Mimicry artist Joby Kodakara says he was part of Jailer 2, and that meeting Rajinikanth up close on the set was a great piece of luck. He shared the news in a Facebook post as the film released, calling himself "a very small part" of the film.
Update: Joby deletes the post
Joby has since deleted his Jailer 2 posts after a backlash from Mohanlal fans. He had reportedly said he was Mohanlal's body double in the film. Some viewers online have linked him to a high-speed car scene. That claim comes from social media, not from Joby or the makers, and we are not describing the scene further to avoid spoilers.
Actor and production controller Azad Kannadikkal criticised Joby on Facebook for posting the body-double photos on release day, saying body doubles are routine in films and that what stays in the final cut is the director's call.
In an interview with Jango Space TV on YouTube, Joby has since said that only one or two of his shots are in the film. He said they show his hand and foot in the climax car scene at the airport, shifting gears and pressing the accelerator.
He said his face is not in the film, and that the face people online claim is his is not him. He added that posting his location photos on release day was what led to the cyber attacks against him.
Watch the interview here:
Joby has also apologised. In the same interview, he said he made a mistake by sharing set photos on release day, after the production manager had told him not to share any behind-the-scenes pictures before the film came out. He described his part as two or three short shots in the airport sequence.
He said he was brought in as a body double because of scheduling and the limited availability of an actor of Mohanlal's stature.
Mohanlal does appear in Jailer 2 as Mathew, reprising his role from the first film.
According to reports, Joby worked as Mohanlal's figure double in the film. He had said this earlier in an interview, adding that he has done figure-double shows for about 20 years and was delighted to be called to double for Mohanlal.
The set photos
Along with the note, Joby posted pictures of himself in costume resembling Mohanlal's look in the film, as well as photos from the set with SJ Suryah and Jackie Shroff. One more picture carried a caption calling it his attempt at Mathew, Mohanlal's character.
Joby has since said only a couple of insert shots of his hand and foot made the final cut, as noted above. He had described his part as very small from the start.
Same day, two very different notes
The timing stands out. On the same day, Mohanlal's costume designer Jishad Shamsudeen said three of Mohanlal's looks were cut from Jailer 2, along with a scene from the trailer. Jishad's note was about what fans did not get to see; Joby's is about simply having been on the set.
Both point back to the same character. In Jailer (2023), Mohanlal played Mathew in a short cameo that Jailer 2 brought back.
