam directors.”
The 18-hour train journeys from Mumbai to Chennai and Bengaluru have finally paid off for Singh. Before making his mark in cinema, Singh worked as a model, but instead of pursuing roles in Hindi language movies, he chose to establish himself as a formidable villain in the South. He made his debut in 2015 with Jil.
Singh was in awe of cinema but had no inspiration.
“I didn’t look upto anyone. My journey itself is inspirational,” he said.
He remembered the days when he would diligently send shoot pictures to casting directors almost daily. Weeks went by with no response but nothing could deter him.
“Then, one day, I got a call for an audition, and there was no looking back,” Singh said. However, he admitted that after his debut, he often had to compromise on the roles he chose.
Now, with the success of Marco, Singh’s career trajectory has shifted. His approach to selecting projects is more calculated.
Going forward, Singh revealed that he is going to be “very picky” with the roles he wants to portray on the big screen. His 2025 plate is already packed with action entertainers.
He will be making his Bollywood debut this year under Zee Studios, signaling the start of a new chapter in his career.
“It’s a hard core action-commercial,” he said. Another OTT series, where he plays a police officer, is also set to release later this year.
“Just yesterday (Jan 1), I signed a big budget Malayalam film,” he said.