Palakkad-based actor Rajesh Hebbar is a familiar face to Malayali audiences. From his big-screen debut in Chithrakoodam (2003), directed by Pradeep Kumar, to his recent performance in Abhinav Sunder Nayak’s Mollywood Times, he has remained a steady presence in Malayalam cinema for over two decades. His memorable turns as scheming villains on television only cemented that popularity.

Today, however, a younger audience knows him for something entirely different: his rock covers. Renditions of classics like Scorpions’ ‘Wind of Change’ and Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’ have earned him a loyal following, introducing many to a side of Rajesh they had never seen before.

His love for music dates back to his college days at Government Victoria College, Palakkad, where he played in a classic rock band called Primitive Knights. Active from the late 1980s through the 1990s, the band performed across south India.

“We were one of the few bands as active as 13AD (rock band from Kochi),” he recalls. “We called ourselves Primitive Knights because, in college, we had to use tree branches to prop up our drums. Our beginnings were primitive, but we liked to think of ourselves as knights in shining armour.”

Although he dreamt of becoming an actor growing up, music was a natural extension of that ambition. “I loved being on stage. Singing lets you connect with the audience instantly,” he says, adding that being a rock band from a small town like Palakkad became their biggest talking point.

“I was wild on stage,” Rajesh laughs. “I consider myself an okay singer but a good performer. That’s what connected with people and kept them coming back.”

Primitive Knights eventually disbanded in the early 2000s due to creative differences. Years later, while attending a private gathering hosted by a friend, Rajesh played a recording of himself singing ‘Knights in White Satin’. Encouraged by the response, he began posting cover songs on Instagram again.

“This time, they went viral,” he says. “Young people from across Kerala filled the comments, and I even had listeners from Mizoram. Most youngsters in Kerala don’t watch television serials, so they’re genuinely surprised when they discover that the middle-aged bald guy from those serials is singing Metallica and Pink Floyd.”

Rajesh has acted in 65 films across five languages: Malayalam, English, Hindi, Tamil and Sanskrit. His television debut was in 2004 with Orma, directed by KK Rajeev. He is often remembered for his roles in Sathyan Anthikad’s films like Manassinakkare and Innathe Chintha Vishayam.

In 2015, Rajesh played Unnayi Warrier, a 17th-century Kerala poet in Priyamanasam, directed by Vinod Mankara. The film was awarded the Best Sanskrit Feature Film at the 63rd National Film Awards.

Rajesh, who is currently gearing up to star in producer Aashiq Usman’s next, says he is trying to debunk the notion that people are expected to act in certain ways and have tastes according to their age. “It is not a question of how old you are, but how much you love something.”