Written by Anandu SureshKochi | November 10, 2025 05:51 PM IST 5 min readActor Shabareesh Varma with his wife, production designer Ashwini Kale. (Credit: ZEE5, Instagram/@kashwini)The multi-hyphenate talent Shabareesh Varma needs no introduction, thanks in particular to his ability to leave a lasting impression even while playing minor characters. Whether as Nivin Pauly’s best friend in Premam (2015), a CPO in Mammootty’s team in Kannur Squad (2023), or Navya Nair’s husband in Paathirathri (2025), Shabareesh knows how to make his presence felt. His contributions to various movies as a lyricist and playback singer have only further increased his fame and the affection of the people towards him.As he gears up for the release of his first streaming series, the Malayalam horror comedy Inspection Bungalow, Shabareesh is as excited as ever. He is also thrilled about the rising popularity and success of his beloved wife, production designer Ashwini Kale — particularly known for her outstanding work in director Jithu Madhavan’s Fahadh Faasil-starrer Aavesham (2024) and Vineeth Sreenivasan’s Hridayam (2022), featuring Pranav Mohanlal, Kalyani Priyadarshan, and Darshana Rajendran in the lead roles. Shabareesh and Ashwini’s romance blossomed while working together on Premam — where she served as an assistant art director, and both were in the initial phases of their careers — and they tied the knot in 2018. Since then, the two have been each other’s biggest cheerleaders.Also Read | Mohanlal fans trend ‘Boycott Major Ravi’ after rumours claim superstar likely to team up with BJP leader for film on Pahalgam terror attack, Operation SindoorIn an exclusive interview with SCREEN, Shabareesh Varma opens up about their unwavering relationship and the cinematic journey they have been traversing together for years. Candidly revealing that he is colour-blind, he adds with warmth that Ashwini brings to his life the hues he cannot otherwise see. As we point out that actor-actor, director-actor, and even producer-actor couples are quite common, but art director-actor couples are not, Shabareesh quips, “It’s not that we intended to create such a rare combination; it happened naturally.”“We first met while working on Premam. The love that started there grew into a relationship, and now it has reached this stage. I often say that she is the colour in my life. I am colour-blind, so I always get confused with combinations of colours. I often confuse green with yellow and vice versa. People make fun of me for that. They point to something and ask me what colour it is. I get confused, wondering, ‘Is it green or yellow?’ If there were no arrows in traffic lights, I would have been stuck on the road perpetually. Although I could memorise the order of the colours changing, it would still be difficult. This affects my daily life a lot,” he shares.Recalling the subsequent struggles he faced during his student days, Shabareesh says, “When I was studying sound engineering, they would say, ‘Bring the purple cable.’ The cables were all colour-coded. So I would be like, ‘Which one is the purple cable?’ That was a personal problem for me. Career-wise, I’m not sure how much it would have affected me, but personally, it has. And Ashwini has helped me with this a lot. I haven’t sought help from anyone else in this regard. Nonetheless, this isn’t the only thing she has supported me with, but since it relates to my career, I felt it’s right to mention it here.”What is the beauty of succeeding and growing together, considering that they got married while they had just started out in the film industry? Shabareesh Varma has a cute and insightful answer for that as well. Expressing his immense happiness, he shares, “It doesn’t happen always. Now, during the recording of this interview, both of us are at a successful stage. But life is a rollercoaster, right? It can go up or down; sometimes for both of us at the same time, and other times differently for each of us.” Shabareesh Varma in his first streaming series, the Malayalam horror comedy Inspection Bungalow.He adds, “So far, whatever has happened has turned out to be favourable for us, and that’s because of our personal efforts too. The effort I put into Premam is still paying off, and the same goes for Ashwini’s work in Aavesham. Today, she is recognised at a pan-Indian level, or at least across South India. Even though not everyone may know her name or is aware that she created the work they enjoy, the fact that her work is being widely appreciated is a big thing.”Story continues below this adHelmed by Saiju SS and penned by Suneesh Varanadu, Inspection Bungalow premieres on November 14 on ZEE5. The horror comedy show also features Aadhya, Senthil Krishna, Shaju Sreedhar and Jayan Cherthala in key roles.Anandu Suresh is a Deputy Copy Editor at Indian Express Online. He specialises in Malayalam cinema, but doesn't limit himself to it and explores various aspects of the art form. He also pens a column titled Cinema Anatomy, where he delves extensively into the diverse layers and dimensions of cinema, aiming to uncover deeper meanings and foster continuous discourse. Anandu previously worked with The New Indian Express' news desk in Hyderabad, Telangana. You can follow him on Twitter @anandu_suresh_ and write (or send movie recommendations) to him at anandu.suresh@indianexpress.com. ... Read MoreClick here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Malayalam CinemaMalayalam film industry