''From Raghuvaran to Mankatha to Arya's next'' ... Behind the scenes with Harish

Nov 17, 2013

Ever since the release and subsequent success of Pandianadu, villain actor Harish has been in the public eye. His good physique, emoting skills and fiery looks have positioned him as a really promising villain, to look forward to. In fact, Harish has already acted as a hero in the movie Tha, which released in December 2010. Though the film won good reviews, it couldn't make much impact.

Till date, he has also acted in other films such as Gouravam, the Malayalam movie Mumbai Police and the upcoming Tamil - Telugu bilingual Yagavarayinum Naa Kaakka. In this conversation with Behindwoods, the 31 year old multilingual Harish opened up on a wide range of topics

Your background before coming to cinema

I was part of the cabin crew with Paramount Airways for 3 years and later with British Airways for 2.5 years. I also worked in an ad company in Chennai before cinema came calling. I had an accidental meeting with the director of Tha, Suriya Prabhakaran, and I was ready to do a small role in his movie. But, he offered me the lead role. My initial plan was to enter cinema in my late 30s and shine as a villain like Raghuvaran Sir but destiny had other plans

The preparations that you did for your entry to cinema with Tha

For about 5 months, I grew my beard and also did work to darken my skin, as the role demanded that. Since I was in London for most of the time, I was really fair and I had to literally get baked in sunlight and with oil, to get the required skin tone.

How did you come aboard Pandianadu

My Tha director Suriya Prabhakaran is very close to Suseenthiran and once when I met Susee along with Suriya Prabhakaran, he didn't give me any brief about the role and just asked for my dates in June - July 2013. I have been following him since his Naan Mahaan Alla days and I immediately accepted. Suseenthiran is a terrific actor and a teacher and it was great working with him.

Your experiences with the Pandianadu unit

Bharathiraja Sir rocked in the movie and when I went into his caravan to get a snap clicked with him, he said that he really liked my performance in Tha. I was stunned and those words of praise made my day.

Vishal will be a wonderful producer and based on his experiences as an actor, he fulfills all the actors' needs without us even asking him. Vishal, Vikranth and Soori really kept the set lively with their antics and wisecracks.

I got along very well with Sharath Lohitashwa (the main villain in the movie) and he has become a dear friend. He has an experience of more than 100 Kannada films.

Madhie's frame work is brilliant and I really liked how I looked in the movie thanks to his work behind the camera. Stunt master Anal Arasu makes sure that all safety precautions are taken and he composes his sequences based on the actors. His assistants are forever helpful and their team can adapt to any actor.

About the accolades for your Pandianadu show

I am being recognized more often by the public and even some of the industry personnel such as Siva Karthikeyan have been really appreciative of my performance. It feels great.

Your inspiration and the roles that you really enjoyed

I am a big admirer of Raghuvaran Sir and I believe I am well-suited for negative characters. Raghuvaran Sir's performance in Udhayam is a benchmark and I also liked Ajith's role in Mankatha. Generally, in any week I see atleast 3 movies to keep in touch with the space.

The other films in the offing

I have signed on for Arya's next film with Magizh Thirumeni and I have a really impressive role in the movie, which would be positive. Thanks to this role, I haven't been typecast again in a negative role. I am also in talks for a character role in a Telugu film, to be produced by Prabhas. Besides these, I might also do a role in the next Ravi Teja film, to be directed by the writer of Balupu.

How do you keep yourself fit and in shape?

Before coming to cinema, I undertook the basic cinema stunts training and when I am not shooting, I am devoted to the gym as I am a fitness freak. I also play basketball and swim regularly to maintain my physique.

What are your future plans? Any plans to go beyond villainy and try out other aspects of cinema?

I am not a big planner and I believe in destiny. I am open to any kind of role and I am looking to establish a good platform for myself. No set targets as of now.

Before we close, I would also like to mention about Mr.Udhayakumar, a sound engineer with Four Frames. I am very close to him and I consider him my mentor in cinema. He motivates me and I share everything with him.

Behindwoods wishes this rising actor a very promising future and more accolades ahead.