Jayasurya and Kunchacko Boban in Swapnakoodu. (Screenshot: YouTube/apimalayalam; enhanced using AI)Not all movies that emerge as blockbusters become trendsetters or spark a flood of similar works. Considering that it’s difficult to create a film that becomes a bona fide box-office hit, crafting one that influences and inspires other filmmakers is even more challenging. However, director Kamal’s Swapnakoodu not only emerged as a trendsetter but also catapulted the careers of Prithviraj Sukumaran, Meera Jasmine, Kunchacko Boban, Bhavana, and Jayasurya, who played the lead roles, to great heights.How Kamal’s Swapnakoodu helped 5 young actors in their careerExcept for Kunchacko Boban, who had already become a massive star and youth icon by then — thanks to back-to-back superhits that made him the “chocolate hero” of Malayalam cinema — the remaining four actors had just started out and were yet to cement their positions in the industry. Swapnakoodu turned out to be the push they all needed, earning them massive fame in addition to the movie becoming a blockbuster.Only in SCREEN | Why Malayalam cinema struggles with sci-fi, and how modern films are changing the gameThe film revolves around three young Hotel Management students in Pondicherry (Puducherry) — Alex Chandy aka Kunjoonju (Prithviraj Sukumaran), Deepak (Kunchacko Boban), and Ashtamoorthy (Jayasurya) — who move into the top floor of a house owned by an elderly woman (Kalaranjini) as tenants. She lives there with her daughters, Kamala (Meera Jasmine) and Padma (Bhavana), and the rest of the movie follows how their bonds evolve, particularly as romance blossoms among some of them.‘Jayasurya and I were like inseparable twins’: Kunchacko BobanThe camaraderie the actors, particularly the men, shared on screen also spilt over into their personal lives, and Prithviraj, Kunchacko Boban, and Jayasurya remain good friends even now. During a recent interview, Kunchacko recalled their Swapnakoodu days and said he and Jayasurya were like inseparable twins at the time.Also Read | Rajesh Kumar on ‘losing everything’ at 42: ‘Recovery agents would abuse me, sold car’“I would drive the car, and Jayasurya would be constantly on the phone talking to his wife (then his girlfriend, Saritha). That’s how we travelled to Pondicherry. When there was no shoot, we would go shopping and wander around together. At that time, Jayan and I were like inseparable twins,” the actor said during a conversation with Cue Studio.Story continues below this adWhen Kunchacko Boban and Jayasurya got jaundice togetherKunchacko Boban hilariously shared that their bond reached such a stage that they even got jaundice together. “During that time, Jayasurya caught a mild fever. He said he wasn’t feeling well and went to the hospital. It was only after the tests that we realised it was jaundice. Upon hearing this, I took an auto-rickshaw and went to the hospital to see him. Four days later, I also came down with jaundice,” he added.Besides Swapnakoodu, the two actors have also worked together in movies such as Kilukkam Kilukilukkam (2006), Lollipop (2008), Three Kings (2011), 101 Weddings (2012), Four Friends (2010), Shajahanum Pareekuttiyum (2016), School Bus (2016), and Enthada Saji (2023).Kunchacko Boban was most recently seen in director Kiran Das’ Unmadham, where he shared the screen with Lijomol Jose. The psychological drama was penned by Shahi Kabir. Jayasurya’s most recent movie was Midhun Manuel Thomas’ Aadu 3, which ranks among the highest-grossing Malayalam films of 2026.