Actor Jiteesh Raichel Samuel on his role in ‘Symptoms of Love’, ‘Khidki Gaav’ and more
Actor Jitheesh Raichel Samuel, has kept his mother’s name as his middle name. “In case I become famous, her name becomes famous too,” he laughs over the phone.
The actor is part of two projects currently in the spotlight. He plays Abey in Symptoms of Love, a short film lauded for its convincing performances and Paul Thomas Anderson-esque aesthetics, and Simon in Khidki Gaav, which won the Hylife Vision Award at the Busan International Film Festival 2025.
“While I have worked on many projects, I am receiving this kind of response for the first time. I was questioning my abilities as an actor before signing Symptoms of Love. But when I saw it, I was satisfied,” says the actor, about the short film directed by Sanjay Damodhar Renjith, released on the Bhavana Studios YouTube channel. “Actor Soubin Shahir called me after watching the movie. He told me he watched the movie twice.
In the 28-minute film, Jithesh displays restraint as Abey secretly prepares for his death and the consequences. However, things change when he runs into Twinkle played by Ameesha Yashica.
Jitheesh Raichel Samuel as Abey
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The actor credits his performance to the writer-director duo of Nithin Joseph and Sanjay. “I collaborated with them in 2022 for an unreleased anthology film. When they asked whether I could do the film, I agreed straightaway. Their inputs were clear, which gave me an idea of how the audience would perceive the film.”
Symptoms of Love premiered at the 17th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala recently in the Malayalam Short Fiction category.
Origin Story
An alumnus of the KR Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts in Kottayam (KRNNIVSA), Jitheesh’s tryst with acting began in Class II with school plays. Seeing his performance, Malayalam actor-director Tom Jacob even recommended him for a few episodes of Pakida Pakida Pamparam, a series telecast on the Doordarshan in the ‘90s.
“It stayed with me when he (Tom) said I could act in a few episodes of the show even though I couldn’t take that opportunity,” says Jitheesh.
After graduating, Jitheesh worked at a service centre for a year before an accident put him out of action for some time.
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“Until class XII, I didn’t do much in school, before returning to theatre,” says Jithesh, who joined KRNNIVSA after he finished engineering and did a short stint at a startup in Kochi.
“When I was working, I dreamt of joining a film school and learning acting. My father encouraged me to study at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune. He kept pushing me to learn acting, even though opportunities were slim. He told me how it would make me a better person; this has stuck with me.” As an acting student, Jitheesh says, he gained clarity in his personal life.
Jitheesh Raichel Samuel
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HARRISON NEWTON
“When I was at the institute, we staged two plays. We performed one of them, Court Martial, at Theatre Olympics in Delhi.”
After graduating, Jitheesh worked at a service centre for a year before an accident put him out of action for some time. “Soon, I quit the job and even considered moving to Kochi from my hometown, Kottarakkara, as a food delivery partner.”
He soon started acting in advertisements and presentations for an e-education portal, which led him to become an anchor for a Malayalam online news media organisation, covering cricket and cinema. “People thought I was an anchor and a media person, but I didn’t want that to be my identity. I just did this for the money, honestly.”
He adds, “I was unable to convince people that I am a good actor with my words, but my performance can do that. I know if someone gives me work, I will do it well.”
In 2022, he debuted in feature films, as a police officer in Aavasavyuham, directed by Krishand RK. Early this year, he impressed with his performance in Daveed, starring Antony Varghese.
Another praiseworthy performance was in Khidki Gaav (If on a Winter’s Night) as Simon, a Malayali migrant in Delhi struggling to make ends meet. One of his teachers at KRNNIVSA, Sanju Surendran, directed the movie. “They were searching for an actor to do the role after the shoot had begun. I gave an audition and requested Sanju sir for the role. I was happy to act, even if there was no payment.”
Jitheesh Raichel Samuel in Khidki Gaav
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About the big win at Busan, he says, “I knew the movie would go places, since it was Sanju sir’s movie. I enjoy working on movies like that, even college projects, because students are ready to experiment.
Currently, Jitheesh is awaiting Khidki Gaav’s theatrical release and is working in a few short films. “I just want to do prominent full-length roles. I am hoping the success of Symptoms of Love and Khidki Gaav will help with that.”
Published – October 07, 2025 11:11 am IST
