A couple of years ago when we were shooting for a TV interview, the hero of Tamizh Padam had an idea for his “introduction” scene. The camera was to first capture his feet as he got out of the car. We would then cut to him waving like a superstar. He waved all the way, walking to his seat and then asked us to take a quick shot of who he was waving at — Nobody. Just empty tables all around.
“Chumma mokkai,” he dismissed his joke with his brand of self-deprecatory humour, even as he was pitching the idea.
Cut to: Sunday evening at Escape, Express Avenue. He walks in with friends to catch Kalakalappu. And he's mobbed so much that he actually has to make excuses to escape the crowd. The Tamizh Padam star had now become a full-blown movie star.
“Yes, it is a nice feeling,” he says later when we get to talk over the phone. “They are clapping when they see me on the screen. A lot of people are genuinely laughing. Even as we speak, some 4.5 lakh people in Tamil Nadu are watching Kalakalappu and laughing. I feel great to be a part of that. The competition for actors should be in terms of claps and not in terms of money.”
The RJ-turned-actor recalls how he was very pleased when Sunder C had told him he had written a part keeping Shiva in mind. “Until I heard the story and realised he thought I was perfect to play the fraud. Thank you so much for trusting me, Sir… thank you, I told him,” he laughs.
It didn't take Shiva too long to decide if he wanted to do the film. “He is very fast and very genuine. Everything happened in two days. The director narrated the script and immediately came over and gave me an advance.”
Like the line in the movie goes, he never says no to money, he laughs. “After Venkat Prabhu, Sunder C has given me the most freedom to improvise. You should go and watch the film in the single screens to see the extent to which they are enjoying the film,” he insists.
“The film has performed better than we expected and so I have got many offers. So now there's more responsibility on me. So I want to choose my projects carefully. Any new director with a truly different idea can approach me through Twitter (@actorshiva).”
Is he happy doing comic roles?
“Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler are very good actors, not just comedy actors… Jim Carey can make you cry. I am ready to do all kinds of entertaining films. If a producer walks up to me and asks me to get a six-pack, I am ready… But they only come and say: Jolly- a oru padam pannalaam .” (Let's do a jolly movie)
“Even in Kalakalappu , we've conveyed a serious message about our traditional food and its medicinal qualities but in a way that's entertaining. I can solve all problems in the world with food. When do people hunt? When they are hungry. When do people get angry? When they are hungry.”
Tell him that the film seemed very different despite the plot's resemblance to Fatih Akin's critically-acclaimed Soul Kitchen , and he says: “You can make Terminator or Commando with me instead of Arnold, it will be very different. Because Arnold can't do what I do.”
You can never tell when he's serious or joking. Typically Shiva.
