Interview of Actor Karthi

Actor Karthi talks to subha j rao about the much-awaited Aayirathil Oruvan, and what cinema means to him
He had the kind of debut not many would have dreamt of. After growing up in cosmopolitan Chennai and studying abroad, Karthi dumped his suave demeanour for the unkempt look of Paruthiveeran. And surprised a whole lot of moviegoers and critics with his rustic charm.
Now, that kind of success is hard to repeat. Especially, when there’s huge expectation about your next film. But, Karthi handles all that pressure beautifully, happily smiling away queries about the long gap between Paruthiveeran and Selvaraghavan’s magnum opus Aayirathil Oruvan.
“I was prepared for the delay; just did not know it would take two years. Nor did I know it was such a big film. Plus, there was so much expectation, and I had to deliver,” he says.
All the hype over the film seems justified, with Karthi saying it’s “something no one has ever attempted before. Just watching Selva work is a delight. I loved interacting with him. It was a huge opportunity. And, there are these ‘silent’ scenes — pure symphony on screen.”
“Aayirathil Oruvan drained me. But, as an actor, many scenes gave me a high. Like when I gave a four-page dialogue scene in one take.”
Karthi stumped many with his performance in Paruthiveeran — a spontaneity that usually comes after years in front of the camera. Looking back, how does he rate himself in the film? “I surprised myself at times (especially in the scene where I dance on the road wearing nothing but a pair of shorts). All credit to director Ameer for that.” The actor’s next flick, Paiyya, co-starring Tammannah, is directed by Lingusamy. “I am a huge fan of his Run, and wanted to do something like that. Paiyaa is a road movie and it’s a lot of fun, though there is this huge pressure to be a commercial hero,” he says. And, then, there’s a film (“a unique script”, co-starring Kajal Agarwal) with Susindran of Vennila Kabbadi Kuzhu fame, and his home production (Studio Green) Siruthai, due to start six months down the line.
Even after his sudden ascent to stardom, Karthi is the quintessential boy-next-door. How does he manage to remain so? “Why should I be different?” he shoots back. “Cinema is not new to me. It helped that I did not enter the industry as a bright-eyed youngster. And, I always remember what Suriya told me — ‘at any point, someone will be famous. It is only films that live to tell the tale’. My friends are still my buddies from St. Bede’s. Appa ensured that we had a middle-class upbringing and imbibed those values.” Wanting to be a director, Karthi worked with Mani Ratnam for a while. So, can we expect to see him make his own movie soon? “After seeing Mani sir, Ameer and Selva work, I believe I should not attempt direction if I can’t create something even remotely close to their work.”
For someone who admits he had no clarity as a youngster, Karthi chooses scripts with care. “It should be appealing enough to keep you excited through the six months of shooting.” And, despite having done two movies that ‘celebrated’ the actor in him, he loves commercial cinema. “I love masala movies … Pokkiri, Ghilli, Ghajini. I would love to do both kinds of cinema.” He is also kicked about the new wave cinema in Tamil. “They encourage you to try out something different.”
He also envisions a day when movies will be made for niche audiences, like in Bollywood. “Probably, when we have more multiplexes. That way, you can make movies on small budgets, without worrying about whether it will appeal to all.”
How does the young crop of actors get along with one another? “Famously. I hang out a lot with Jeyam Ravi, Aarya and Jeeva. And, no, we don’t discuss films,” he laughs.