I am glad I took up Vaanam

How is the response for Vaanam? The feedback has been positive. People are happy to see me in a different attempt after a long time. The responses were not only aimed at my performance but also at the novel attempt and the film in its entirety. People have been asking me to choose such different subjects instead of the routine ones. With an active scenario in social networking sites these days, when I receive feedbacks from worldwide, it gives me all the more reasons to feel elated. Vaanam is the multi-starrer that I have done after Pattiyal. Whenever I work in a multi-starrer, there would always be a slight anxiety about the response. But audience is happy and I have been appreciated for my look and costumes too in the film. Over all I am glad I took up Vaanam.

Whose idea was it to have a different ending for your role in Vaanam? It was a mutual thought between me and Krish. In Pattiyal there was a point to drive home in the death of the lead characters at the end. However, in Vaanam, we felt that the pain would be diluted if both our characters (me and STR) die at the end. Hence I came up with an idea that it would be better for my character to lose a hand as it is this hand that strummed the guitar and wanted a career as a guitarist foregoing even an army lineage. But at the same time, when he loses this vital hand, he has no regrets because he has saved many lives. Krish also liked the idea and we decided that I would not speak anything (in the climax) but people surrounding me will talk. I think this concept has worked better. Tamil audience is more into emotions and perhaps that’s the reason the climax has worked much better in Vaanam.

It was a mutual thought between me and Krish

Krish and STR are two intellectual directors

Working with Krish and STR Krish and STR are two intellectual directors. I am only an actor with no director designation. It was a good experience to have worked with the two. I see a scene as an actor but as an actor cum director the way they perceive it is different. I am working with Krish for the first time and he knows how to conceptualize a scene and execute it with actors. There is no doubt that Krish has proved himself in his very first Tamil film.

STR is my friend and we have been traveling together from the days of Boys. He is very talented and has a huge potential in all facets of film making. When we first heard the song ‘Evandi Unna Pethan’, we were all excited. It is a great experience to have worked with someone like Simbu who knows cinema too well.

Simbu knows cinema too well

Did Vaanam provide enough fodder for your dancing skills?

In Vaanam my character was not about dancing but it was about attitude, aggression and minute emotions. The combination of Simbu and Bharath evokes the expectation of a good number of dance and action sequences. But we never had any combination scene but for the climax. In such a setting it is unreasonable to insist on dance sequences for me because the film does not require them. Vaanam opened with my number ‘Who am I’ which required loads of attitude and loud expressions. Director wanted it that way and the scene also turned that way. There are many films to come where I will showcase my dancing skills.

Yuvan Yuvathi is softly narrated

Yuvan Yuvathi Yuvan Yuvathi is directed by G N Kumaravelan of Ninaithale Inikkum fame. Right now, I am concentrating on the urban types of roles. Yuvan Yuvathi is about the relationship between a father and a son. These days, even a village lad wants to settle down in America after his education but dads are keen that their offspring stays in the village. YY is about the arguments between a father and a son on his choice of place to settle down and differences of opinion that crop due to the son’s choice of his life partner. The film is very softly narrated and is more of a musical love story. Vijay Anthony has scored the music. The main highlight of YY is its place of shoot. We have shot in Chennai, Pollachi, Seychelles, South Africa, Singapore and Malaysia. There would be many variations in Yuvan Yuvathi which would be my next release.

Thiruthani This is a film directed by Perarasu which will have his stamp all over it. I am teaming up with him after Pazhani and it will be a mass entertainer. It will be a huge action film for me. We are all excited as we have just completed a song in France and Spain. Thiruthani will hit the screens in August.

Thiruthani will hit the screens in August

I am looking forward to Sasi’s 555

Sasi’s 555 I am looking forward to and excited about Sasi’s 555 in which I am working for the past one year and Sasi sir for the past three years. 555 is a time processed script where many transformations take place. I expect 555 to give me a commercial appreciation just the way Nepali gave me. I have been shooting for more than 120 days for 555. It is a big budget film in my career going up to 8-9 crores. As I had a good script, I wanted to concentrate on it and did not sign any other film.

Cameo in Aravaan

In between my projects, I am doing a 20 day cameo in Vasantha Balan’s Aravaan.

You are seen in multi-starrers quite often. Is it a deliberate move? A few years back, I got slightly deviated in my career to commercial films. I also realized it was not interesting to do the same kind of films year after year. When audiences are appreciating new attempts and new genres and when I have age on my side, why not try fresh themes. And in multi-starrers, you get a fresh look and also a good opening when two heroes come together. That’s why I felt Vaanam was a worthwhile film to be in. A new kind of expectation comes in. Fifteen years back, Bollywood witnessed many multi-starrers. So why not I try here.

I got slightly deviated in my career

Film that you liked in the recent times

In the recent times, Myna is one film which I really enjoyed because it reminded me of my Kaadhal days. Prabhu Solomon had done a brilliant job with a simple theme with nativity factor to back him. Like Kaadhal, there were only a few artists in Mynaa and the story moved among them. I loved Mynaa.

Karthi rocked in Siruthai

Your favorite contemporaries in acting All the heroes have their own individuality. Jiiva rocked in Siva Manasula Sakthi and so did Karthi in Siruthai. Vishal is good in action and in Avan Ivan he has attempted something new. We are all in the same boat; there could be a few ups and downs in the race. I am happy that everything is going well for all of us.

Reviews in behindwoods.com The importance of net reviews can be felt only when we go abroad. I have many friends overseas who look at the web reviews and then only decide about going to a film. I am thankful to the reviewers in the press and the portals for giving an encouraging review for Vaanam. I was in France when Vaanam was released and I could not sit through all the reviews. But I heard that behindwoods has given a fantastic review for Vaanam. I thank behindwoods for all the encouragement as they have been a big support in my career too I wish to thank them for all.

behindwoods has given a fantastic review for Vaanam